T-R photo by Lana Bradstream Rachel Schoenfelder is a teacher at the St. Francis Catholic School in Marshalltown.

Meet Rachel Schoenfelder, second grade teacher at St. Francis School in Marshalltown.

Schoenfelder, 40, grew up on a farm in eastern Iowa near a town called Hopkinton

She attended Loras College in Dubuque and graduated in 2002. Prior to that, she went to a Catholic elementary school in Worthington and graduated from Western Dubuque High School.

Schoenfelder and her family — husband Corey, and sons JJ, 10, Larrs, 9, and Ian, 5 — all live in Marshalltown.

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

A: I love being around children. They get so excited when they learn and when they accomplish something new.

Q: What is it like being a teacher at your school?

A: St. Francis is a huge family. The teachers support you and the families are very helpful. I love being able to talk about my faith. I can use it in many aspects of the day.

Q: What are the best aspects of your job?

A: The best aspects of my job is helping my students learn. I like seeing the “light bulb” come on when they have learned something new or they can see how to work out a strategy. I love hearing all the ideas and stories from my students because I can build a connection with them through those stories.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you face?

A: The biggest challenge is the resources. We really appreciate all the help we receive from the fundraising and donors.

Q: What do you want readers to know about your job or your school?

A: Teaching is a hard but rewarding job. I look at my students and know they are our future. They will be leading the world some day and I get to help them succeed.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I like to spend time with my family. I visit my parents and family back home often. My boys are in many sports so we are usually at a sporting event each weekend.