What it Takes: Teaching with class

As a fourth-grader, I feel pretty grown up. Being at the top of the elementary, I am often reminded that there is an example to be set. It's a whole different sort of world in fourth grade, but it never hurts to look back.

Mrs. Koepplin teaches third grade, and this is her first year for that. It is also her first full year at NR-S. Last year at this time, Mrs. Koepplin was hired to teach in the first-grade classroom.

So when I went down the elementary hallway to her classroom, I saw the handmade crafts posted on the wall. I started to remember what it was like in those younger grades. I was a more carefree person who was a second and third grader.

Back then, when I was younger, I used to think it would be nice to be a teacher when I grew up. Now though, I think that maybe teachers have far more homework than the students do. That doesn't seem to bother Mrs. Koepplin though. She said that, to her, teaching is about "helping kids reach their full potential and higher."

Mrs. Koepplin said that she had a lot of teachers who inspired her to want to become a teacher. But the person who inspired her most was her first-grade teacher at Carrington Elementary. The really cool thing was that in high school, she worked with that teacher and gained experience teaching young kids.

It took four years of college for Mrs. Koepplin to earn her teaching degree. In fact, she has two bachelor's degrees! One is in Elementary Education from NDSU, the other is a Human Development and Family Science degree from Valley City State University. When I asked what it is that she likes best about teaching she said, "I like to be able help kids with their problems whether it is struggles in school or how to be a good friend I love to be able to help them."

It seems to make sense that Mrs. Koepplin would appreciate the warm and happy atmosphere that is so abundant at NR-S. I hope she has many more years here.