Mrs. Horsch will be retiring from the teaching profession after serving 25 years. Nineteen of those years were right in our hometown at AES in the first grade. She explains how it has been a bittersweet decision for her and that she absolutely LOVED teaching in this district. I asked her a series of questions about her teaching experience and this is how she responded.
I first asked, What inspired you to become an elementary school teacher? She said her inspiration comes from her deep love of children and also her family. Her dad was a high school biology teacher at HHS in Hutchinson, Kansas. She began to see his passion and love of teaching from a very young age and chose to follow in his footsteps. When asked to share some of her favorite memories from her time teaching she said that she has so many fond memories from her years at Andale and that it would be hard to tell the favorites out of the mix. The Kindergarten-1st Grade Thanksgiving feast tradition ranks close to the top. As well Seuss Day, Kansas Day, and the 100th day of school each year will be enjoyable memories she will take along with her when she leaves. She also mentioned the time Mrs. McFadden saw a mouse by the playground door which was hilarious.
Advice she has for new teachers starting out in elementary education. She wished she had kept a journal of all of the darling things her littles have said throughout the years. The mispronunciations, the mixed up meanings for words, and many more. She says the kids have had her smiling and laughing for years with all of the cute things they’ve said. She advises you to keep a journal of them, because you won’t regret it. When asked what she will miss most, without a doubt she said “That’s easy…THE KIDS!” She will simply miss being with “her kids”, yes they’re her kids from the day they walk through her door until they leave on the last day she said. It is going to be very hard for her to leave the kids behind.
When asked if there were any specific accomplishments or projects from her time as a teacher that she is proud of she said as a teacher we are constantly growing and learning as we go along. She accomplished a lot in her 25 year teaching career and none of them are as important as actually being a good example for her students. She says first graders love and look up to their teachers and think they can do no wrong. She tried everyday to make her students proud and loved each of them as if they were her own children. Building relationships with all the students was her strength as a teacher and is what she is most proud of.
After retirement she plans to stay involved in education by returning as a substitute in our Renwick schools. There has been a shortage of subs for several years and so now she will be able to help out the community that she loves and also see many of her former students and colleagues. She would like to thank all of the parents of her Andale students whom she’s had the pleasure of teaching over the last 19 years. She says ” There really is no better school district than Renwick!” We have the best parents, students, and support system around. Living in this community and having so many of her family members in her class each year was a blessing to her. She wants her students present and past to know that she absolutely loved coming to work everyday and being their first grade teacher. She’s always said ” School is my happy place!” She knows that without a doubt she chose the perfect profession. She was blessed for many years with the smartest,kindest, and most talented coworkers she said one could have. She will miss them dearly. She doesn’t even know how to say good-bye. For now, she’ll just say, “I’ll be seeing you…Class is dismissed”.
As Mrs. Horsch bids farewell to her teaching career, her legacy in the first-grade classroom shines brightly. With her kind personality and gentle demeanor, she nurtured each young mind that passed through her door, instilling a love for learning that will endure for years to come. Mrs. Horsch’s dedication to her students’ academic growth was matched only by her commitment to their emotional well-being. She celebrated their successes with boundless enthusiasm and offered a comforting embrace during moments of struggle. Beyond teaching in the curriculum she taught invaluable lessons of kindness, empathy, and respect, shaping these kids into compassionate individuals. As she continues onto her next chapter, the echoes of Mrs. Horsch’s teachings will resonate in the hearts of her students, forever grateful for the impact of their beloved teacher.
