Rose O'Reilly-Hoisington grew up visiting their father's classroom.
Their dad, Rob Hoisington, was an elementary and middle school teacher; throughout their school years, they spent many hours in his classrooms exploring. Rose has fond memories of these childhood "field trips" and recalls the excitement of seeing many cool class projects — like working with worms and compost or observing a tank full of stick bugs.
Now, as Rose prepares to start their own journey in education, Rob is stepping back. In June, Rose will graduate from Portland State University (PSU) with a master's degree in education and embark on their own teaching career. Rob, a 1995 PSU College of Education alum, will retire after 30 years of teaching in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District.
Though Rob's passion for teaching is contagious, Rose didn’t immediately pursue an education degree. Ultimately, they charted their own path to teaching.
Discovering a passion for teaching
After earning a bachelor’s degree in art in 2019, Rose held a series of jobs that included teaching self-defense and coaching gymnastics. Through these experiences, they discovered a joy for teaching — and seeing their students just once a week for 45 minutes didn’t feel like enough.
“I realized that I wanted to teach in a more stable and structured environment,” Rose recalls. “I wanted to see the kids every day, because it felt hard to set a good routine and create the stability and expectations that they needed to thrive, in a class that was so short. And I just wanted more teaching time."
When Rose shared their decision to become a teacher, their dad and their maternal grandmother — also a former teacher — were both thrilled. Rob encouraged them to apply to his alma-mater where he’d had such a transformative experience.
PSU appealed to Rose because of its strong reputation, its location, and because the Graduate Teacher Education Program (GTEP) offered a one-year track that was in-person rather than online.
Rose is now set to graduate with a master’s degree, an art endorsement and an Oregon teaching license. The in-person experience with a cohort of about 25 peers has proven to be an important lifeline given the intensive nature of the program.
“Your cohort is what gets you through the worst of it, when the class work piles up and you’re struggling with classroom management,” Rose says. “That community and those relationships were a huge part of why it felt so exciting starting out.”
Building community is one of the coolest things, one of the best things about my career. It's also one of the best ways for kids to learn — in a place where they feel heard and safe and they feel that they belong. — Rob Hoisington
The student teacher experience
At the beginning of the school year, Rose secured a student teaching placement in the screen printing room at Grant High School.
“It’s been incredible,” Rose says. “I had never done screen printing before this. Being able to learn this new skill and then be able to teach it, it's just been so cool.”
And because screen printing at Grant is a Career and Technical Education program (CTE), Rose and their students get to work with outside clients, combining digital arts with screen printing. This gives high school students an opportunity to work with design partners like SOLVE and the Portland Fashion Institute, and make and sell products through pop-up shops.
Rose believes that art is a skill — and like any other skill, it can be learned with practice and effort. Screen printing, which doesn’t require strong drawing or painting skills, can feel particularly accessible. This accessibility lends itself well to the impact Rose hopes to make in the classroom.
They want to help middle and high school students — who often have already decided if they see themselves as an artist or not — build a growth mindset and realize their creative potential. Seeing students' uncertainty turn to excitement and confidence is the essence of what Rose loves about teaching.
“At a certain point it’s like a switch flips in their head and they’re like, ‘I’m going to get more confident. I’m going to get more creative. I’m going to do things that I never thought I could do before,’” Rose says. “And it’s just so rewarding to see that.”
Rose has gained valuable feedback while working with their cooperating teacher, Lynn Yarne, at Grant. “Lynne has been a valuable mentor for me, as both a teacher and a human. She’s taken every opportunity to advocate for me and push me to be the best educator I can be,” Rose says.
They also appreciate how standout professors at PSU, like Mindy Chappell and Torrey Kulow, set a strong example by modeling best teaching practices rather than just explaining them. University Supervisor Suzie Peachin has also been an incredible advocate.
“As a retired school administrator, she has a valuable perspective, a vast network of connections and genuinely wants to help me find a job,” Rose says.
And of course, Rose’s dad has played a key supporting role. Rose has called on him often throughout the year to discuss ideas and concerns, problem solve and run different choices or scenarios by him.
“As a new teacher, a big part of learning means making mistakes, so it’s reassuring that I can commiserate with him about things I could've done better,” they say. “He's been teaching for 30 years, so most of the challenges I face in my classroom are things that have already happened to him. I feel lucky to have that connection.”
Rob Hoisington (right) works with elementary school students, making Lego robots, circa 2000. Photo courtesy of Rob Hoisington.
Three decades in the classroom
Rob, who began teaching at age 33 after working with adults with developmental disabilities, has spent his career devoted to building inclusive classroom communities. During his 30 years in the West Linn-Wilsonville school district, he has taught everything from first grade to middle school math, and constantly sought out ways to innovate and ensure all students felt welcome.
"Building community is one of the coolest things, one of the best things about my career," Rob says. "It's also one of the best ways for kids to learn — in a place where they feel heard and safe and they feel that they belong."
His dedication to inclusion and collaboration evolved throughout his career, particularly when he moved from elementary to middle school. "When I came to middle school, that was one of the really cool things that I discovered,” he explains. “I had a team of sixth grade teachers who worked together. Co-planning really made my instruction a lot better."
Rob credits PSU, and mentor Nancy Benson in particular, with building his confidence as a teacher. "Her belief in me, her ability to come and watch me teach and talk about my experiences — that constant encouragement made me, instead of being a bit timid about it, just go for it," he recalls.
Despite his own passion for education, Rob never expected Rose to follow in his footsteps. "I didn't ever know if Rose wanted to be a teacher, and I never really pushed that," he says. "They, as usual, wanted to do things their own way and be their own person, but came to it kind of the same way I did — just through a love of being with kids and enjoying that."
The evolving classroom
Throughout their conversations about education, Rose and Rob reflect on what’s evolved in teaching and what has remained constant over the years.
"I’ve noticed a lot of similarities," Rose observes. "Though the emphasis is still on hands-on projects where we want students to figure things out by doing them themselves, instead of just talking at them for long periods — that approach feels more deliberate now."
Teaching methods and technologies have evolved since Rob began his career in the ‘90’s. But the fundamental elements of building relationships and creating inclusive communities have remained central to effective education. Both generations recognize that today's classrooms may look different, but the core mission of meeting students where they are continues.
Through their student teaching experiences, Rose has gained a deeper respect for the complexity of their father's years in the classroom.
"I appreciate teaching more now because I see how hard it can be and how many things you have to keep in mind," they reflect. "It's very complicated to be in charge of multiple classrooms of 30 to 35 kids every day, and you have to consider all of their differences and interests and what the class needs versus where each individual person is.”
“It kind of just felt like, 'Oh, my dad just goes to school and does fun projects and the kids hang out,' but there's so much that goes into it all the time," Rose adds.
A shared educational legacy
As Rose prepares to begin their teaching career and Rob looks toward retirement from full-time classroom teaching, both reflect on the journey they've shared.
For Rose, witnessing their father's classroom magic firsthand provided a unique foundation for their own teaching philosophy. And for Rob, seeing his child embrace education represents the ultimate continuation of his lifelong commitment to building learning communities.
This June, as they celebrate their respective milestones at PSU's commencement ceremony, they'll mark not just individual achievements, but a shared legacy of helping students discover their potential.
Of all his achievements across three decades in education, Rob says this might be his favorite: "I'm so happy and proud that Rose is set to become a teacher working with youth."