- December 25, 2024
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One of Lauren Huhta’s childhood memories that has influenced her as a person and educator involved a playground.
She was with her twin cousins, both of whom are autistic and have intellectual disabilities. Someone at the park, she recalls, asked her what was “wrong” with them.
“I remember being so taken back because I never considered anything being ‘wrong’ with my cousins,” Huhta said in a statement to the Observer. “I was raised that my cousins only had ‘differences’ and just needed extra time and help.”
Huhta knew from an early age that she was going to be a teacher. She also became an advocate for her cousins — a path that led to her working in Exceptional Student Education. Huhta, who graduated from Volusia County Schools, is now on her 11th year of teaching, all of which have been in ESE support facilitation.
“Being an ESE teacher has been extremely challenging over the past couple years with the increase of paperwork demands and workload,” Huhta said. “What keeps me motivated is seeing my previous students come back to visit, especially for the ‘senior walk’ with their caps and gowns. I know my students have had to work extra hard and it truly makes my heart happy seeing their perseverance develop into success.”
Huhta, who is Ormond Beach Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, works with students in all elementary grade levels, supporting them in the general education classrooms with reading and math skills.
Huhta is not the only educator in her family. Her paternal grandmother earned a master’s in elementary education and worked as a guardian ad litem. In 2019, Huhta and her father, who was adopted, found his biological parents on Ancestry DNA and discovered both were educators too.
Teaching has its ups and downs, Huhta said. At the end of last school year, she almost left the ESE field because of the paperwork demands and workload, but opted to stay at least for this school year. She is open to other positions however, from working with gifted students with exceptionalities to helping remediate students close reading learning gaps. As she has a master’s degree in reading education and is certified to teach gifted education, Huhta said she still wants to pursue teaching positions that involve helping students with different learning needs.
Being nominated as OBE’s Teacher of the Year, she said, makes her feel humbled and honored.
“Ormond Beach Elementary is a small, special school with a tight-knit community of educators with knowledge and expertise,” Huhta said.
If she could share a piece of wisdom with students, it would be to follow Maya Angelou’s quote: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“I want my students to know how important it is to never give up on dreams and goals, never give up on yourself, keep persevering, and advocate for yourself,” Huhta said.
