Little Chute Educator Teaches Inside, Outside of the Classroom
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"Teaching
by
example" Stephen Timm
Combined Locks
English Teacher
Little Chute High School
Little Chute
Education Association
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| Little Chute High School teacher Stephen Timm, right, and his wife Janine pose with the mascot of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Timm, a 2007 Herb Kohl Fellowship Award Winner who spends his summers working for the Timber Rattlers, was recognized at the game for his work with the Kiwanis Club of Little Chute. |
Little Chute educator teaches inside, outside of the classroom
For 2007 Herb Kohl Fellowship Award Winner Stephen Timm, teaching by example is as much a part of education as textbooks and lectures. Timm takes to heart his commitment to children of all ages and abilities through his activities inside, and outside of, school.
A teacher at Little Chute High School, Timm is also an adjunct professor in English at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He has been involved in the university’s Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) since its inception in 1982. The program, which allows high school students to earn college credits while in high school, was one of the premier programs in the United States and continues to be a model for other universities.
| What first drew you to the field of education? Luck! What is the best comment anyone has made about you professionally? That I really do care for all students. Whom is the person you most admire? My wife, Janine. She is a CDS teacher at Appleton North High School. Her caring, compassionate nature allows her to successfully work with students who have severe needs. I’m not sure that I could do what she does. Right now, what are you reading? “A Long Way Gone,” by Ishmael Beah. If you were something other than a teacher, what would you be? Some position in professional baseball. I have worked during the baseball season for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, for the past seven years. |
The Madison native reaches out beyond the schoolhouse doors, serving the community through the Kiwanis Club of Little Chute, where he has been president and director, and earned numerous service awards. Timm’s wife, Janine, a teacher of cognitively disabled-serious (CDS) students at Appleton North High School, has inspired him in his teaching.
She also motivated him to get his high school Key Club members involved as volunteers for Special Olympics.
Timm said he’d follow the same career path if given the chance again. “When I graduated from college, teaching jobs were few and far between,” he said. “For an English and history teacher, they were fewer and farther.” He said he was fortunate to get his first job in the Weyauwega-Fremont School District, and later became a teacher in the Little Chute School District.
After 36 years as a teacher, his initial passion for teaching still remains. “I believe that as educators we have the responsibility to help enlighten our future leaders to provide as many, varied experiences to our students as possible,” he said.
WEAC’s Great Schools Member Spotlight features WEAC members who are making a difference in the lives of others every day in their schools and communities. Member Spotlight profiles appear on OnWEAC and one profile is selected each month for the OnWEAC In Print newspaper. To submit a suggestion for a Member Spotlight candidate, send an e-mail to the WEAC Public Relations Department.
Posted September 7, 2007