Spotlight on Reading Specialist
Denise Disrud is in her 16th year at Clearbrook-Gonvick. She began her career here by teaching high school special education for six years. She has been a reading teacher for the past ten years.
Denise grew up on a farm north of Oklee the youngest of seven children. She attended a one-room country school from kindergarten through sixth grade. These were some of the best years of her life. She attended and graduated from Oklee High School. After high school, Denise attended the Thief River Falls Vocational School for accounting. She got married and lived in the Crookston area for 25 years. After her daughters were in school, she started working as a para in the Crookston schools. After doing that for six years, Denise attended the University of Minnesota-Crookston, and then the University of North Dakota and got a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a master’s degree in special education.
Denise and her husband, Tim, live in the area. She has two daughters Angie and Stephanie; two step-daughters, Tracy and Lynette and four sons-in-law. Between Tim and Denise, they have ten grandchildren ranging in age from 2 - 20.
Why did you choose to be a teacher? My mother and my oldest sister and brother were all teachers, and growing up I said that was something I didn’t ever want to do. But, I have learned: never say never. In becoming a para, I grew to really like the field of education. The teachers that I worked under encouraged me to go to college to become teacher, and so, with a lot of wrestling with my mind, I became "an older than average student" as they so kindly put it.
What did you do before coming to Clearbrook-Gonvick? I worked as a para in the Crookston schools for six years, and then I taught special education in the junior and senior high schools in Crookston for six years.
What is the best part of your job at Clearbrook-Gonvick? I have loved the fact that I have always worked with small groups of students so I have gotten to know them very well. Often, I have worked with the same students for three or more years. It has been rewarding to watch them grow and mature as learners. It has been fun to reminisce with them, "Remember when such-and-so was so difficult for you, and now you can do that so well."
What is the biggest challenge of your job? When I was doing special ed, it was keeping up with the paperwork and scheduling meetings. As a reading teacher, the biggest challenge is getting students to become fond of reading and using it as an enjoyable pastime.
If you could have any job in the world - what would it be? Why? I would like to be the scientist who discovers the cure for ALL cancers. I have watched too many people who I care about suffer from this horrible, dreaded disease.
What do you do when you are not at school teaching? My biggest joy is spending time with my family. A great deal of my summer is "Grandma time." I also like to sew, downhill ski, bicycle, read, volunteer at my church, and bake.
What are your favorite aspects of the Clearbrook-Gonvick community? Clearbrook-Gonvick is a close knit community where people are always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need.
Any other favorites you would like to share? I really only have one item on my bucket list and that would be to skydive. It has been something I have wanted to do for years, and hopefully, before I lose my nerve, I can experience it.
And now a word (or two) about Mrs. Disrud from the students...
Why do you think Mrs. Disrud decided to become a teacher? "Because she loves kids" "She loves to teach us" "To help children learn about language like adjectives and verbs" "Because she likes teaching. She likes getting to know us." "She wanted to help kids who had trouble reading." "Because she is smart"
What is the best thing about Mrs. Disrud? "She’s nice" "On Fridays she lets us play games" "She sometimes gives us barely any work" "She is fun, funny, and has a good sense of humor" "She’s nice." "She’s funny sometimes. I like her stories she tells." "She hands out candy." "She teaches us very well."
What do you think Mrs. Disrud was like when she was in elementary school? "Funny and smart" "Very nice and had lots of A+" "A nice student" "Smart." "She was probably a smart girl who had a lot of friends." "Happy." "She was crazy."
What do you think Mrs. Disrud does when she is not teaching? "Probably grading papers" "Eats candy behind her desk" "Go and have fun with her grandchildren" "Probably thinking of what she is going to do next. Have a bunch of fun. Thinking of more fun ideas." "Sometime thinking of games for us to play." "Is with her grandchildren." "Goes to her daughter’s house."
If you wrote a book about Mrs. Disrud, what would the title be? "The Story of Denise Disrud" "Life of Mrs. Disrud" "The Hawaii Trip" "The Teaching Life of Mrs. Disrud" "Smart Teachers" "Fun Mrs. Disrud" "Happy." "Cool Mrs. Disrud."
If you could send Mrs. Disrud on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you send her? Why would you send her there? "Hawaii because she deserves it and she should get to relax" "Hawaii so she could swim with the dolphins with me" "Hawaii because she always says she wants to go there" "Florida because it is a good vacation place. She needs a good vacation; she works hard." "Costa Rica because she does a lot of work and she earns it." "Hawaii, because." "Cuba or Russia."
What is one thing Mrs. Disrud ALWAYS says? "Why are you always late?" "Put part of the question in the answer" "Capital letters!" "Start with part of the question." "Don’t complain."