Henson Shares New Motherhood with Students
January 11, 2019
Currently on maternity leave, English teacher Lauren Henson gave birth on January 4. The teacher of sophomore English hopes to return to the classroom by April 8.
Henson’s English students were pleasantly surprised when they came back from Winter Break to see that their teacher had posted pictures of her newborn son on Google Classroom. Henson also included a message, introducing her baby boy, Colin James Henson.
“When I saw her baby on Google Classroom, I was so happy for her,” said sophomore Angie Chavez. “Her baby is absolutely adorable and I’m glad we got to see pictures so soon.”
“[I’m] really happy that she decided to share that special moment with her students,” agreed sophomore Sophia Hevel.
Throughout her pregnancy, Henson received a lot of support from her students, who even threw her a surprise baby shower before winter break.
“This school is truly a community. I have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of genuine excitement and support throughout my pregnancy,” said Henson.
Some students appreciated Henson’s willingness to share with them details about her personal life.
“I like the fact that she was open with us about her pregnancy. She was very straightforward about it and welcomed questions from her students,” said Hevel. “It was really empowering to see because she was showing her female students that it was okay to be a pregnant, working woman.”
In Henson’s absence, Burt Roberts will serve as the substitute teacher for her 4 English classes until January 17. Then another substitute, Neal Modelevsky, will take over until her return in the spring.
“I think the transition has [gone] smoothly,” said Roberts. “The students are doing well even though their teacher had to leave the week before finals.”
“Having a new teacher midway through the school year can be challenging, but I know that my students will be able to adapt. It is an important skill to adapt to new situations in life and this challenge will help them learn that skill,” said Henson.
Hevel said, “Throughout this week [Roberts] has been very understanding about this transition and has given us time to study for finals knowing it’s something we all really need to do now.”
Chavez said, “I will miss [Henson] very much, but I’m still really happy for her.”
