Ms. Winston: Teacher Feature

Ms. Winston, a teacher at Prairieview School in Waukee, wears many hats throughout the year–Family Consumer Sciences (FCS) teacher, GSA sponsor, and trained doula–all with one goal: creating a welcoming space for everyone, from her students to expectant parents. 

Winston grew up in a small town in Missouri, then moved to Iowa. In school, she did not take any FCS classes, even though they were offered. She regrets not taking advantage of those opportunities and now aims to inspire FCS learners across the Waukee District.

On top of being a teacher, Winston is also a doula for pregnant mothers. A doula is not a medical professional. However, they provide support and guidance to pregnant mothers. “Everyone is in the laboring room for the laboring partner and the baby, and my big focus is on the person who’s in labor,” Winston expressed.

She had been a child-birth teacher for many years, and Mercy Hospital reached out to the FCS teachers with that background to see if they wanted to pursue being a doula, to which Winston applied. She had shadowed teachers who were doula’s in the past, and listened to their stories and experiences as a doula.  Winston also recalled her labor stories from when she had her first child. She discussed how it was a difficult and long labor, but she looks back on it positively because of the doula who helped her through it, further inspiring her to pursue doula. 

When she started working at Des Moines Roosevelt, she started impacting the lives of students there as well. She described making a young parents needs closet for students who needed support where they weren’t getting it. She constantly thinks of how to support her students the best they can.

Winston strives to have a classroom where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. “Inclusivity means that you can see yourself in the content. Inclusivity means that we are going beyond just seeing diverse representations of people. It is also about teaching and thinking about diverse viewpoints,” Winston explained. 

She described how a lot of what is taught in the culinary classroom is from a Eurocentric idea of what is healthy, and there are a lot of other viewpoints. “I think offering other perspectives makes sense because we are teaching for the entire United States,” Winston stated.

Not only is Winston an FCS teacher and Doula, but she is also the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) sponsor at Prairieview as well. Winston voiced that being a sponsor for GSA taught her many lessons. “It helped me know that it’s okay to ask. I don’t have to know all the answers. Being aware of all the nuances that might impact somebody who is a member of the LGBTQ community or a person of color. Recognizing that we have so many layers to ourselves,” Winston articulated.

Ev Kipp, a freshman at Prairieview involved in GSA and FCS, discussed how Winston inspires them as a teacher and sponsor. “She has shown me that not everyone in the world is against me, and it has motivated me and given me the confidence to be who I am,” Kipp expressed. 

Winston works fervently to make sure everyone feels seen and respected in both the classroom and in the Doula field. Winston consistently voiced how everyone is different and how she observes how others want to be treated to support and make them the most comfortable. She uses the golden rule, but instead of treating others how you want to be treated, treat others the way they want to be treated.  “It’s important to figure out what an individual person needs in order to feel heard, honored and respected,” Winston stated. 

Winston goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone is fully supported, both inside and outside the classroom, consistently demonstrating unwavering dedication to their success and well-being.