Behind the Scenes at MHS: Academics, athletics is balancing act for these MHS teachers
By JESSICA BERNHARDT
MHS student reporter
Teaching is important to Rex Ostmeyer and Shaun Craft, and so is sports. Both teachers balance academics and athletics in their careers and push student-athletes to achieve.
Ostmeyer has been teaching for 11 years — four of which have been at Marion High School. The other seven years were at Campus High School in Haysville and an alternate high school.
Becoming a teacher was a simple combination of things Ostmeyer loved — sports, history, and government.
Ostmeyer has been married to Paula, a nurse at St. Luke Hospital, for the past eight years and they have two daughters — Emily and Natalie. When he isn't playing with his daughters or doing work involving school he enjoys golfing.
In 1989, Ostmeyer graduated from Hoxie High School and went on to Cloud County Community College, graduating in 1991. He then earned a degree in secondary education, social studies from Kansas State University in 1994.
When asked whether students are born with the ability to learn or whether the teacher provides it, Ostmeyer stated that "every person is born with ability, but people have different interests and like to learn about different topics." The teacher's goal is to try to motivate students to learn the particular subject they teach and to keep it relevant to the student.
"When students show additional interest beyond the focus of the curriculum, I know they're learning because they want more," Ostmeyer said. When students ask questions to further examine the issue, he knows learning is taking place in his classroom. He feels the best way to see if students really have knowledge is by open discussion.
This also is a way to keep students motivated. Ostmeyer tries to see what his students are interested in and he shows videos occasionally to make things more real to students. He recently has been using more cooperative learning techniques, using students to teach students.
Ostmeyer feels the most difficult aspect of teaching is trying to reach every student. Students have different types of learning abilities and work ethics. He tries to challenge the high level students without overrunning the slow learners.
A funny/embarrassing moment Ostmeyer recalled was when he was demonstrating a head banger playing a guitar. However, none of his students knew what he was doing. "There was a reason for it, I just don't remember why," he added.
In the next few years, Ostmeyer hopes to reach the standard of excellence in social studies and continue to try to find a balance between high level and slower-learning students. He also would like to win a state championship in basketball.
Shaun Craft has been teaching for two years, one at MHS and one in McLouth. He currently is engaged to Melissa Moffitt. His parents, Rob and Jan Craft also live in Marion.
In his spare time, Craft enjoys being outdoors, hunting, fishing, riding four-wheelers, and watching sports.
Craft took classes at Emporia State University for elementary education and then transferred to Tabor College to play football and track. He finished at the University of Kansas in 2004 with a bachelor's of science degree in physical education and health (K-12).
"I've always wanted to be a coach and I enjoy working and being around kids. I coached Little League teams earlier on," Craft said when asked why he became a teacher. He also said that many teachers he had while growing up influenced him to become one.
Craft believes that all children have the ability to learn, it's finding what gets them motivated that is the tough part. To evaluate if students are learning in physical education, "you have to look to see how kids improve in their overall health," Craft said. He wants his students to take something with them and realize how important it is to keep moving.
For Craft, the most difficult aspect of teaching is being able to cooperate when there are other events going on. "Sometimes this means I have to come in outside of class to help students catch up if they miss out on something," he said.
To keep students motivated, Craft offers a variety of activities, including traditional team sports and individual sports. He doesn't like to stick with one activity for too long and likes to give his students the opportunity to experience several different games.
In the next few years, Craft hopes to have all students interested in taking some type of physical education class. He also hopes to get the baseball program built up so they are consistently winning.
