Roger Carlin had a simple message for Brittney Meiwes upon his retirement this spring. MEIWES has plenty to keep her busy outside the classroom. THE TEACHER gene runs through Meiwes family bloodlines.
“Now it’s your turn,” he told her.
Meiwes, seventh-grade history, geography and economics instructor at Iola Middle School, took his words to heart.
“I just hope I can live up to the standard he’s set,” she said.
Meiwes should have a good idea of how to accomplish this.
The Crest High School alumnus served as a student teacher under Carlin in 2011.
Since then, she worked as a substitute teacher in Iola, before earning the full-time teaching gig at IMS over the summer.
“This job was the ideal job,” Meiwes said. “This is where I knew I wanted to be, especially after I student taught here.”
It took Meiwes a few years to figure out her career ambitions.
She started out in college a psychology major.
“I wanted to do equine-assisted psychotherapy with behavioral modification in teenagers,” she explained.
But after meeting the man who would become her husband, Seth, those plans changed.
“I did not want to pick up my farmer husband, who was pretty well set up to do what he wanted to do, and move to the city, which is where I’d have to be,” Meiwes said. “Teaching was next on my list, and it was a blessing in disguise, really. I’m a lot happier teaching.”
Meiwes also was certain she wanted to work with middle-schoolers.
“The kids are still at that influential stage, where I think I can really make a difference,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing to see them come in as sixth-graders and then mature as eighth-graders. It’s a pretty important stage in their life.”
Meiwes was equally as certain she wanted to focus on social science. “Math is not really my thing,” she joked.
She helps her husband on the family farm in rural Moran. (They’re building a home north of town.)
“We work together as much as we can,” she said.
In addition, the Meiweses have daughter, McKenna, who turns 2 in October.
“She’s pretty much the boss of the house,” Meiwes said with a smile.
“I have several relatives who are teachers, two aunts on my dad’s side, an aunt and three cousins on my mom’s side,” Meiwes said. “I’m very heavily influenced by them. I saw the joy they got from teaching. It is very rewarding.”
In addition, Meiwes’ sister-in-law, Maggie Meiwes, is starting her first full-time teaching job this fall. She’ll teach kindergarten at Humboldt Elementary School.
Like Brittney, Maggie’s first full-time teaching position also is her dream job.
“She did her student teaching down there last fall,” Meiwes said. “She felt comfortable down there. Once that job came open, she just went for it.”
Meiwes can relate.
Working in your comfort zone is rewarding, she admitted. “I’m in my element.”
Meiwes embraces opportunity at IMS
