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New teachers finding niche at McCook Public Schools
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series on the 12 new teachers hired this year by McCook Public Schools. While some have been teaching for years, many are just starting out. In this segment, we highlight teachers hired for McCook and Central Elementary who say it's more than reading, writing and arithmetic.
MCCOOK, Neb. -- It's not always about the teaching but the calling, said several new teachers hired by the McCook Public School district.
"If you don't have that passion, if you don't like to hang out with kids, you're going to burn out quickly," said Kali Curl, first grade teacher at McCook Elementary. Curl graduated from McCook High School in 2009, spent two years at McCook Community College, then graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014. She comes from a background steeped in education: married to fellow MHS alum, Jake Curl, the industrial tech teacher at the junior high, they have a three-year-old son, Landon. Her husband's boss is her dad, Chad Lyons, junior high principal and her mom, a long-time daycare provider, is a para-professional in the district.
Before coming to McCook, she taught kindergarten for two years at Hitchcock County. In addition to teaching, she's working toward getting her master's degree in December.
Although she admitted she "wears a lot of hats: teacher, wife, mother," she added that she has a great support system in her husband and family. "Plus, I'm a high-energy person, always on the go," Curl said, who was a three-sport athlete in high school.
Teaching in the same school she attended as a child, some of Curl's colleagues are teachers she once had as a student. "It's kinda cool, getting to work on the same team with teachers who influenced me," she said.
She grew up with younger kids underfoot, as her mom operated a daycare, so teaching seemed like a natural progression. "I've always liked younger kids," she said. "Whether it was at the park or basketball game, I've always been drawn to them."
More is expected of students than when she went to school, Curl said. Used to be, kids learned their ABCs and numbers in kindergarten. Now, students are learning more earlier, with reading and other skills taught in kindergarten. What used to be taught in kindergarten is now being taught in preschool.
For her, teaching is not only about passing on the love of learning, but about giving back as well. "I want to be that good example, help shape the mindset of students," she said. "This is what I'm supposed to do. Someone did it for me, so now I can do it for someone else."
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Laykin Lichty remembers playing school in her bedroom with invisible students.
"As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher," Lichty said, a 2011 MHS grad. After working in daycare for a few years, she graduated from Chadron State online in 2016 and starts her teaching career this year as a third grade teacher at McCook Elementary.
Third grade is the perfect grade for her, she said, as "they're young enough to be willing to learn, but a little more independent than the younger kids."
And yes, students still learn cursive in the third grade, Lichty said, although it's only taught once a week.
"It's important to learn and still has its place, like for signatures, but technology has really taken over the need for it," she said. Everything can be downloaded and saved on personal computers, such as lectures notes, resources and presentations.
For her, teaching is "absolutely a calling," Lichty said, similar to other professions, like nursing.
"I don't think just anyone can be thrown into a classroom. You have to love to work with kids," Lichty said.
Luckily, she won't have to do it alone. Gone are the days when teachers shut their doors and taught on their own. Instead, teachers in the same grade team up once a week and discuss students' performance and share ideas.
"I can't wait to work with my third grade team. They have so much insight and experience so I'm looking forward to learning from them," she said. "All kids can learn, they all just learn differently."
And she's in it for the long haul, Lichty said.
"This is where I call home, I love it here. I am really grateful and want to give back to the community that has given so much to me."
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Rachel Koller, another Southwest Nebraska native, grew up in Arapahoe and graduated from UNL in 2016. Growing up, "I was always begging my mom and sisters to play school with me," she said, knowing since first grade she wanted to get into education. Her own experience in elementary school cemented that.
"I could always see myself as a teacher...I had great elementary school teachers and I always wanted to please them."
Her mentor, Tara Fries, has been great in helping her out, as well as the entire third grade team of teachers.
"The team is wonderful, they go above and beyond, to make us feel comfortable. They make it easy to get our foot in the door," Koller said. "We're all on the same page, every class is on the same page. We can see what each student needs, whether helping a student in one area or how to challenge those students further along."
With her fiance teaching in Cambridge, she's looking forward to getting to know the community and to her first year in her own classroom.
"I'm excited to be a role model, be the constant in someone's life, and to build those relationships with students," she said.
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One day, Molly Sharp's third grade teacher stepped out and "put her in charge." That was when she caught the teaching bug.
"It was probably only for a few minutes, but I loved it," Sharp laughed. "I was a pretty straight-laced student."
The new fourth grade teacher at Central Elementary, Sharp graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2013. Although new to the McCook School district, she has a few years of teaching under her belt: at Perkins County in 2014-15 and third grade at Chase County last year. She comes from a family of teachers: her mom used to be a teacher and her grandmother was a principal.
Fourth graders are still young enough to be transparent, she said, yet still have that energy and enthusiasm to make teaching fun. Her biggest challenge, Sharp thinks, in addition to learning how the McCook School System works, will be "getting everything done," as she's also the sophomore volleyball coach. Still, she thinks her flexibility and "go with the flow" attitude will help out there.
Being with children eight hours day is a huge responsibility and one she doesn't take lightly.
"We have an opportunity to be a positive impact... and isn't that why we're put here on earth?"
Her husband, Alex, works at Great Plains Communication and they've recently bought a house in McCook.