McCook Public Schools welcomes five new teachers

McCOOK,Neb. — Some are brand new, one is an old hand and another played football here. All five have been hired to teach in the McCook School District this year.

New teachers joining the district are:

Philip Osten

Having fun with it

It was a college professor that changed Philip Osten’s career outlook.

The new social studies teacher for sixth grade grew up in Humphrey, Neb., and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was there he took a World War II history class that soon became his favorite class because of the teacher.

“He made learning fun and just had fun with it,” Osten said. “I remember thinking, I really wish I had something like this when I was in school.”

The teacher made such an impact that he decided to pursue teaching, instead of becoming a meteorologist,

Osten graduated this spring from UNL and hopes to bring the same enthusiasm and humor into his classroom that he found in that class.

McCook Schools is a perfect fit, he believes, not too large but not too small. Part of his curriculum will be teaching ancient history, something sixth graders could have a hard time relating to. But Osten said he’ll use current events to make it more real for the students.

“Understanding the past helps explains why some places are the way they are today,” he said such, citing geography and economics of regions.

Jamie Ascherl

It’s okay to make mistakes

Being a math teacher wasn’t Jamie Ascherl’s first choice.

The new math teacher at the junior high, who’s teaching seventh and eighth grade math and Algebra I, grew up on a farm in Stapleton, Neb. Ascherl said for her, math came easy, “but I did have practice a lot,” she added.

She planned to go to pharmacy school but once in college, decided to change direction. “I didn’t like chemistry as much as I thought I did,” she laughed.

She graduated from Peru State College, with a teaching degree for 7-12 math.

Ascherl said she’s excited to meet her students and getting to know them. “I want to let them know I care and that it’s okay to make a mistake,” she said. She also knows that math doesn’t come easy for some and to make it more fun, she’s planned some activities to “get them up and out of the desk,” like going on a scavenger hunt using math problems. Relating math to every day life situations is another strategy she’ll use, such as using percents when figuring sale prices,

Even algebra can be used in every day life, she said, because of the problem-solving and critical thinking skills it teaches.

She and her husband have two children, a four year old boy and one 1/2 year old girl.

Christian Conroy

A fun age

Christian Conroy remembers roaming the halls of Central Elementary as fifth grader.

Now, he’s roaming them again, but he’s a little bigger this time.

The 2011 McCook High School grad is starting his teaching career at Central, with fifth grade social studies. Conroy received his two year degree at McCook Community College and then went on to pick up a teaching degree at Fort Hays State University. Conroy said he originally thought he wanted to teach high school history, but when he heard those positions are tough to break into, he switched gears and decided on elementary education.

“It’s a fun age, you can joke with them and they’re old enough so you can really talk to them, “ he said, a former Bison football player who worked with kids at football camps and coached baseball.

Fifth grade is the first time kids start to learn about the U.S. government, he said, as up to that point, they’ve been learning Nebraska history. And to make it more interesting, he’s planning on having a “classroom congress” this election year to get kids engaged in the process, because “it’s not really that far away when they’ll be utilizing” what they’ll learn, he said, when they vote.

Teaching has changed since he’s been in fifth grade, he said, with a move away from worksheets and memorization and toward more hands-on activities.

Teaching in a school he used to attend is “weird,” he admitted, as “almost all the teachers I knew, except one, are gone,” he said. “Makes me feel kinda old.”

Kaylee Thompson

Movie magic

Most kids love movies and Kaylee Thompson, a movie fan herself, especially of the “Star Wars” series, plans to bring that into her classroom. A first-year teacher for fifth grade writing at Central, her classroom door is hard to miss, covered with mini movie posters. “It’s a great way to connect with students,” she said, who plans on “Movie Days” for rewarding positive behavior.

Thompson grew up in North Platte, Neb., and graduated with a teaching degree from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She first wanted to be a pediatric nurse, Thompson said, but after being an aide in an elementary classroom while in high school, she changed her mind.

Her goal as a writing teacher, Thompson said, is to get kids to write about things they are engaged and passionate about.. And with books often being turned into films, her theme of movies might help those students who find writing difficult, Thompson said.

Beyond the reading and writing,”I want kids to feel welcome here, that I’m always there for them,” she said. Being a teacher is huge responsibility in her eyes. “I feel blessed that I get to spend eight hours a day with kids....I’m honored they get to be a part of my life.”

Ron Wolf

Seasoned teacher

Ron Wolf, originally of Grainfield, Kan., is the new behavior specialist at the junior high but he’s not new to teaching. He brings with him nine years of teaching and 13 years of coaching, with a little restaurant and meat cutting experience thrown in.

He graduated from Fort Hays State with a degree in physical education/health education and later, earned his endorsement in special education. In December, he plans on finishing his master’s in special education. He’s been with the Goodland, Kan. high school since 2015 as as a 7th-12th special education teacher, assistant coach for high school football, head girls basketball coach, head coach for junior high track and summer weight instructor.

Some years ago, Wolf decided to take a detour from teaching and got into the restaurant business with a friend. He co-owned three restaurants for about three years, and although he said it was fun, opted to get back into teaching.

At one point, Wolf said he found himself in between jobs and worked as meat cutter before a position opened up. It may not have been his first choice as employment but he made the most of it, he said. “I really learned a lot,” he recalled.

As a behavior specialist, it’s about helping students make positive choices and learning good coping techniques, Wolf said. “If kids aren’t having a good day, it’s hard for them to learn, it doesn’t matter how good the teachers are,” he said.

“Every student is unique, so I focus on their abilities and what motivates them,” he said.