Mindy Thierolf

Name? Mindy Thierolf

Current Position? Secondary Ed Teacher, WHS, Freshman English I, Yearbook Advisor.

How long have you been in education? This is my eighth year.

What’s a little known fact about you? Most people don’t realize how nerdy I really am.

When does your job feel the hardest? Those days when students have spent too much time at home with their families in environments that are less than favorable for raising children. They come back angry, tired and disorientated and cannot seem to control their impulses.

What helps you get through those hard days? Patience and Prayer.

What makes your heart sing as a teacher? I love teaching more than mediating or moderating which makes up part of my days at schools. Those days/times when I get to focus on teaching are my favorite!

Can you describe a recent day or moment like that? Today I had a senior ask for help on a writing project and I loved helping her understand the process that seemed to elude her.

Who was your favorite teacher and why? Mrs. Freel, 2nd Grade Teacher. She was stern, but loving and loved what she did.

Five items you can’t teach without? Patience, Prayer, Understanding, Kindness, God’s Favor.

Three books you would recommend to a fellow teacher? Where the Wild Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and all the Harry Potter books.

Social Media/On-Line teaching tools: What are 2-3 sites that you use to support your teaching? What is your favorite app you use as a teacher? I use YouTube a lot to show short video clips that support my teaching, we also use Quizlet, Remind, Kahoot, and other things. I’m on FB, Twitter and Instagram, but those don’t really support my teaching as much as they keep me in tune with the pulse of what the teens I think are thinking.

Best teaching advice you ever got? Be yourself!

Advice you would give to a new teacher or something you learned that you wished had known earlier in your career?  You will never feel appreciated enough, let your rewards come from the success of the students.

What do you do to recharge? Go home. My home is my haven. Peace. Quiet. Cats.

Poem or quote that you love? Anything Garrison Keillor says on writing.