For Rachel Hutchins, Mount Olive isn’t just a place where she teaches—it’s home. It’s where she grew up, where she went to school, and where she’s now raising her own children. It’s a community that shaped her, and one that she now works every day to shape in return. 

As a fifth-grade teacher, she doesn’t just see her role as an educator; she sees it as a chance to build lasting relationships and inspire the next generation to love learning just as much as she does.

Mrs. Hutchins graduated from Mount Olive High School in 2002, then went on to play softball at McKendree University in Lebanon while earning her undergraduate degree. But she always knew she would come back.

“I had so many great teachers growing up here, and I wanted to be that kind of influence for kids in my community,” she says. “It just feels right to be back.”

Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the same energy that made her love school as a child—hands-on, project-based learning that sparks curiosity. That passion comes from one of her own fifth-grade teachers, Mary Griffel, who didn’t just teach out of a textbook but encouraged students to explore real-world applications.

“She had us create a business, take out a loan, make and sell products, and then use the money to buy something meaningful,” Mrs. Hutchins recalls. “It was such an engaging way to learn. That’s the kind of experience I want to give my students.”

Mrs. Hutchins believes that relationships come first. Her students aren’t just kids who pass through her room for a year—they’re family.

“I tell them all the time, you won’t remember every fact I teach you, but you will remember how I made you feel,” she says. “And I want them to feel loved, valued, and heard.”

That philosophy is reflected in her teaching style. Instead of cookie-cutter assignments, she gives students choices. Some may present projects through Google Slides, others with posters, videos, or creative storytelling. “As long as they meet the learning objectives, I want them to have autonomy. That independence builds confidence.”

And her love for family extends beyond the classroom walls. Her mother, Carol, retired from a career in banking and now works as a classroom aide—right in Mrs. Hutchins’ own classroom.

“She gets to see what I do every day, and that’s really special,” Mrs. Hutchins says. “It’s a full-circle moment.”

Fifth grade is a pivotal year—students begin to take ownership of their learning, preparing for the more independent challenges of middle school. Mrs. Hutchins sees it as her job to help them navigate that transition smoothly.

“I always tell parents that by January, they’ll see a whole new child,” she explains. “That’s when it really clicks, and they start thinking critically and independently.”

That’s something she’s experiencing firsthand with her own daughter, who is now in fifth grade. “It’s amazing to see the growth I’ve always talked about, but now through my own child’s eyes,” she says.

Mrs. Hutchins’ impact stretches well beyond her classroom walls. She coaches softball, leads a Girl Scout troop, serves on the town’s Parks and Recreation board, and has been involved in initiatives to bring more resources to Mount Olive Schools.

She was part of the team that helped introduce one-to-one Chromebooks to the district—an effort that began well before the pandemic made technology integration a necessity. “We traveled to Chicago to learn about districts that were already doing it and came back knowing we had to push for this,” she says. “We wanted our students to be ready for a world that’s changing fast.”

Her dedication to innovation and opportunity is part of what makes Mount Olive unique. “We’re a small farm town, but we don’t act like one,” she says. “We make things happen here.”

One of Mrs. Hutchins’ favorite moments as a teacher is when former students stop by her classroom just to say hello—or to grab a piece of candy from her ever-present jar.

“If a kid comes back years later and says, ‘Thank you,’ then I know I did something right,” she says. “That’s the best reward.”

She knows Mount Olive isn’t the biggest district, and that some might see its size as a limitation. But she sees it as a strength.

“With small class sizes, we can do things that just aren’t possible in bigger schools,” she says. “We can individualize learning. We can have deeper relationships. We can push kids further than they ever thought they could go.”

And for Rachel Hutchins, that’s exactly why she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. She is all in and MOTown Proud.