Trisha Sohm (Mrs. Sohm) is a teacher in Andale Middle School, she has been teaching here in Andale for nearly two years. She teaches English Language Arts teacher for the 6th and 7th graders then for the 8th graders she teaches Writing/Grammar. Mrs. Sohm said the reason she became a teacher was because of her passion for teaching. When she was growing up Sohm had great teachers so she wanted to share that same enthusiasm with her students. Another reason Mrs. Sohm decided to start teaching was the opportunity to positively impact her students lives and to help her kids grow. Mrs. Sohm doesn’t just teach in Andale she also coaches volleyball for the high school, at past schools she has coached volleyball, basketball and she was a cheer sponsor.

Mrs. Sohm has been a teacher for 24 years, she went from Dodge City, to Spearville, to Russel, Kansas and now Andale. She says the most rewarding thing about being a teacher is when past students come back and visit her, that’s how she knows she’s made an impact on her students. Sohm’s least favorite part of teaching is the standardized testing, because some students like the hands on and sometimes the testing does not give a true measure of that student’s capabilities. If Mrs. Sohm wasn’t a teacher she said she would be a nurse so she could continue to help people. I asked Mrs. Sohm what the biggest difference is between Andale and other places she’s been, she said “Andale is an incredible community. People care about each other and work hard to make Andale the best place possible to live. Our school is one of the top-notch schools in Kansas. If you go to any academic or sporting event, you will see the community support their kids.”

Teachers often take on various roles beyond teaching, such as mentors, counselors, motivators, and role models for their students. Mrs. Sohm does her job very well as she is a great role model for her kids to look up to and on top of that she is a great coach and teacher as well. In the classroom Mrs. Sohm is a very energetic and fun person to be around she also always prepares her students and makes sure they understand what they’re doing before a big test or assignment. Mrs. Sohm believes teaching is one of the most rewarding professions today and I believe she is one of the best at what she does.