Spotlight on CG staff
Teacher Feature:
Denise Disrud & Kathy Kjolhaug, Reading Specialists
"The more things that you read, the more things you will know. The more things that you learn, the more places you’ll go." - Dr. Seuss
Kathleen Kjolhaug has been employed at Clearbrook-Gonvick School for approximately 25 years.
She was born and raised in Springfield, MN where she attended St. Raphael’s first through eighth grade before graduating from Springfield High School. After graduation, she attended the College of St. Benedict graduating with a B.A. in Elementary Education and Social Work.
Kathy lives in Weme with her husband, Pete. They have six children: Luke (Bethannie), Maria (Steve), Heidi (Kris), Christopher, Rebekah, and Esther and three granddaughters Hadley, Sydney, and Lakynn.
Why did you choose to be a teacher? I chose to be a teacher because of the teachers who had influenced my life. While growing up, my family lived one block from school and I was always helping teachers. As each school year began, I would volunteer to help prepare the rooms for the teachers. Watching them enter each grade in the grade book was always so intriguing. I remember working my first year as a teacher at the mission school, and when I placed my order for supplies, I ordered one red pen just like the teachers used when I grew up. I still remember that pen and using it to put X’s in the gradebook my first year of teaching. I think that was the only thing I ordered because I didn’t know schools had a budget for supplies. I thought it was generous to have them buy me one pen. Years later, it made more sense as to why the principal kept asking, "This is all you want? Don’t you need more supplies than that?" I thought she was being nice, and so I turned down what she was offering because I thought it would cost her money.
What did you do before coming to Clearbrook-Gonvick? Upon completion of my student teaching in St. Cloud, I joined Peace Corps and served on the border of Brazil and Paraguay while working as a rural teacher trainer. That was interesting because where I lived, they spoke three languages: Guarani, Portuguese, and Spanish. I worked as a school social worker at Mahnomen for one year prior to marrying Pete, and then worked at St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake for three years before we started our family. I stayed home for five years before coming back as a Kindergarten teacher.
What is the best part of your job at Clearbrook-Gonvick? The best part of my job would be the connections with families, students, and staff. Parents desire so much for their children, and the children are so proud to please their parents that when you see that go hand in hand, it’s like a work of art. The canvass is life, and to live it in a way where everyone’s strengths can be utilized is key. It’s also fun to build community by helping students feel connected to one another and to a bigger world. We, as teachers, have the opportunity to do this many times throughout the day. There is simply nothing more fulfilling. To influence one life at a time, one moment at a time is an honor.
What is the biggest challenge of your job? The biggest challenge is to step back and remember that in the midst of so many demands upon students, parents, and teachers, what hasn’t changed are the developmental stages of children. They still need the basics which include creating a safe environment in which to learn, letting them truly know we care, the breaking down of information so they may succeed at learning, and to create a desire to learn as well as a desire to want to return the next day. If we teach to the standards for the sake of standards only but forget the individual is a human being, we will have failed.
If you could have any job in the world - what would it be? Why? Being a photographer for National Geographic would be fun. I love to capture people, especially their faces. I enjoy traveling, and I deeply respect other cultures. To capture what unifies us as human beings within a photograph builds community and reaches hearts. In a world where division is glorified by the media, it would be refreshing to be a part of portraying humanity with respect through the eye of the lens. I’d begin my photography shoot in Rome, Italy, move on to Chennai, India, and then to the Holy Land in Israel. Being a philanthropist would be incredibly fun too. I’d go to dumps all over the world and pluck people out, set them down with dignity into a home and a job of value so they could be contributing members of society and feel loved. Another dream would be to volunteer as a full time missionary where my gifts would be most needed. Perhaps that is what I am living...and so there you go...we are right back at the beginning and perhaps I am right where I am supposed to be in life. It’s always so fun to dream.
What do you do when you are not at school teaching? I enjoy spending time with my family, writing, reading at the lake, making soup, watching HGTV where homes have makeovers within the hour. Of particular enjoyment is House Hunters International and combing the internet for AIR B&B rentals around the world.
What are your favorite aspects of the Clearbrook-Gonvick community? I have two favorite aspects of our community. People come to small towns and only see face value. They count the stores, the restaurants etc. and wonder how we survive up here. But, when you live here and see the global connections and how closely we are tied to them, you feel more blessed than ever. We are a friend away from Russia, a friend away from Africa, a friend away from Costa Rica, Haiti, Korea, Germany, Guatemala etc. However, the best part is that you know who to turn to for prayer. It’s been the biggest blessing to know that people are willing to
Why do you think Mrs. Kjolhaug decided to become a teacher? "She likes helping students become better readers." "Because she likes to teach reading." "She likes being a teacher." "Because she wanted to teach some reading and make people get better." "Because she thought it was fun." "Because she likes kids." "To help students read." "She wanted to help kids learn." "She wanted kids to be good readers so they don’t mess up."
What is the best thing about Mrs. Kjolhaug? "She really likes helping people." "That she teaches people." "That we can have stations." "Um, she sometimes lets us play games." "That she knows what to do." "She is funny." "She lets us play games." "She’s funny." "I get to read with her."
What do you think Mrs. Kjolhaug was like when she was in elementary school?
"She was willing to help people." "Good student." "Creative." "That she reads with us." "Really good at reading." "Happy." "She could have fun." "Kind." "I bet she loved school at her little age."
What job do you think Mrs. Kjolhaug would have if she was not a teacher? "She would be a book publisher." "A nurse." "A mom." "Gym teacher, because she wears sweatpants a lot." "A principal." "Writer." "Librarian." "Artist." "A cop, I think she would like arresting people."
If you wrote a book about Mrs. Kjolhaug, what would the title be? "Mrs. Kjolhaug and the books." "Mrs. K’s Life Story." "The day Mrs. K went sledding." "Mrs. Kjolhaug is Nice."
If you could send Mrs. Kjolhaug on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you send her? Why would you send her there? "Hawaii. It is warm and she deserves it for all she has done." "China." "Mexico." "Canada because she wants to." "The cities, fun to go there." "China because it is a good place and she can talk Chinese or Spanish there."
What is one thing Mrs. Kjolhaug ALWAYS says? "That we have to read." "Come over here and read!" "Chunk it." "If you practice, you become better." "You need to write your letters better." "Get your work done." "Don’t stare at me." "Welcome back." "Pardon"