Throughout the year, a blur of students pass through room 518. While they may go unnoticed by their peers, science teacher Steven Rains makes it his goal to inspire them and ensure that he develops strong relationships with each of them. As the year slowly starts to come to an end, the posters that once covered his walls start to be taken down and an atmosphere of change and finality is in the air.

  After teaching at Stephenville for six years, physics and earth space science teacher Steven Rains is stepping down from his position as a physics and earth-space science teacher to teach elsewhere.

  “A lot of the kids are frustrated [that I’m leaving],” Rains said. “[I made] the choice that’s best for me and my family. It’s not because I hated SHS; I loved every minute of it.”

  As he prepares to leave, Rains looks back with fondness on what made science stand out to him years ago: none other than fellow science teacher Kathleen Huckabee.

  “She was the reason why I even liked science,” he said. “The first day we came in she asked us if anyone wanted a twenty and then lit it on fire. We just freaked out. By the time she laid it down on the counter, the fire was out and she said ‘This is the kind of stuff you’ll be learning about this year.’ She’s the reason I decided I wanted to be a science teacher.”

  Rains came here not only for Huckabee, but for all the science department had to offer in terms of ideas and new opportunities.

  “Where I taught previously, I was the only physics teacher, the only chemistry teacher,” he said. “I didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of. Because of the science department here, I knew [teaching here] would be a good choice [for me].”

  Over the past few years, Rains has made a variety of memories, including going to a national competition with the robotics team.

  “About three years ago, we got invited to St. Louis,” he said. “About half of St. Louis Ram Stadium was filled with people watching all these different robotics events. It was a really good time.”

  Rains’ creativity didn’t just stop at events with robotics when he was the sponsor. He also places great value on his relationships with students, changing things up regularly so that his subject areas don’t get tedious or boring to his students.

  “A lot of the time, students want consistency, but then it gets monotonous,” he said. “I try to change the platform I’m using and try various things. I try to do hands-on things, and anytime I can show demos or just make it more engaging I do that as much as possible.”

  To incoming teachers, Rains says to “bounce ideas off experienced teachers.”

  “Listen to people that are experienced and take their advice,” Rains said. “Use them as a sounding board. I change stuff a lot, but I do bounce ideas off of those people so that when I do change, it’s because I actually made a sound decision.”

  Though Rains is eager for change, he keeps in mind advice that other teachers have given him in years past.

  “Teachers have given me this tip: don’t reinvent the wheel,” he said. “Sometimes, especially with the technology push that we’re going through, we don’t see that the idea behind things like iPads is not to just do the same thing we always do on iPads. Ask yourself: ‘how can I use it to further what we’re currently doing?’ instead of converting things to online that would be the same on paper.”

  Rains has received two NHS Circle of Heroes recognitions in his years at SHS and appreciates them greatly.

  “Students don’t understand things from a teacher’s perspective sometimes,” he said. “We go all year long trying to influence them with no feedback. For a student to essentially write a letter and say in front of a group of people how a teacher has impacted them, that means a lot.”

  Rains has especially notable words to students looking to teach in the future.

  “You have to love learning and love people,” he said. “If you don’t have those two things, teaching would just be a profession for you. If you go into the field just because it’s a job, it’s not worth it. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love working with students day in and day out. If you don’t develop relationships that make it fun, the job won’t be worth it.”

  Finally, Rains wants to leave on a note of finality and positivity.

  “The students themselves have been awesome,” he said. “I’ve tremendously enjoyed my time here at SHS. The staff is amazing, the department is amazing, and the students make it fun. That’s the thing I would want them to know.”