By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Karen Nowak, Hays Middle School teacher, is asking kids the big questions — questions that many adults would have difficulty answering.
She poses these big questions in her new life skills class, which is like ethics, philosophy and debate all rolled into one. Nowak gave some examples of the of the class’s topics.
Would you want to know the exact date you would die?
Is success in life about who you know or what you know?
Is second place synonymous with losing?
Would you support the death penalty even if a personal friend had been sentenced to death?
Discuss an occasion in which you took responsibility for your actions and paid the consequences.
Do African Americans discriminate just as much as white Americans?
“They are things that kids have really never thought about, so it makes them really think,” she said. “They use a lot of their life experiences to help them. It is amazing how much some of the kids will open up. I think just being able to talk about things that go on in their lives knowing that they are not going to be judged [is important]. I think talking about it just helps.”
For her work in the life skills as well as advanced communications, Nowak was nominated as December’s teacher of the month. She was nominated by fellow teacher, Cade Scott. He student-taught under Nowak before taking a job as a social studies teacher at HMS.
In Scott’s nomination of Nowak he wrote, “In her classes, she teaches very relevant life skills for kids these days to know. She teaches how to have good face-to-face conversations with one another. She also teaches how to express feelings verbally with conversation with one another.
“These skills are somewhat lost with students these days due to technology. There are many character and leadership skills built in her classes that are applicable to any part of student life. She does a great job teaching role model skills and also is a great model for kids to follow. She has worked extremely hard to get this new curriculum going. It has been a very valuable addition to our school’s curriculum and education.”
Nowak has both general education and special education students in her life skills class, which focus on a character and leadership curriculum. The class looks at character traits and role models who exhibit those traits.
“The kids really open up,” Nowak said, “and the best part about it is that I feel I have been able to connect with the kids.”
Some of the discussions Nowak has with her students in class have thrown up flags that the children need more help and support than they are getting.
“I really have a soft spot for kids who struggle and have a rough home life,” she said.
Nowak has been a middle school teacher in the USD 489 Hays School District for 22 years. She has taught all the core classes — math, science, language arts and social studies. She also coached volleyball, basketball and track for many years, but left coaching when her own children began playing sports.
However, she said she has never been happier than she is this year.
“I will tell you this is the happiest I have been in 22 years with my teaching assignment,” she said, “and mostly because of my life skills class. The passion and the love I have for that class is amazing.”
Nowak said her ultimate goal as a teacher is to earn the trust of her students so they feel they can come to her if they have problems. She said there were people who supported her when she was a child and this her way of giving back.
Nowak’s father died when she was only 16 months old. Her mother and siblings were loving and supportive, but her mother often worked two and three jobs to support her family. She couldn’t always be very involved in Karen’s school activities. Her fifth-grade teacher, David Ottley, and his wife, Andrea, were neighbors and took Karen under their wings. She often ate dinner at the Ottleys’ home.
David Ottley, who recently retired as the superintendent at Victoria, encouraged Karen in school and was her inspiration to become a teacher.
“I am very thankful I had the Ottleys because I think they made a huge difference in the person that I am today,” Nowak said. “Truly I feel that losing my dad at such a young age molded me also to be the person that I am. In the back of your mind, it was always, ‘Would he be proud of me?’ ‘What would he think of this decision I am making?'”
Nowak said she tries to reinforce that kids are going to make mistakes, but it is important to reflect and learn from those mistakes.
“I had a kid come with her mom to parent teacher conferences and she broke down crying because of how much she loves my life skills class just because she feels like it focuses on life skills, on how to function and situations that they will encounter as they get older,” Nowak said.
The life skills students’ latest assignment is to write to a role model in their lives. The role model has to be someone they know personally. They will be mailing the letters soon.
“What has been hard is there are some kids who couldn’t think of somebody,” Nowak said. “That was really eye-opening. A lot of them were grandparents, aunts, teachers, parents, but there are some kids that unfortunately struggle to pick somebody in their life because some of these kids, the stuff they go through at home and in their lives is unreal.
“So many kids go home to situations that are really hard. I can’t tell you how many kids I wish I could take home because their lives are tough at home. Ever since I started teaching, I tried to reiterate that school should be every kid’s safe place — that every kid should be accepted and treated with respect because we don’t know what these kids go home to and go through on a daily basis at home.”
“It is so important to me that even if they come from situations like that they can overcome them. There is hope that they can make their lives better and have a better life.”
Nowak has consistently gone above and beyond in and out of the classroom to make this a reality for kids. She had one student whose mother was legally blind. She picked him up after school and took him home after she finished coaching at night. She visited his home, ate dinner with the family and even encouraged the boy to clean his room.
She’s been called to the police station when a couple of her students were in trouble. She takes calls even from former students to just talk about difficult times in their lives.
Nowak also encourages other students to help and accept their fellow students.
Nowak has students in her classes from the special education program. One student was not able to tie his shoe. Nowak said a big burley eighth-grade football player helped him do it. The students in her sixth-grade class are learning basic sign language so they can communicate with people who are hearing impaired and other students helped a young man who has struggle with his wardrobe.
“People say that kids have changed, but I can’t think of one kid who doesn’t have good in them. We just need to find it. The compassion and empathy kids have for others … I think kids are still the same, I think it is just the lives they are thrown into is what has changed. There is so much more that they have to deal with and go through.”
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Submit your nomination for Hays Post’s Teacher of the Month honor!
Hays Post and Eagle Communications seeking nominations for the next Teacher of the Month!
From October through April, Hays Post will solicit nominations from through the area from parents, students and colleagues. Fill out the form below to nominate your favorite educator!
This recognition is made possible by the support of Midwest Energy, Diamond R Jewelry, Top Notch Cleaners, Commerce Bank, Hickok’s Steakhouse and Ultimate Massage.
The winning teacher will receive a Chamber Cheque and Hickok’s Steakhouse gift certificate.
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