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Graduate Education Teacher of the Year thanks Polk State for “everything they invested in me”

Graduate Education Teacher of the Year thanks Polk State for “everything they invested in me”

Posted by Polk Newsroom

Heather Kunze says she wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember, but it wasn’t until she was in her 30s that she “finally decided to do this for myself – for my family.”

Now just two years into her career, she has been named Teacher of the Year at Floral Avenue Elementary and says the greatest reward is seeing the growth of her reading students in fourth grade.

“The best part is being able to celebrate with my students and seeing their classroom and successes celebrated,” said Kunze, who graduated from the Polk State Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Program in 2022. “Being recognized for my efforts so early in my career encourages me to work even harder and reminds me that I am on the right track.”

Kunze married and had children young, which led to her education being put on the back burner. When she heard about Polk State’s education program, the idea of ​​going back to school started to seem more feasible. Polk State is the only public postsecondary institution in Polk County offering state-approved teacher preparation programs.

“It’s local and affordable,” she says. “When I did my research, I realized it would work for me and my family situation, so I jumped in.”

Despite having a 1- and 3-year-old at home during the COVID-19 public health emergency, Kunze found the program “doable.”

“It was intimidating at first because I hadn’t been to college in a while, but the courses were manageable and the professors were always willing to help,” she said. “The program was rigorous enough to prepare me for my job as a teacher, but feasible enough for me to be able to take my courses as a stay-at-home mom.”

“From the beginning, I felt like I had everything I needed to be successful.”

Inspiring growth

Polk State’s education program focuses primarily on field experiences and internships in Polk County’s public schools, giving students ample time in local classrooms with mentor teachers to prepare them to lead their own future classrooms.

Kunze said this not only opened her eyes to the challenges of the job, but also gave her the tools and insight to overcome them.

“I was able to see firsthand how the teacher I worked with would solve problems in her classroom. I learned about these methods and was able to see which tools I would like to use in my own classroom.”

“I was able to see firsthand how the teacher I worked with would solve problems in her classroom. I learned about these methods and was able to see which tools I would like to use in my own classroom,” she explained. “It also gave me the opportunity to be among students. They don’t always come in to learn. I have been able to see how teachers deal with this: how they manage their students and their classrooms and apply best practices.”

Polk State Education developed its built-in measurements for state-mandated standards in partnership with Polk County Public Schools, Polk County’s largest employer. More than 167 graduates of the Polk State Education Program currently teach in nearly 60 public schools in Polk County. Others are in private schools, other districts or out of state.

Floral Avenue Elementary is a Title I school and the only public elementary school in Bartow.

“Children come to us from all kinds of backgrounds,” she says. “They all have unique needs – no two students are the same.”

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing how students who didn’t speak English at the beginning of the school year start using vocabulary words that, in some cases, other students don’t even use yet,” Kunze says. “It’s inspiring to see that growth in them.”

Make the difference

She attributes part of her success to the foundation she gained through the Polk State Education Program.

“Being named Teacher of the Year made me feel worthy and proud to come from Polk State College,” Kunze said. “Being able to honor the program in this way means a lot to me, because I owe them a lot of gratitude for everything they have invested in me.”

She added that the Polk State Education Program is a tight-knit community of passionate educators – from the professors to the students and the mentor teachers through Polk County Public Schools. They remain connected to this day and she says she can call on them if she ever needs them.

“Being named Teacher of the Year made me feel worthy and proud to come from Polk State College. It means a lot to me to honor the program in this way, because I owe them a debt of gratitude for everything they have invested in me.”

For 2024, three graduates – Tracy Garcia, Heather Kunze and Ray – were named Teacher of the Year at their schools. Current student Julia Barnett was also recognized as School Related Employee of the Year.

“You don’t feel like another student on the list — you feel like someone who is being nurtured and nourished to become a great educator,” she said. “Polk State creates teachers who are effective leaders in their classrooms.”

Kunze will transfer to Willow Oak School in Mulberry for the 2024-2025 school year. With her title of Teacher of the Year and her Polk State education, she enters her third year as a teacher with confidence.

“Going to Polk State was the best decision I ever made because I immediately felt like I would not only be able to succeed, but also enjoy what I am learning,” Kunze said. “That’s why we want to be teachers in the first place – we want people to enjoy learning.”

“Thanks to Polk State, I felt like I was set up for success from the start. After graduating, I didn’t jump into the unknown. I had the tools to make an immediate difference,” she said. “While graduation is always the ultimate goal, it is the goodness in the middle that gives your diploma meaning. That is why I am proud to be a graduate of Polk State Education.”

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