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Kohlhaseon new teaching adventure
Published 10:54am Wednesday, August 29, 2012Bringing with her a love of teaching, children and Jesus, Jessica Kohlhase will be the newest addition to Morning Son teaching staff.
After teaching at Shover preschool for nine years, Kohlhase will get her first taste of kindergarten Sept. 4.
“I love Shover, and it was hard to leave,” she said. “I had heard so many good things about Morning Son, and I thought it would be a good move for me to grow professionally and try something new.”
Kohlhase student taught at Shover, and went on to take a teaching position there right after she graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “It got me to grow to a point where I’m ready to try something new.”
Kohlhase cousin, Tina Billings, will take over the one-employee teacher/administrator position at Shover.
Six of the students Kohlhase taught at Shover preschool will be in her Morning Son kindergarten class, so even though she is in a new building, some of the faces will remain the same.
“I’m looking forward to the kindergarten age and all of the thoughts and ideas they will bring to the classroom,” she said.
Kohlhase said she is also looking forward to working with colleagues and support staff with whom she can share thoughts and ideas.
“Everyone has been very welcoming,” she said. “They have all come and introduced themselves. I’m sure if I need to know something they will be willing to help. It’s a wonderful environment to work in.”
Kohlhase said she hopes to bring her experience and love of teaching to Morning Son.
“I think it’s most important to teach that learning is fun,” she said. “If you teach love of learning at this stage, it sets the students up to do better in school as they grow older.”
Kohlhase’s favorite part about teaching is watching the students grow in their learning, she said.
“It’s pretty amazing to see what they learn and how far they come from the beginning,” she said. “It’s incredible and amazing how much their brains can take in and absorb and remember.”
Kohlhase said she couldn’t be more excited about starting the school year. She knows the students’ names and has had the chance to meet some of them already.
“I’m looking forward to an amazing year,” she said. “I think being able to express the love of God to kids at this age is so important in everything you do in the classroom, not always through teaching but by actions.”
