Clayton Hubert starts his day early. By 6:30 a.m., he’s on a school bus, shuttling kids to their one-building district.
His day doesn’t end until well after 6 p.m.—three hours after classes dismiss for the day.
In the intervening 12 hours, Hubert is Red Rock Central school district’s sole art teacher, yearbook adviser, student council adviser, and wrestling coach.
He’s the quintessential small-town teacher, asked to step into many roles beyond teaching. Hubert takes on the roles gladly, with a smile and maybe a “dad joke” or two, knowing it creates avenues to connect with students in and out of the classroom and serves the broader community.
“Being part of education in a small town is one of the biggest industries we have here, and to be a teacher in that is to be a leader in your community,” Hubert said.
Hubert grew up in Lamberton, the small town in Minnesota where Red Rock Central is located, and, for as long as he can remember, dreamed of being an art teacher. Now, at 41, he’s been working in the district for nearly two decades and has counseled thousands of students on their art projects.
Hubert, like many of his peers in the teaching profession, has noticed kids’ levels of motivation and investment in school changing. A decade ago, it was easier to catch kids who were disengaged from school and bring them back into the fold. Now, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to motivate those students to care and participate in classes.
“When they make the decision that education isn’t for them, that really hurts,” Hubert said. “That’s really hard for me because I see the potential in all of my students, and I don’t want to lose them to outside influences. I want them to catch on to what we’re doing here and be a part of it.”
Hubert has reoriented his teaching units so students gradually feel a sense of mastery. He tries to make a personal connection with each one of his students to try and get, or keep, them invested in school. When kids feel like an adult at school cares about them, they’re more willing to put in effort, he said.
“I really like the fact I’m able to have a different connection with those kids as they’re growing up,” Hubert said. “I really feel that having that relationship with them is a spark that feeds their want to further themselves.”
