Mrs. Heidi Andre
Science Teacher, Beloit Memorial High School
May 2024 - Chalk It Up to Experience
58 First Day of School Experiences
I have had 58 First Day of School experiences as a student or teacher. Over half of them, or to be exact 35, have been as a teacher in the School District of Beloit. It is strange to think that school will start without me next fall, but it will!
I am a strong and vocal proponent of public education and an enthusiastic supporter of the School District of Beloit. I have been here through the good times and the hard times. I have always appreciated the fact that, from my perspective, we have always faced our problems head-on. Until recently, we have had tremendous community support. We need that support if we are going to continue to move our students forward.
Have the Kids Changed?
When people discover that I have been teaching for so long, they inevitably ask, “So, how have kids changed?” Truth be told, they have not. Every student wants to know and feel that you care about them as a person and their future. They want you to have patience and to forgive them for their failings. They want to know that you will be fair when dealing with them and that you will make learning fun, even the hard stuff. They need us to be there for them and their families. I see teaching as a sacred calling. Sometimes, as teachers, we fail, but we always come back to be better and to do better.
What has changed is the environment in which students must exist. Even the “good old days” were not always that good. The racial tension when I started teaching at Aldrich in 1989 has faded, but inequality still exists in our world. I am glad our district has ALWAYS had the motto “Strengthened by Diversity” because we truly are. Any student who graduates from Beloit Memorial is better equipped to traverse the world because they have friends from all ethnicities, races, and gender identities. They have learned to listen to and reflect on those different from them. They have learned and experienced empathy. We are not perfect, but people here care enough to want to work for continued growth.
Career, College, and Community Ready
We are now asking students to be more attuned to their future goals. Our fantastic academy system allows students to explore careers in more depth. The academies have also strengthened our relationship with businesses and community members. This is an exciting opportunity for our students and the whole Stateline community.
Students must now exist in a world of technology that infiltrates every aspect of their daily lives. It places pressures on students, both academically and socially, that we, as adults, find difficult with which to contend. As we all navigate this new reality, there will be growing pains. It used to be that making a mistake lasted for a very short time. Now, that same mistake, if recorded, can exist forever. That one parameter has shifted how students learn, respond, and react in a classroom. They didn’t ask for it, but they must deal with it. Policy development for the use of technology is imperative for the safety and growth of our students.
Navigating a Pandemic
Our students and staff had to pivot hard when the pandemic hit. I am ever so grateful that our district weighed in on the side of caution and sought the best path to protect our students, their families, and staff. Every teacher was asked to make a video to share with their students when we realized we would not return for a long time. I went outside and hung out with my cows to record a message that I wanted to be full of hope. Knowing now, what I didn’t know then would have resulted in a much different message. It was the hardest teaching experience of my career. I am so proud of our students. They survived a global pandemic, but it will forever shape who they are.“Have grace” was and continues to be our department motto.
Making a Place of Joy and Anticipation
I have learned what I can control and to make the most of it. My attitude is the driving force in my classroom. I want to make it a place of joy and anticipation. I do get excited to be a teacher of science. Every. Single. Day. I love knowing that students who were hesitant in their abilities left my classroom confident that they could be successful in science. Our district is unmatched in the surrounding area for the multitude of science course offerings. We are the best-kept secret in Wisconsin!
As I started to clean out my files (both real and virtual) for my transition to retirement, I came across a poem by Zev Schostak that a student shared with me during my first years of teaching. I kept it because of a line that struck me hard as a new teacher, “I do not simply teach the mind; I reach the heart and - when I reach the heart; I touch the soul.”
I want to thank the residents of Beloit for giving me the opportunity to teach in this district for 35 years. It has been a privilege and a pleasure. I am and will always be BELOIT PROUD!
