Miss Rachel Hoffman has taught fourth grade at Trinity Lutheran School since 2018 after graduating from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a degree in Elementary Education.

Miss Hoffman loves watching students learn new things, both academically and socially, saying, “It is fun to watch the progress they make from the beginning to the end of each year. My main goal each year is that my students leave my classroom a better person than when they enter it.”

One highlight of the fourth grade year is math class with the introduction of fractions. “Math is my favorite subject to teach. It's so fun to hear, ‘Wait, this isn’t actually that hard!’ from my students when we start our fractions unit,” said Miss Hoffman.

Another academic highlight of fourth grade is the focus on Nebraska history. The class attends Cunningham School, formerly Heritage School, a one-room schoolhouse from Saunders County that has been relocated to Pioneers Park, for a day to experience what classes would have been like for students in the 1880s. The students are encouraged to wear clothing similar to what students wore in the 1880s, write on slates, and read from McGruffey Readers. After learning about the unicameral structure of the Nebraska legislature, fourth graders visit the Nebraska State Capitol to see the building’s art, architecture, and to view the legislative meeting spaces.

Miss Hoffman encourages personal accountability in her students by asking them to keep their spaces tidy. She does this with a fun twist, “I have a fairy who lives in my desk - the ‘Desk Fairy’ - she comes out every Friday to check if my kids’ desks are clean. She selects two random students each week who earn a treat if their desk is neat,” she said.

While at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Miss Hoffman was the Drum Major for the UNL marching band and her interest in music and the arts continues today. “I teach middle school and high school theater at Lincoln Lutheran; I also love anything else in the performing arts - marching band, choir, and dance,” she said.