Stephani Leverich
Family: Stephani, along with husband Tom and their two kids, Liz and Zac, live on a farm near Wheaton, Mo.
In Town: Stephani Levrich works with East Newton Schools, and is their district’s Instructional Technology Specialist. “I travel to each of the campuses and help teachers and students integrate technology into their daily learning activities,” explained Stephani. “The main focus of how I help classroom teachers revolves around their individual needs. Is the teacher simply trying to learn how to use all of the features within a software package or are they interested in recording video lessons for modifying their teaching style?” As each teacher has different needs, students are provided similar support from Stephani, “Students now submit assignments using whatever medium best expresses their understanding of the content.”
In the Country: During the day, Stephani’s husband, Tom, manages the farm, which includes their laying house, and herd of beef cattle. “We are working to expand our herd and have made some changes to our primarily Angus-cross cows by breeding them to a Hereford bull.” Though Stephani misses a lot of the farm action during her workday at school, she is not exempt from the work, “On the weekend it’s hard not to sleep in, but eggs still come early whether you’re ready for them or not. After the eggs are collected and the cows are fed, the house still needs attention and meals have to be prepared. Then repeat the morning routine all over again in the afternoon. I often joke that I have to go back to school to get some rest.”
Farming isn’t all about work, though, and Stephani appreciates the lifestyle, “I enjoy getting to work with and learn from my husband, Tom. Our kids have taken more of an interest in how he, and their grandpas, handled things on the farm and he’s patiently teaching them. Tom’s able to adapt and change with new mandates or techniques and never complains. Farming doesn’t get him down, it brings out the best in him.”
