Rachel Henry

8th Grade Teacher

Meet eighth grade language arts and high school creative writing teacher, Rachel Henry. Rachel says that she feels blessed that God called her to teaching as it was something that she knew that she wanted to do from the time she was in first grade. “I would bring home my spelling book and try to teach my younger brother so that he would have a head start on his peers,” she said. “He was not interested,” she added.

Rachel’s first year of teaching in a public school led her to question whether teaching was truly her calling. She decided to take a break and by October of the following school year, after curiously searching some job postings, she found a position available at Heritage for a teacher on medical leave. “I knew about Heritage and the school’s great reputation having grown up in the area. I thought that a short-term opportunity would help me re-test the teaching waters,” explained Rachel. “Long story short, I am still here! I love this school and my role here, and I am even more excited now that my own kids are attending HCS,” she said.

In her classroom, Rachel strives to help students find confidence in themselves and their abilities. “I want students to love stories and see the beauty in the power of word,” she said. Interestingly, despite teaching middle school for three different schools, Rachel never actually applied for a middle school teaching position. During college and in the early part of her teaching career, Rachel planned to teach high school but said that through God’s divine intervention and superior knowledge of her talents and capabilities, it became clear to her that middle school is where she belongs, and now she wouldn't have it any other way.

Outside of teaching, Rachel and her husband breed and raise Giant Angora rabbits. She also loves to read, write, paint and hike.