Meet Trailblazer Kimberly Van Zee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Van Zee.

Kimberly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to become a teacher. In high school, I was able to be part of a few mission trips to Honduras where we were able to teach lessons at a local orphanage. There, my passion for teaching grew. I knew I wanted to work with kids and share my love of learning with them, so I went to college and majored in Elementary Education and minored in Spanish. Even though I was able to practice teach in different classrooms, I still didn’t know where my path would lead me.

My first teaching job lead me to Minnesota. It wasn’t an easy first year of teaching because I went in thinking I was hired to teach 5th/6th grade and was told a couple of weeks before school started that I was now being switched to 7th/8th. Everything I had planned over the summer was thrown out the window. It was my first lesson in being flexible as a teacher. Even after a rough start, I was surrounded by teachers who supported me and helped me learn what kind of teacher I wanted to be. After a year at this school, I moved to Colorado.

Moving was a huge leap of faith for me. I grew up in a small town and now was thrown into the unknown of what city life entailed. Again, I was blessed with a core group of co-teachers who helped make the transition easier. I jumped around positions over the years to where I was needed. This has helped me get to know what my strengths are as a teacher.

I also have been able to have the opportunity to coach. Coaching has helped me see a whole new perspective of my students. It also has helped me connect with them and who they are outside the classroom.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. College can’t teach you about the experiences you will encounter teaching, only life can. It isn’t an easy job. Teachers become invested in their students and each of them plays a part in your heart. I have the quote by Dr. Seuss hanging in my classroom that says, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You.” Every year I start over with a new group of kids and my biggest struggles are finding ways to connect with each student in order to help them realize that not every one of them learns the same way, that it is okay to be different and to embrace those differences. My year doesn’t just consist of teaching curriculum, but a huge part of it includes teaching self-worth and character.

My advice for future teachers is to be genuine and be yourself. If your class sees that you are you, then they will feel more comfortable being themselves and this will help you develop trust with them.

We’d love to hear more about Teacher.
I am a 4th-grade teacher. One of my former principals described me as vibrant because I try to bring joy and passion into my teaching every day with a contagious smile.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

Image Credit:
Molly Hollis

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