Gary Gohman, kindergarten teacher at Clearview Elementary School, knew he would someday be in education. His road there was just a little unconventional. Gohman attended St. Cloud State University to earn a degree in teaching secondary math; however, part way through, he changed his mind. Teaching math to high school students just didn’t feel right.
At that point, Gohman decided to take a full-time custodian position at Clearview Elementary School to help pay for college and to give himself some time to figure out what he really wanted to do.
Working at Clearview, Gohman started to get to know some of the students. When he had the opportunity to cover day shifts, he was able to interact with them. The more time he spent with elementary kids, the more he wanted to teach that age group.
“It [teaching elementary] just seemed like something I wanted to do,” says Gohman. “So, I had to go back to school for elementary ed, and now I’m a kindergarten teacher here at Clearview.”
Gohman maintained his full-time position as a custodian while going to school full-time to acquire his degree and teaching license for elementary education. He is now finishing his first year as a kindergarten teacher.
He’s loved every minute of his first year. Gohman has been paired with Andrea Coulter, one of Clearview’s veteran teachers, as a part of District 742’s mentorship program for teachers in their first three years. Coulter has also become Gohman’s “partner in crime” working on Clearview’s beloved forest. They share a love of the outdoors and of teaching kids how to care for the environment.
Without Coulter’s mentorship, his first year could have been very different. He’s learned to roll with the punches.
Even though a day in the life of a kindergarten teacher is very routine, there are always some surprises. Whether it is a picture that a student has drawn to give as a gift instead of doing the work they are supposed to, or the constant “why?” and quirky questions, Gohman can’t help but smile and appreciate his students.
“The kids are a lot of fun and full of energy,” describes Gohman. “I kind of feed off of that energy. They always have such a positive attitude. They come to school every day with a smile, and if they don’t have a smile, and I’m able to put that smile on their face, that … just makes all the difference. They love you no matter what, even when the day is hard. In the end, they still love you … It is kind of fulfilling.”
Gohman doesn’t take his job lightly. The way he teaches sets the stage for his students’ future learning.
“Some days it’s [magnitude of teaching] overwhelming,” says Gohman. “Trying to set those routines and expectations right away is huge. As a first-year teacher, I’ve learned that is the most important thing for the success of the student throughout the rest of the year.”
Gohman is ready to tackle the next school year at Clearview. He’s excited to expand on the knowledge he’s gained as a first-year teacher. When his first three years are complete, he’d like to become a mentor himself to help another new teacher starting in the District. After all, teaching is what he was meant to do all along.
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