Mary Klass

**Mary Klass, Preston Junior High School -- November, 2007 Teacher-of-the-Month**
Introduction by Assistant Principal of the Preston Juniior High John Howe first thanked the Rotary Club for all we do to support young people in the community. When he moved here from Wyoming he was amazed as how often Rotary popped up in conversations. He said we have touched Preston in many, many positive ways. One of those ways is to recognize quality educators and he was here to introduce Mary Klass as one of those quality educators that you would want to educate the children of the community. He said, "Mary not only does a quality job working day to day every day. She spends long hours when school is in session but also long hours after and hours before planning for teaching. I have had the opportunity to spend many hours watching what she does with children that is of high quality. What she does in the classroom is just a portion of what a teacher does. Mary is also providing leadership as we move into an exciting time of change for our school as we look at a reconfiguration. I will be the first to tell you that it is an exciting change for all of us in the school and in the community. So let me introduce Mary Klass, a quality educator." John Howe, Assistant Principle of Preston Junior High
Mary Klass's comments at the Rotary Club meeting on November 21, 2007 Teaching is a unique occupation in that at the junior high level, we meet around 150 new people each year and get to know them on a fairly personal level. If you ask any teacher, most will say they teach because of the students. But they become more than our students they become more like your own kids and as you travel through life you keep running into them again and again. When you first start teaching, you run into your "ex-students" at places you might expect…. working in fast food restaurants, at the mall and movies, and retail stores. But as the years go by, you find them at more unexpected places. One time when I was changing the oil in my car at a local Grease Monkey, the bill came back from the shop and as the lady rang up my charges she said "That'll be $32.00 and John wants to know "How's Elmo doing?" Elmo was an iguana that used to live in my classroom. Many conversations in the hall with other teachers during the day will revolve around…."Guess who I ran into last night?" For my teaching partner it was more "Guess who ran into me last night in the parking lot at three margaritas?" Yes…. it was an ex-student. You may think that leaving town is a pretty safe bet that you won't run into an ex-student but not so…. Last year, I took a "sister" trip to San Antonio for the weekend to spend time with my sisters and explore a new area. First day we are walking down the river walk, and there's a call "Mrs. Klass…is that you?" My sisters looked at me with that expression of…you got to be kidding. Yes…. It was an ex-student. She was in town playing in a soccer tournament for CU. Sometimes, when kids say "hi" it is bittersweet moment. A couple years ago I got my first "Say hi to Mrs. Klass for me and tell her 7th grade was the best year of my life." The message came from a deputy sheriff at the Larimer County Detention Center from a prisoner at the jail. About six months later, that ex-student showed up at Preston to say hi in person. One of the more shocking moments in teaching is when you run into an ex-student, but it is at Back to School Night and their child is now your "present" student. It kind of brings your teaching career full circle. When I was told that I was the rotary teacher of month, I checked out your website…. and guess what? Yes…there is an ex-student among your membership. Seeing this student's name brought a big smile to my face…because she is rather infamous at Preston. She was in our seventh grade team during the first few years that Preston opened. The English teacher on our team read "Old Yeller" to teach students all the different parts of a story and at the end she would have pet day. Students were encouraged to bring in their pets and tell the class about them. Well, Tanis Roeder was one of those students that would go above and beyond and of course she brought her pet in. The only problem is that Preston is a two-story school and apparently goats can't climb steps or at least the decision was made to bring up her pet in the elevator. As you might guess the goat felt the call of nature in the elevator. Tanis has the distinction of being the only student at Preston that has had a goat poo in the elevator. Teaching is one of those occupations that the reward comes from the relationships that you build with your students and I feel very lucky to have built many. I am very grateful that your organization has taken upon itself to recognize so many teachers throughout the years. Thank you for this honor and thank you for your time today. The Following Are The Statements That Mary Made In The Rotary Teacher of the Month Form: Positions and years in Poudre School District: This is my twentieth year teaching junior high in the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colorado. I have taught in all areas of science at the junior high level (Science 7, Science 8, Biology, Health, Science Adventures, and Science Olympiad). I coached a Science Olympiad team for seven of those years advancing to the National Competition on two separate occasions. I have worked on many committees in the district in writing and implementing curriculum and have served as science department chair for the past five years. What are your community activities? My biggest time commitment at the community level would be in helping to organize the Northern Regional Competition for Science Olympiad each year. There are four teachers who help coordinate and plan a competition that has 25 different events at the junior high level and another 25 different events at the high school level covering all areas of science. Usually 40-50 teams (consisting of 15 students each) from schools across northern Colorado compete for individual and team honors. Finding the supervisors and volunteers, writing the tests, and planning the schedule require a large commitment of time each year. Other community activities revolve around the events that happen with schools and education, which are my passions. What do you like best about teaching? I like the diversity of students in my classroom. I enjoy working with kids across the full spectrum of learning-this includes my PreAP students and my students with learning disabilities. I like the enthusiasm and energy of the "junior high" student. As a junior high teacher, there is never a boring moment and learning is a two-way street. I learn from them and they learn from me. I feel very successful when a student remarks at the end of a 88-minute block period…"That's the bell? Is class over with already?" What are you most proud of in your career? The things I am most proud of span a very broad spectrum. I am very proud of the students that I had on my Science Olympiad teams that are now majoring in rigorous demanding science degrees in colleges across the nation….astrophysics, medicine, physics, engineering, astronomy, etc… I like to think I had a small role in sparking their desires and interests. At the other end of the spectrum I'm proud of those students in my classes who are not the outstanding students but finish an assignment or project they didn't think they could do, get a good grade on a test that they didn't think they would do well on, and succeed with encouragement and guidance. What is the single biggest stumbling block you have in teaching? Time is my biggest stumbling block. I am a teacher that implements change from year to year, unit to unit, and day to day. I am always thinking of new ideas to change and improve the way I deliver instruction, but am faced with the reality of a limited number of hours in a day to implement those changes. Given the opportunity, what would you to do eliminate it? Since you can't "add" time to a day, you have to be productive in how you use your time. You have to prioritize tasks and be efficient with the tasks that you do during the day. You need to keep the focus on students and learning to get the biggest "bang" for your time. What is the greatest problem facing Poudre School District today? The greatest problem facing Poudre School District today from my perspective is having a successful and smooth transition for the grade reconfiguration. District wide, teachers will be changing buildings, student grade levels will be changing buildings, and curriculums will need to be rewritten. Being at the junior high level, we are being pressed at both ends. Sixth graders will be moving up from the elementary and ninth graders will be leaving us for the high school. The junior highs are facing not only a shift in the demographics of our school but also a paradigm shift from a "junior high" philosophy to a "middle school" philosophy. This will be a big change for educators and students at the junior high level. What recommendations do you have to solve it? Professional development has to occur in the district in order to provide a smooth transition. I believe strongly in the tenants of an effective middle school - interdisciplinary teaching teams, exploratory courses, and teacher-based guidance programs, but education has to occur so all district employees can make this a successful transition. Changing to a middle school philosophy and carrying it out successfully will be a major challenge for schools.
Copyright © for the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Poudre R-1 School District and by Alan Ashbaugh, November 28, 2007