Timmerman reflects on 5 decadesof teaching
One of the Red Oak Community School District’s instructors recently celebrated a major milestone.
Sue Timmerman, who currently teaches fifth grade students at Inman Elementary, celebrates 50 years of teaching with the Red Oak School District at the end of the school year in 2021. She was recently presented an award by superintendent Ron Lorenz ahead of her 50 year milestone.
Before joining the Red Oak District, Timmerman said she taught outside Philadelphia for two years, and two years in Charlottesville, Va., while earning her master’s degree from the University of Virginia. Her move to Southwest Iowa came after she married her husband; the pair then moved back to his family farm near Nodaway.
Timmerman said even at an early age, she was drawn to becoming a teacher when she grew up.
“I grew up 20 miles west of Philadelphia. My sister and I always played “school” when we were little, and while I was at school, I had some wonderful and kind teachers that inspired me to go into education. One in particular actually lived in Philadelphia and rode by train to our school every day; they were very dedicated,” Timmerman said.
Timmerman joined the district as a fifth grade instructor, the grade level she’s currently teaching. She also has taught students in the fourth and sixth grades, calling them a great age group. Outside of her teaching role, Timmerman has served on the curriculum committees, as a mentor for new teachers, and on SAT teams.
With so many years spent as a teacher, Timmerman has seen a great many changes, including the way they provide instruction, saying advancements in technology are one of the biggest changes.
“When I first started teaching, we showed films on a projector and made copies on a ditto machine. We had no cell phones, smart boards, or computers, just books, pencils, and typewriters. To me, remote learning is quite a negative change,” commented Timmerman. “Another big change is the families themselves. There are many kids who live in one-parent families, or have a step parent, or even a new family. Often the kids can’t even tell you who all their brothers and sisters are, and how they’re related.”
While there have been many changes over the years, Timmerman said one thing has never changed, and that’s the kids she looks out upon in her classroom each day.
“They still want to be accepted, cared for, and loved. They are often dealing with many situations beyond their control.”
Since she’s been with the district for so many years, Timmerman said she has had the experience of teaching the children of the children she taught previously over and over again, saying it’s been fun to see how many moms and dads that she has taught.
In some cases, teachers will join a district for a few years, then move on to another district. Timmerman reflected on some of the things that have kept her teaching at Red Oak for so many years.
“I have always been proud to work for the Red Oak District. I have taught with so many excellent teachers who have pushed me to be even better. Washington School was my home for 40 of my years in Red Oak, and we were a close family there. I love coming to work every day. When it comes to teaching and working with kids, there is always something new and different going on. No day is exactly the same. Teaching is a challenge, but to me, it’s the best profession ever,” said Timmerman.
According to Timmerman, working with kids every day is definitely a rewarding experience for her.
“One of the things that is most rewarding is when I am teaching, and you can see the light bulb go off in the student’s head, ‘Oh, I get it.’ Another reward is when my former students come back to see me, or share with me something they remember about their time in the fifth grade. There are so many special relationships, and it’s all about the kids.”
Timmerman said it was quite an honor to be recognized for her tenure so far with the district, and said she feels blessed to have spent so many years working at a job she loves, with so many great kids, teachers, and parents. She also had some advice for students who are trying to decide whether or not to enter the teaching profession.
“If they love working with kids, are ready to work many extra hours, and, at the end of the day, feel the joy of making kids’ lives better, then teaching is definitely the profession for them,” Timmerman advised.