March 19, 2024

Teacher spotlight

Pollard helps her kindergarten students to shine

Editor's note: This is a continuation of the "Teacher Spotlight" series that began last school year.

Clarke kindergarten teacher Bev Pollard and her long career in the school district was a match that was meant to be from the beginning.

Pollard decided to become a teacher because her mother was a Head Start teacher and her father was a vocal music teacher at Clarke for many years.

When she was in high school, Pollard had the opportunity to help her mother with Head Start.

“I just felt very comfortable working with the kids — helping out,” she said. “So, I guess, that’s what got me interested.”

Pollard got her undergraduate degree from Northwest Missouri State University. She student taught fourth grade and kindergarten at Clarke.

She has taught in Osceola for 30 years. In 2005, Pollard got her master’s degree from Morningside College.

“I guess education was kind of in my blood from my mom and my dad. That’s just the way it went,” she said.

Kindergarten students

According to Pollard, kindergarten appeals to her because she likes her students’ curiosity and drive to learn.

“I like to help the underdogs, the ones who maybe need a little more push with different things,” she said. “I love to see when the light bulb turns on. That’s exciting.”

Pollard said working with kindergarten students is about learning the tricks of the trade. She said it’s sometimes like being a psychologist and psychiatrist combined.

For example, if Pollard is trying to get a student to do something he or she doesn’t want to do, then she has to make it into a game of sorts or sit and do it with them and maybe apply a little reverse psychology.

Pollard said her biggest tip for teaching is to “praise, praise, praise” her young students.

“You make them beam,” she said.

Pollard said the best thing about teaching kindergarten is her students’ enthusiasm, especially when they are reading books, which is important at that age.

“They make it fun, and every day is different. Everything is new,” she said.