There is a new teacher joining the business department at Iola High School this year but she is a familiar face to many. Laura Schinstock, the new business teacher, has taught at the high school before. SCHINSTOCK is very family-oriented. Her husband, Corey is the assistant city administrator for Iola, and they have been together for 20 years. They met when he helped her grandfather in his fields and they started dating when they were 16.
Schinstock was a business teacher at IHS from 2006 to 2010. Due to funding cuts Schinstock’s contract, along with other teachers’, was not renewed in 2010.
“I didn’t want to leave in the first place,” Schinstock said during her planning period Wednesday. “I liked teaching here, but since I wasn’t tenured, I was chosen,” to be cut.
Schinstock is more than happy to be back teaching in Iola’s classroom.
“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else,” she said. “I missed sharing lessons with the kids and making them more successful. I’m glad to be back.”
After leaving Iola she worked at Crest High School.
She has a full load of classes this semester. She is teaching business essentials, consumer education, which is a personal finance class, computer applications, accounting and career and life.
Schinstock likes to make her lessons interactive and interesting to students.
“I like to make my own tests and worksheets and make it better for them (students),” she said. “ I didn’t like lectures in school and I don’t like them now and I know the students don’t like them either.”
This year the students are using Software Asset Management online. Schinstock said the students like using it because it is easier so far.
She gives credit to her high school business teacher for jumping into education. When she was a child she enjoyed “playing school” at her grandmother’s house with her cousins.
“Donna Carpenter, my business teacher, reinforced the thought of me going into teaching,” she said. “She’s the one who inspired me to be a business teacher.”
Her two daughters keep her very busy. Kailey is a 5th grader at Jefferson. She plays on a traveling softball team and is in gymnastics. Her daughter Kinsey is in first grade and dances at Cooper Studios and also does gymnastics.
“We are busy every night of the week,” Schinstock said.
When she has the chance she likes to read and cook for her family. Since Corey and she grew up in Yates Center they like to visit family whenever they get the chance. They have two grandmothers in Yates Center, one in Dodge City, and one in Windsor Place here in Iola that they visit often.
“We have multiple nieces and nephews to spend time with,” she said. “We come from a very tight family.”
As for the new school year, Schinstock enjoys being back in the department and working with Tina Stanley, another business teacher at Iola.
“It’s nice to be here and share ideas with Tina,” she said. “I’m glad I was given the opportunity to come back.”
Taking care of business
