Veronica Parker-Sartin has been a substitute teacher at Fair Grove Schools for around four years now and has brought encouragement and kindness to students throughout the school.
In 2013, Sartin and her family were drawn to Fair Grove because of its rural charm as well as the convenience it offered by being close to a bigger town. She shared, “I’ve always been a small-school kind of gal—if it feels like home, embrace it!” During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, in order to help fill classrooms, Sartin “rolled up [her] sleeves and got to work” subbing in the Fair Grove School District.
Before subbing, Sartin planned on becoming a teacher. She explained, “I started college thinking I’d one day be the queen of Home Economics — whipping up gourmet meals, hemming pants like a pro, and shaping young minds with a side of perfectly folded linens.”
She shared that life being what it is, her plans took her in a different direction. She said, “My Plan A [turned] into Plan B… and eventually into Plan ‘Let’s Just Wing It’.”
Sartin ended up working for a large manufacturing company, managing accounts and training employees. After beginning to sub at Fair Grove Sartin expressed how, although she was switching jobs, the teacher in her never left, “She just traded a conference room and spreadsheets for a classroom and sub plans.”
Her approach to classroom management emphasizes mutual respect as well as strong and genuine connections with students. She expressed that her background in agriculture allows her to connect with the ag students on a special level. In addition she explained the delight she finds teaching the art, band, economic, and business students as well. She shared, “There’s nothing better than watching students light up as they lean into what they love… I love being every student’s cheerleader – pom-poms optional, encouragement mandatory!”
Cinch Dowling, a sophomore student at Fair Grove, described Sartin as an incredibly kind, awesome person as well as a substitute who truly makes a difference. He shared, “I [want] to thank her for all the hard work she puts in both inside and outside of school, and for always making me and other kids feel heard and seen.” He continued, “She’s taught me to always be kind and unapologetically myself, no matter what.”
According to Dowling, Sartin is a source of encouragement to many students. Similarly, Sartin shared, “A great teacher is someone—like so many here at Fair Grove—who shines as a genuine source of encouragement and inspiration.”
