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Photo by Tara Kaprowy
Teacher of the Year: Part 1 of 3
Math Made Easy — Caring + energetic = Kim Smith
Kim Smith will be the first to tell you she hates being interviewed. But after being named one of the London-Laurel County Chamber of Commerce’s teachers of the year, she seems resigned to the fact that she’ll have to talk about herself. It’s a halting process — full of double backs and self edification.
But once she touches on the satisfaction that comes from being a teacher, things start to flow more easily.
Smith’s greatest gratification comes from knowing she’s making a difference.
“Just today one of the teachers told me that an eighth grade student had written about me for his writing portfolio,” she said. “He said I had stayed after him all the time. He said he didn’t like me at the time, but realized now he sure did learn a lot. It’s things like that — when things come back and they tell you later. When they realize when you’ve been there for them. And what you did is because you care about them.”
Smith, 45, started teaching at South Laurel Middle School four years ago, after more than 15 years of working at a school in her native Clay County.
The move was a practical one. Not only was Smith’s old school closing, her family had already planted new roots in Laurel County.
“My husband teaches (at South Middle),” she said. “My son was going to go into sixth grade here. God just worked everything out at the right time.”
Indeed, a position for a sixth grade math teacher — Smith’s grade and subject of choice — opened.
Smith went into education thanks to the influence of her granny, Virgie H. Smith.
“She was a teacher for 43 years,” Smith said. “She was my inspiration. She always had a lot of good advice.”
After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, she went on to earn her master’s degree from Union College and her Rank 1 at EKU.
She zeroed in on teaching math because of her love for the subject and her desire to untie the complexities associated with the oft-dreaded subject.
“I want to make math simple for my students so they can really understand it — not just the process of it,” she said. “I know kids have trouble with it and I want to make it as simple for them so they can succeed at it.”
To help her students, Smith uses constant oral repetition and coins attention-getting phrases to both trigger permanent learning and create a dynamic atmosphere.
“I try to be real energetic,” she explained. “I’m very structured. I’m strict, but I care. They really know that.”
Smith also has standards she expects her students to meet.
“Everyone in my room participates,” she said. “I tell them I have real high expectations.”
Staff writer Tara Kaprowy can be reached by e-mail at tkaprowy@sentinel-echo.com.
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