Hays CISD announces district teachers of the year

HAYS COUNTY — “I still can’t wrap my brain around it,” said Kimberlie Williams, a second-grade educator at Pfluger Elementary School.

Teachers foster creativity and curiosity as they set students up for success beyond the classroom. While they aren’t always recognized for their work on a daily basis, it feels that much more rewarding when they are.

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Carmen Harding was not expecting to be called the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Hays CISD.[/caption]

At a May 5 luncheon, Hays CISD announced Williams as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Carmen Harding, a math educator at McCormick Middle School, as the Secondary Teacher of the Year. In addition to receiving a $500 gift from the Hays CISD Education Foundation, they will advance to compete for Regional Teacher of the Year honors later this year.

“Even when they said my name, I sat there looking around waiting for that person to stand up. And then, I was like, ‘Oh no, that was me. That’s my name, like, what?’ I was talking to my principal about it,” Williams said. “When these are the things that you just do naturally, it’s hard to feel like you are doing something special.”

“I was not expecting that, so I feel absolutely wonderful,” Harding said. “It’s just something I never even imagined would happen. I’m extremely excited and honored that I won this.”

Williams is currently in her 11th year of teaching; she has been with Hays CISD for five years, but previously, she taught in Killeen ISD and Lockhart ISD. While some teachers are inspired to follow in their family’s footsteps, it took Williams some time to develop her interest.

“I was not one of those people that knew from the beginning that I wanted to be a teacher, but everyone around me told me forever, ‘You should be a teacher. You are meant to be a teacher.’ I come from a family of teachers. I was kind of like, ‘No, I don’t think it’s for me,’” she said. “I reached a point in college where I was like, 'Maybe it is for me.' I made a list of all of the things that I was really passionate about. I've always loved school and reading. I've always been very creative and I’ve always loved working with people. Then, when I sat and I looked at all of these things, I was like, 'Maybe this is meant for me.' And once I kind of got into it, I was like, 'No, this is meant for me.'”

Harding, who is currently in her 20th year of teaching, also comes from a family of teachers; McCormick Middle is her sixth school, but she has taught in a variety of places including low-income campuses.

“From the time I was 12, I was helping my father in the classroom [during] any break that I had. I was helping him and I guess it was my junior year in college that it suddenly dawned on me that I love this,” she said. “I really enjoy working with the kids and seeing the lightbulb. In terms of teaching math, I had a math teacher in high school that really changed that around for me. I’d always been fairly good at math, but not extraordinary. This teacher went out of her way; she tutored me every morning before school [and] got me back up to speed. That sort of has inspired me. I tutor just about every day now and it's because of her. I had her for two years and she just showed me she cared and it meant the world.”

Both teachers agreed that the district and community have been supportive along the way.

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At a luncheon held on May 5, Hays CISD announced Kimberlie Williams, left, as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Carmen Harding, right, as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.[/caption]

“Hays has felt like a family. I've had experience in a couple of different districts, but Hays felt like coming to a small town, but with the benefit of a big district. Everybody knows you, everybody remembers your face and when people from Central Office come to do a walkthrough or are on-campus and they recognize you, it feels like what you're doing is important and you matter,” Williams explained. “I think that makes what we do feel important. I think, as a teacher, we know what we do matters. But from a district standpoint, when you have admin and people above you that see you and recognize you, it really does help to feel like I'm important. I'm a piece of something bigger than me.”

“They’ve been really supportive. I know whenever I reached out for help with anything, people have been very accommodating and welcoming. I had a student here who was probably a genius and I really want him to continue going in math and see what he can accomplish in high school,” Harding said. “I reached out to the district person who's in charge of that, Natalie Peterson, and she worked with him and came together and got a schedule set up for high school and did this whole special thing for him. That was just wonderful that she did that. That made me really happy because I knew it was something I wanted.”

Teaching is no easy feat — it comes with its own set of challenges. For Williams and Harding, when it comes to what keeps them getting up every day, they both have the same answer: the kids.

“Teaching is hard. It's hard and it's only gotten harder in the past couple years. But I will say the relationships I have with my students are what keeps me going. Knowing that even on my worst day when I'm tired and I'm dragging, there is somebody who is going to be excited to see me when they get to school keeps me going,” Williams said. “Knowing that putting on my silly ‘Fri-Yay Vibes Only’ crown on Friday morning is going to light up somebody. So, just having that excitement and knowing that they are looking forward to seeing me is really what keeps me going.”

Harding also touched on what it feels like when a student retains information, especially when it comes to a difficult subject like math. Seeing that lightbulb turns on, and they get it, that’s what keeps her going.

“They come in, they’re hating math. They are like, ‘I am terrible at math. I can’t do this.’ By the end of the year, they feel successful and they can do this. Seeing the kids that have grown and just their confidence,” she said. “To see them go from, ‘I can’t do math. I failed every STAAR,’ to, ‘I’m going to be in advanced and I can do this.’ I love giving these kids hope and feeling that the world is theirs, it’s wide open and if they just work hard enough, they can do whatever they want.”