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DREAM FULFILLED: Army veteran launches career in education

The Monroe News - 9/20/2021

Sep. 21—As two dozen energetic kids returned from their lunch period, Anita Richards directed them to stand at the front of the classroom.

Smiling as chatter rang throughout the space, Richards waited for her students to quiet down.

"It's time to get the wiggles out," she said, smiling as the kindergarteners' laughter returned.

Patiently, she led the youngsters through a series of exercises and stretches designed to help them refocus their attention for the rest of the day.

It's a common practice for Richards, a 46-year-old Monroe mother who marked the beginning of her teaching career this school year. A new faculty member at Sodt Elementary School in Frenchtown Township, she teaches kindergarten.

"This is the age they want to learn," Richards said. "They're not fighting against an idea that they don't like school. Being here is exciting to them."

It's long been Richards' aspiration to be in the classroom, helping prepare future generations for life ahead. And after a long career in the Army and return to her hometown, it's an experience she excited to explore.

"It's finally reaching the dream," Richards said. "Don't be afraid to try something new if that's what you really want to try. Just go for it."

Richards spent 21 years in the Army, working in various communications and training roles.

After graduating from Jefferson High School, she was still unsure about a career or college. She explored different ventures, and ultimately decided on enlisting.

"Honestly, they called me first," she said. "They said get (to the recruitment office) and I said, 'Okay, I'll sign.'"

During her enlistment, Richards moved a a total of 12 times, stationed at various bases domestically and internationally. Her last post was at Fort Gordon in Georgia.

"It's easier to say where I wasn't stationed," Richards said. "I was all over the place."

Part of Richards' Army work was training new recruits, many of them just fresh out of high school and early in their military careers.

That included offering drill, marksmanship and job expectation instruction. She'd often teach recruits how to line up and march in an orderly fashion.

It's a skill she can remodel in the classroom, though she jokingly says her new charges are more excited for the day while discipline was the guiding force in the military.

In both roles, Richards' objectives were similar in the goal of establishing routines and imparting information.

"What's the same is patience," she added. "They're both about learning — learning a routine, what to do, what's expected, what's right and wrong."

One highlight from her military career is when she was deployed to Bosnia after the country had experienced tensions stemming from the Bosnian War. She and other communications personnel worked with younger children in the area.

Richards said as she talked with kids, she got to see a cultural transformation. Many of the kids had thought their future would consist of fighting and conflict because that was had shaped their parents' and grandparents' lives.

Those young people realized there were other opportunities out there, and that their life could be peaceful, Richards said.

"It was nice to be able to reach out to the kids and see the change," Richards said. "They went from saying, 'I want to fight' to saying 'I want to learn.' ... That was the highlight of my career. ... They could see there was something else besides fighting going forward."

Richards officially retired from service in 2014. Her children, Cody Richards, a senior at Jefferson High, and Malana Richards, a fourth-grader, were in school and she wanted to be home for that time.

"Things have changed (in Monroe), but it's good to be here — it's what my son always wanted," Richards said. "He sacrificed so much — the least I could do was come back home and be here with my family."

But she knew she didn't want to stay idle. And her wish to pursue teaching shifted from thought to pursuit. She explored ways she could enter the education profession.

Richards worked as a paraprofessional at Jefferson for three years, which entailed helping students on a one-on-one basis. She also assisted teachers during instruction time.

During that time, she entered a government vocational program that offered assistance with tuition and education expenses.

She knew wanted to work with younger children. They're eager to socialize and learn, Richards said, adding it's heartening to watching them grasp concepts and new information.

"I love to see the light bulbs turn on — to see them get something and be excited to learn it," Richards said. "They get excited when they catch on to something new; they get excited to make new friends."

Once she received her teaching degree and certification, returning to Jefferson Schools was a natural fit.

"The military is more about discipline, but the high energy is here in kindergarten," Richards said. "It's keeping me young. ... I got a really good group of kids. ... They're all really great to be with."

She says she loves being with the kids, and has enjoyed getting to meet her students. Her favorite subject to teach is reading, which she says gives students an opportunity to go on an adventure of their own choosing.

She also finds ways to make learning more enjoyable for each of her students, taking into consideration their needs and learning styles.

"A lot of it is watching how they interact with their peers," Richards said. "It's about gauging their interest, and then figuring out how I can I make it interesting to them."

Overall, Richards is looking forward to the school year ahead. It's the fulfillment of a dream she says she has worked to achieve for years.

"It's been nerve-wracking because (teaching kindergarten) is new to me, but it's kind of like teaching soldiers," Richards said. "It's different that (for kindergarteners) it's about education; for soldiers it was about job training."

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