August 21, 2012 at 6:26 a.m.
After 36 years, Zierden still passionate about teaching
District's most senior teacher excited for new school year
After 36 years, Zierden still passionate about teaching
When the new school year begins Sept. 4, Carole Zierden will start her 37th year as a member of the faculty in the School District of Rhinelander, making her the most senior teacher in the district.
To those in the school district it may seem as though Zierden has always been part of the staff but it took an unlikely sequence of events in 1976 to bring her to Rhinelander.
Zierden grew up in Cochran-Fountain City, a small community in southwestern Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. After graduating from the local high school, Zierden attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she earned a degree in K-12 education with a minor in history. After graduating, she got a job as a ski instructor and decided to take a vacation to the Ashland area to do some skiing herself. There, on the slopes, Zierden severely broke her leg and wound up needing surgery. The operation was done in Ashland.
Upon heading home to Eau Claire, she found herself stuck in an immobilizing cast for six months. Unable to continue her work as a ski instructor, Zierden began substitute teaching and scouring the job boards for teaching opportunities.
In May, still in her cast, Zierden traveled to the Northwoods to visit a friend. It was then that her luck finally turned.
"I saw that they had a listing for a part-time physical education position in Rhinelander," Zierden said. "I called in to see if I could talk to someone about the job, but eventually just walked in there on my crutches and asked for an interview. A day later, Ced Vig called."
Vig, then the principal at Rhinelander High School, interviewed Zierden and by the Fourth of July weekend offered her a job teaching juniors and seniors at the high school. Back then, the job was a little different than it is now and Zierden jumped in to more than just teaching.
"When I first started in '76, the classes were huge, much larger than they are today," Zierden said. "Right away, I started coaching. I was the assistant volleyball coach, the head gymnastics coach and the head softball coach."
Teaching older kids and having the opportunity to coach brings with it special responsibilities, she noted.
"When dealing with that age group, they're almost ready for college," Zierden said. "Especially when coaching, I had the ability to talk to the girls about college and their future."
Eventually, Zierden moved on from the high school and has spent time at both the elementary level and in the middle school where she is currently teaching. Although the job is the same, Zierden said students today are very different than the pupils she taught in 1976.
"Technology has taken students to a whole different world than 37 years ago," Zierden said. "It's like comparing apples and oranges. Technology has turned the whole thing upside down."
At its heart though, teaching still comes down to communication, Zierden says.
"It takes someone who is able to listen to what the students are saying and what they need," she explained. "You need to listen to coworkers, administration and parents. Problems continuously occur but communication is key. I mean person-to-person communication instead of text or email. I think we are slowly losing that."
As she starts her 37th year teaching in Rhinelander, Zierden recognizes that her career is nearing its end but, at least at the moment, an exit strategy is the farthest thing from her mind.
"I love what I"m doing," she said. "I love the kids. I know my time will come when enough is enough, but my body and mind are still able to do the job, and until that changes, I want to stay."
When the time finally does come to step down, Zierden said she knows she will miss the young people she has spent her life guiding.
"Yes, my time is coming," she said. "But it's hard to put into perspective ending something you've done for 37 years. When my time comes, I'll stop, but I'll sure miss the kids."
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
WEATHER SPONSORED BY
E-Editions
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
August
To Submit an Event Sign in first
Today's Events
No calendar events have been scheduled for today.
Comments:
You must login to comment.