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New teacher still learning the ropes
McCOOK, Nebraska -- Kimberly (Brown) Heimann has been on the job only seven days, but already she knows it's the right fit.
The 2005 graduate of McCook High School is teaching reading at Central Elementary, her first teaching job.
She's been on maternity leave since having her son, Myles, two months ago, but back on the job this week, she's already had that moment that all teachers look forward to.
A fifth grader in her classroom was having trouble reading aloud, pausing after every word instead of speaking fluently. On a whim, Heimann asked him to speak into an inflatable, plastic microphone. The difference was shocking, she related.
"It was an instant change, very dramatic," she said. "He had no problem reading. It's small things like that that I like to see."
Heimann was like many high school graduates who yearn to leave the nest and try out the world on their own, she admitted. She attended two years at McCook Community College, then completed her studies at Peru State College. Originally intending to study speech pathology, she veered into teaching when she found she enjoyed the education classes more.
After teaching in a Lincoln, Nebraska, school, she also discovered that she liked smaller school districts as well.
When her husband, Dominic, accepted a job with Nebraska Health and Human Services, she decided to apply at the McCook School District.
With the impending birth of their first child, Heimann wanted to raise him with that "small town feeling" she had grown up with.
"With a kid on the way, we didn't want to be in the city," she explained. "I'm looking forward to showing him what I grew up with here, like the pool, the parks, going to the lake."
The interview process at the McCook School District was not what she expected, Heimann said. "It was very unique. Instead of listing our strengths and weaknesses, it was more situational," she said. "It tested our personal values as a teacher, whether you had a good, solid philosophy and knew yourself."
With a new baby and new job, Heimann is quick to give a shout-out to those who have helped her along the way.
Her husband has been tremendously supportive, she said and has helped with the transition. "He wants me to be the best mom I can be and the best teacher." It also helps she can compartmentalize, she said. "When I'm here, I focus on school. When I'm at home, I focus on being a mom."
Another huge help with her job has been Kay Neuhaus, she said, who substituted for Heimann while she was on maternity leave.
Neuhaus "went above a beyond for me," Heimann said, from setting up the classroom, lesson planning and even sitting in on parent teacher conferences. "I couldn't thank her enough."
Other teachers, too, have been helpful along the way, she said, showing her the ropes as newbie teacher.
Still getting her feet wet in the classroom, Heimann is the first to admit there are many things she has to learn.
"I don't even know how to call in sick yet," she joked.