Teachers healers & February 19, 2022
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Teachers & Healers
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022
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McLaren nurse practitioner thrives on making a difference SCOTT NUNN Assistant Editor
For the 15-year veteran with McLaren health, making a difference in her patients' lives is the most rewarding part of Beth Britt's job. "I want to be able to make a difference in helping someone to have a better life to enjoy their loved ones, family and friends," Britt said. Britt is a nurse practitioner of cardiology at McLaren Thumb Cardiology. "My primary role is to provide quality care, diagnose, treat, and provide education to those who have a cardiovascular disease such at coronary artery disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), hypertension, and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) such as atrial fibrillation (which can increase your risk of having a stroke)," she said. "I also provide counseling for prevention of heart disease, whether it is someone who already has a heart condition and we are trying to prevent further issues or complications
bachelor's of nursing quality of her patients' years, Britt said there degree at Saginaw Valley isn't anything she would lives is part of what State University, and change about her comfuels her passion, but it after graduating started munity. doesn't come without working as an RN in the "I have always loved its challenges. Britt said intensive care unit at Mc- helping patients improve living in this area," she Laren Bay said. "It is Region. absolutely I was given an incredible "Most of beautithat time I ful. I have opportunity to work in the was a part of watched Thumb Region - which has been the intenmany sunmy home for over 20 years - and to sive care sets here for open-heart the past 20 continue to do what I love, which is team," she years and practicing cardiology. said. "This anywhere is when I else I have found my been does their lives requires a lot passion for cardiolonot even compare. And of time and follow-up gy. During that time, I I love working here bevisits. completed my master's cause I am now closer to "I spend a lot of time degree in nursing to home, and our practice caring for patients who become a nurse practioffers cardiac care that have congestive heart tioner." can make a difference for failure and cardiomyopBritt earned her the people in my comathy (disease of the heart munity." master's degree from the muscle or weakened University of Cincinnati, Britt said there is heart)," she said. "This and with her new degree a growing need for requires a lot of changes had the opportunity to mid-level care providers and adjustments to med- such as nurse practiwork closer to home. "I was given an incred- ications and frequent tioners and physician visits. After a period of ible opportunity to work assistants in the medical time, we will reassess to in the Thumb Region — field. If someone was which has been my home see if there has been imconsidering a career provement in their heart for over 20 years — and in the medical field, function." to continue to do what I Britt offers some strong However, with the suc- advice. love, which is practicing cess comes that opporcardiology," she said. "Do it," she said enthutunity to tell her patients "I have been a nurse siastically. "As healthcare their heart function has practitioner for Mclaren is changing and evolving, returned to normal. Thumb Cardiology for we need more mid-level Having lived in the the past three years." providers to help provide Her impact on the region for more than 20 quality care."
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Nurse Practitioner Beth Britt has worked for McLaren for 15 years with a specialty in cardiology. or for the person who does not have heart disease but may have risk factors." Britt said risk factors include modifiable ones such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight, or high cholesterol, as well as non-modifiable things such as age, ethnic background, and family history.
"These risk factors are also discussed to bring awareness to those that are at increased risk of heart disease," she said. "I also provide counseling and education regarding watching for signs or symptoms of having a heart attack, congestive heart failure, or a stroke." Britt earned her
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Did you know? According to the U.S. Department of Labor and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, registered nurse is the most common occupation for women in the United States labor force. Slightly less than 2.1 million women worked as registered nurses in 2017, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Also, more than two million women worked as secretaries or administrative assistants in 2017, making these professions the second most common occupation among female workers. Elementary and middle school teachers was the third most common occupation for female professionals, employing more than 1.9 million women in 2017. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau also indicates that women have the lion’s share of jobs in an assortment of professions, including preschool and kindergarten teachers, secretaries and administrative assistants, childcare workers, and dental assistants. Women hold at least 92 percent of the jobs in each of those professions in the United States.
Bad Axe Schools Salute All Education & Health Care Professionals! Administration, Teachers & Support Staff
TRUST YOUR HEART TO EXPERT HANDS
When you have problems with your heart, the heart experts at McLaren Thumb Region listen and respond. Our friendly and experienced team of professionals can effectively diagnose and treat your needs.
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McLaren offers world-class, nationally-recognized cardiology services close to home.
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Brooke Gruehn inspiring love of books CONNOR VEENSTRA Staff Writer
Taylor White teaches middle school level math at Harbor Beach Community Schools, which centers on algebra. Her teaching styles helps students overcome self-doubts they have about their math skills.
Taylor White helps Harbor Beach students overcome doubts about math ROBERT CREENAN Staff Writer
Taylor White understands that helping students overcome their self-doubts is important for them later in life, even if that lesson comes from doing math homework. White teaches sixththrough ninth-grade math for Harbor Beach Community Schools students, helping them get through the different concepts of algebra. A graduate from Bad Axe Public Schools, White went to Saginaw Valley State University to get her teaching degree. She did her general student teaching at Harbor Beach Community Schools and special education teaching at Ubly Community Schools. “I went into teaching because I wanted to be a model for students,” White said. “I want to inspire them and believe in them that they can achieve anything they can put their mind to.” Since White is the only teacher at Harbor Beach for middle school-level math, she gets to see her students actively develop their math skills over a four-year period, along with having class sizes ranging from 20 to the low 30s. Her sixth-grade
students learn basic algebra concepts, her seventh graders learn pre-algebra, and her eighth and ninth graders get to take more algebra lessons. “When I meet the kids in the sixth grade, they’ll say they are bad at math,” White said. “That mental component is the biggest hurdle to overcome.” White’s classes typically involve a warm-up as the students go over some of the skills they learned, before going into direct instruction of the day’s lesson with notes. The students then work on some problems before getting homework or some other independent activity to better learn the skill. The way that White teaches lets students know that while life is not perfect and they are going to encounter obstacles, their mindset about how they approach those obstacles determines a lot in their lives. “I like to share some of my personal experiences to show how to overcome their struggles,” White said. The layout of White’s classroom was done with her students' input. The back rows of desks are taller for standing and some of the shorter chairs can rock back and
forth. When Superintendent Shawn Bishop reached out to staff members to ask if any classrooms needed updated furniture, White gave out a survey to students so they could have a say in the new furniture. The new chairs and desks arrived at the beginning of the current school year. After Harbor Beach students take White’s math courses, they move on to taking geometry and algebra 2 classes, after which they can take whichever math course they want. Those choices include personal finance, pre-calculus, AP calculus and AP statistics, or they can get their math credit through a tech center course. For White, seeing her students mature and grow through the years she teaches them makes her proud before they move on to other math classes. “It makes me extremely proud when I can look at a student as an eighth grader, who said they couldn’t do math in the sixth grade, end up helping others with math,” White said. “There is no greater feeling than seeing a student achieve a goal they have set out for themselves.”
Pavlovics makes impact in the classroom and on the softball field TOM GREENE Staff Writer
Christi Pavlovics has made an impact on students not only in the classroom.
For the last 26 years, Christi Pavlovics has been making an impact on students' lives not just on the softball field. Pavlovics has also been a teacher at Deckerville schools for 26 years, teaching many different subjects at the school. "For the last 20 years, I taught junior high and freshmen English," she said. "When I first started and now, I was teaching history and psychology. I went back to my roots this year." Pavlovics said two teachers in her life, Sheryl Kreiner and Sister Eileen Rice, have inspired her to teach. "Mrs. Kriener was my history teacher in Brown City and a counselor," she said. "When I went to college, I definitely wanted to be a teacher like Sister
Eileen Rice. She was amazing, with the energy and passion she brought to the classroom. After my third class (in the semester) with her, she was diagnosed with cancer, but she taught until she passed away." "I'm thankful to have both of them inspire me to become the teacher I am today," she added. "I'm a cancer survivor. It's ironic how I met this woman fighting cancer and teaching at the same time, and it happened to me. The irony of it is strange." Pavlovics was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, but she is now 12 years cancer-free. "When I think back of Sister Rice, I continued to teach going through chemotherapy," she said. "Teaching helped with keeping things going. She was a true inspiration for me. She continued to teach See PAVLOVICS page 4
It's not often one gets to teach at the school they went to, but that was the opportunity Brooke Gruehn took when she had the chance to teach at Unionville-Sebewaing Area School District. "It was such a surreal experience re-walking the halls my first year back at USA," she recalled. Gruehn graduated from USA High School with the class of 2000. From there, she took a position at the Tuscola Intermediate School District while she went to college. In 2010, she left Tuscola ISD in favor of an English and history teaching position at Chesaning Union High School. These experiences helped drive her appreciation and passion for teaching, as she saw the teachers form relationships with students and do whatever they could to educate them successfully. "As a young adult, it was eye-opening to see the various services that were offered to students," she said. "I was inspired by the passion of educators and staff and their determination to find various ways to help all students and find success — whether it was by traditional or non-traditional educa-
Brooke Gruehn, USA High School’s literature teacher. (Unionville-Sebewaing Schools/Courtesy) tional experiences." "The most important skill a teacher can take into the field of education is the ability to relate to students," she added. In 2015, Gruehn was given the opportunity to come back to USA High School as an English teacher. She now teaches English 11 and 12, AP literature and composition, AP language and composition, and SAT prep. Gruehn has a passion for writing and literature and is determined to instill it in her students. It's my goal to promote critical thinking skills, peer feedback opportunities, and most importantly I
want students to know that they have a voice through their writing," she said. "It is important to me that students have opportunities to write for authentic audiences and know that their writings and voices matter." The most satisfying parts of the job for her are when her kids find a book they love, are able to take a life lesson from something they read in class, or fully involve themselves with their writing. "That moment when students engage in a discussion or a writing assignment because they know their voice matters — this is why I love teaching," she said.
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Scheurer nurse practitioner knows ounce of prevention is worth pound of cure MARK BIRDSALL Staff Writer
Scheurer Health family nurse practitioner Joanna Matthews wants to motivate her patients to focus on wellness.
PAVLOVICS Continued from page 3
through chemotherapy as well. She was really a special person to me." "She was definitely a person that inspired me to get through the darkest time of my life," she added. Pavlovics said she is humbled when she is recognized for her work as a teacher. "It's very nice to know that people have respect for me and the things I'm trying to do for our school
and our kids," she said. "It makes me feel good that I'm doing the right thing." Pavlovics said that one thing she's learned from her years of teaching is to have patience. "I have high expectations for myself as a teacher and for my students," she said. "You have to have patience to get them to those expectations. All the kids are different, so it's really important to teach in a variety of ways. That way, you can connect with
Joanna Matthews, a board-certified family nurse practitioner with Scheurer Primary Care locations in Pigeon and Elkton as well as Scheurer Health's Pigeon walk-in clinic, said she was drawn to her profession as a health care provider for a simple reason: She has always wanted to help people. "I feel like as a person, that's who I am," she said. "I just feel really blessed. I've been able to find a career where I've been able to extend that same part of myself and help others with their health needs and goals." Matthews joined Scheurer Health in 2014 as a registered nurse and made the transition to nurse practitioner in 2021. A native of the Union-
ville-Sebewaing area, Matthews is especially grateful to have the chance to live and work so close to her hometown, something her career with Scheurer has provided. She said the Pigeon-based health system has a very supportive administration, which helps its care providers keep the focus on the patients, which benefits the community at large. "They really have a good focus on the community and that really resonates with me as both a person and a provider," she said. During her time as a registered nurse, Matthews gained experience working with cardiology patients, in the emergency department and with transferring patients to outlying medical care facilities. Now, in her role as a family nurse practitioner with a focus on primary care, she is able to treats
patients across their life spans, from children to seniors and everyone in between. As a health care provider, she knows its better for her patients to lead a healthy lifestyle, preventing disease instead of seeking treatment after they have become ill. She knows it can be a struggle with the time demands most of us face to make choices that are as healthy as they are convenient. It takes effort to make those healthy choices and to stay physically active, and that's why she spends time with her patients to come up with strategies to meet their health goals, hopefully preventing chronic conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. "It's exciting to be able to help patients, whether it's through education, motivation or helping
them in a time where they're feeling sick or having a problem and getting them connected with the right answers and the right treatment," Matthews said. She added that routine health care, including cancer screenings and regular wellness visits, are vital to maintaining good health. Matthews, who resides in the Unionville-Sebewaing area with her husband, two daughters and two dogs, said she feels blessed to have the chance to live and work in the community in which she grew up doing something she has always wanted to do. "I'm honored to work in health care," Matthews said. "I feel that it's my privilege to serve patients. And so the fact that I get to do that locally and work on such a great team is truly a blessing to me."
all your kids." "As a teacher and as a human, you're comfortable with what works with you," she added. "It doesn't always work that way. You have to learn to adapt and go with the flow. Figure it out with the students. It'll work out in the end." Pavlovics hopes that the connections she's made with students have inspired them. "I'm honest with them, what you see is what I am,"
she said. "I don't change much of my persona from the classroom to the softball field. I am what I am, and I'd want my kids to be who they are and be proud of their individuality. I hope I inspire that in them." Pavlovics offered advice for fellow teachers in the educational spectrum. "Teaching is tough," she said. "It's a tough career, because you're dealing with young people trying to find their way. All these
variables become part of your job. You don't always get to teach your subject. You're helping mold them and find their path. It can get frustrating and stressful." "It has moments where you're wondering if you're doing any good," she added. "You have days that are just amazing as well. The kids are amazing, and you feel like you've done something awesome. Teaching's all worth it. Live and teach for those moments. Those
are the best moments you could ever have as a teacher." Pavlovics also offered advice for students. "Teaching is learning, and learning is teaching," she said. "Never stop doing that regardless of where you are in your life. Also, continue to learn. You never know when it'll be useful later down the road. The more you learn, the better person you become and the more well-rounded you are."
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A wooden model of the football field made by a Laker student in the school’s Innovation Center sits on a counter in the center’s shop area.
Jeff Diebel, director of the Innovation Center at Laker Public School, has vivid memories of his time at the school as a student.
Aluminum machine parts made by a Laker student in the school’s Innovation Center sits on a counter in the center’s shop area.
The Innovation Center at Laker Public School features a pair of robotic arms used by students for training.
Golf putters made by a Laker student in the school’s Innovation Center rest against a wall in one of the center’s classrooms.
Former Laker student giving back in role as teacher MARK BIRDSALL Staff Writer
Jeff Diebel, director of the Innovation Center at Laker Public Schools, has vivid memories of his time at the school as a student. He said he was a typical kid, one who felt more at home in shop class than he did in a classroom. He also remembers when Brian Keim was principal back then, and those memories aren’t necessarily fond ones. "Mr. Keim and I didn't always see eye-to-eye," Diebel said. Today, Keim is superintendent of the district, and Diebel knows sometimes tough love is
exactly what kids need He heard about the said. the shop and perform the at certain times in their skills that they've learned Innovation Center and Diebel said he sees lives, and he was lucky throughout the semesmechatronics program a lot of himself in his to have Mr. Keim as his ter," Diebel said. "The that was in the works students, showing off principal when he may criteria included making thanks to a $500,000 examples of their work have needed him most. grant, used to purlike putters and souvenir something the students Diebel took a non-trawill actually use." chase Fanuc robots and football fields made of ditional route to his Another project Diebel computerized machinwood and etched with job as an works on educator. with stuWe want to see the kids actually go out to the shop and perform The owner dents is the skills that they’ve learned throughout the semester. of a machine developing shop, he character. attended The Capturthe Lakers logo. Students ing Kids' Hearts Initiacollege with the intention ing equipment, a full mechatronics lab, virtual can also print T-shirts, of becoming an engineer tive at Laker provides welding trainers, 3D engrave logos on powbut found he preferred some guidelines for stuprinters, laser engravers, er-coated travel mugs, "the hands-on stuff." dents to follow that help manufacturing robotics, create projects on a trio Legos were a big part create a supportive and and more. Diebel came of 3D printers and learn of his childhood, he respectful atmosphere on board to help get the how to craft metal parts, added, and his machine that's conducive to learncenter up and running and pick up a skill they shop affords him the ing. Laker students from and serve as one of its could use to earn a living kindergarten through opportunity to perform two instructors. down the road. tasks like fabrication, 12th grade take part in "The ball was rolling "We want to see the which he first did as a the program. seventh-grader. on it when I started," he kids actually go out to Guidelines for the CKH
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Initiative were written on a dry erase board in the center's loft classroom. The rules to live by include no bullying (so important it's listed twice), respecting people and property, talking only when appropriate, respecting the social contract, staying in your seat and refraining from "putting down" fellow students. Diebel said they regularly work on the initiative with students, and it's a subject that's particularly close to Keim's heart. "Who wouldn’t want to have a more caring environment in their classroom?" Diebel asked, rhetorically.
Teachers & Healers By Jesenya Curtis
“Leave your mark” is a lifelong catchphrase the Ascent High School utilizes for each and every student earning a diploma. The Ascent program was designed for those who desire a fresh start and a new outlook before graduation. We would like for our communities to apprehend and acknowledge our astonishing staff members. Jennifer Simon The lead lab instructor who has dedicated her time to providing students with online courses that allow students to work more independently while learning. Jessica Stirret Our primary school secretary who has dedicated her career to assisting students before graduation. While consistently working alongside our director and each of our students' parents. Rick Samson Our English teacher who has dedicated his career to modifying students' opinions on learning and the subject of English. Systematically providing exciting material and relatable work each day.
Autumn Swartzendruber Our Art and Photography teacher who has supplied and dedicated her time to challenging students' creativity. while allowing them to earn electoral credits toward graduation. Kelly Durr Our director and Mathematics teacher has dedicated roughly a decade to the Ascent program, both teaching and leading. He’s regularly involving us and other local businesses in community based projects.
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Dawn Bolzman - making patients healthier and happier at Hills & Dales CONNOR VEENSTRA Staff Writer
Dawn Bolzman, RN and inpatient unit manager at Hills & Dales.
Dawn Bolzman has been a practicing nurse for 13 years. Now, as a registered nurse and inpatient unit manager at Hills & Dales General Hospital in Cass City, she's been making patients healthier and happier for over a year. Bolzman went to St. Clair Community College for her licensed practical nurse certification and Delta College for her RN certification. She's currently finishing classes at Chamberlain University for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Bolzman's interest in nursing stems from her younger years, when her
father came down with a rare disorder. He spent three weeks in a Saginaw hospital and two weeks at the University of Michigan. At the time, Bolzman didn't know if he was going to make it. However, the medical staff caring for her father were able to save his life and inspire her to be like them. "The nurses and doctors that took care of him provided such compassionate, quality of care to him and helped him get better to return home," she recalled. "They were also very helpful and supportive to my family." Now, years later, Bolzman is the inpatient unit manager for Hills & Dales, with a lot of
paperwork responsibilities including payroll, policies, ordering supplies and equipment, and other desk duties. However, she still engages with her patients, working with her team to make them healthy and strong enough to return home. "It's truly an amazing feeling, having your team work together and bringing someone back when they have had a cardiac arrest," she said. "Also, with being a manager, it is impressive to hear our patient make such great comments about our staff here at Hills & Dales and why they love it here." The most important lesson Bolzman has
learned, though, is that you have to be prepared for anything, even if it's something completely unexpected. Like a global pandemic for example, which forced Bolzman and her team to step out of their comfort zones. "We have cared for intubated patients, which we don't normally keep at our critical access hospital," she said. However, even though it was unexpected, the pandemic brought Bolzman and her team closer together than before. "Through this, we've learned that working together and having a great team is what helps us get through the days," she said.
Nicholas Huston, Social Studies teacher for Owen-Gage.
Nicholas Huston is thinking of his students’ futures CONNOR VEENSTRA Staff Writer Owendale-Gagetown Schools history/social studies teacher Nicholas Huston uses his classes to teach more than just history. He uses them to build students' confidence. This is Huston’s first year at Owen-Gage, having previously taught in North-West New Mexico for seven years before coming to Huron County. He was hired by Principal Terri Falkenberg while he was still out of state, something she confessed that she’d never done before. Huston’s very grateful she took the risk. “I don’t think there’s a lot of principals who’d take the chance on somebody who lived 2,000 miles away and had no plan on getting back, but she did,” he said. Huston’s previous experience in teaching taught him valuable lessons that he uses to teach the students of Owen-Gage. With a loud, boisterous delivery, Huston hopes to catch the attention of even the least interest of students.
“The way I tell stories or give notes to the class can bring someone in who didn’t originally want to be in,” he said. However, the biggest tool in Huston’s teaching technique is student presentation. He loves to have students present on a certain topic in class, not only because it’s a satisfying way to have the kids learn, but also to boost their confidence. “I meet so many kids that are really shy and I think it’s hard for them if they start getting jobs,” he said. By giving more presentation assignments than reading ones, Huron hopes to build the communication skills of his students, which he thinks will help them in more practical areas of life outside a social studies classroom. “If you give them something that will be a skill in their job … it makes the history class more important,” he explained. He also prefers assigning group projects over solo ones. Huston says he never knew anybody who didn’t work with
Caseville teacher Sarah Jordan thinks science sometimes gets a bad rap. That’s why she loves providing her students with opportunities to experience some of the things they learned in the classroom in the real world.
Caseville’s Jordan keeps students engaged with astronomy, forensics classes MARK BIRDSALL Staff Writer
Caseville teacher Sarah Jordan thinks science sometimes gets a bad rap. That's why she loves providing her students with opportunities to experience some of the things they learned in the classroom in the real world. "It's really great to be able to take kids on different trips and do different experiments and be very hands-on. I like the hands-on experience. It's nice to be able to show kids that it's accessible to See HUSTON page 9 everyone." Jordan teaches courses like physical science and chemistry as well as more exotic subjects like astronomy and crime forensics. It can be 727 Trescott Street, Harbor Beach, MI 48441 scene a challenge to get outside and gaze at the stars outside of school hours,
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but her forensics course provides her students with many opportunities to experience real-world examples of what they have learned in the classroom. She also serves as the National Honor Society advisor, VEX robotics co-coach and advisor to the Garden Club. Her kids quickly discover what they have seen on "CSI" television shows has more to do with Hollywood than it does with actual crime scene work. They learn about the different ways of lifting fingerprints as well as blood-spatter patterns and forensic psychology. She tests her students with a "mystery" they are tasked to solve using knowledge gained from their lessons. "I want to open their eyes to what's available in this field in general because there's a lot you
can do with it," Jordan said. "There's a lot of math involved in this, so I keep it as conceptual as possible because I have freshman through seniors." When she's not teaching, Jordan enjoys getting outdoors and spending time with her friends doing things like hiking and road cycling. She also spends three weeks in the Upper Peninsula for teacher training and plans a vacation around the time she spends up north. She was inspired by her love of the outdoors when she worked to keep her students attentive and engaged during those few months when they learned from home during the early days of the pandemic. Field trips became virtual as students in her STEM class learned about Michigan’s iconic Blue Water and
Mackinac bridges. "It was probably goofy and the kids rolled their eyes, but we were breaking new ground there," she said. When she's not exploring what the great state of Michigan has to offer, she spends a lot of time in the kitchen taking care of Agatha. That's the name she gave to her sourdough bread starter she created prior to the pandemic, which she alternately feeds and then keeps in a jar in her refrigerator. Agatha requires some care and feeding, but Jordan said she's gotten the hang of it over the past two years. "It's like making yogurt," Jordan said. "You only take a little bit of the previous batch and put it into equal parts flower and water and then the bacteria eat it up. You just kind of do it every other day."
"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X
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Dr. Nicklaus Bradley covers everything in his family care practice ROBERT CREENAN Staff Writer Dr. Nicklaus Bradley may wear a few different hats at his current job, but nothing beats getting to know patients in order to better help them. Bradley has been a family physician with the Harbor Beach Community Hospital system for the past four and a half years, seeing many of the patients that come in to its Medical Clinic. His duties also include being the chief of staff for the hospital, being a physician in the extended care unit, and supervising nurse practitioners in the Harbor Beach Community Hospital system. Growing up in the Lapeer County village of Metamora, Bradley went to the University of Michigan for his undergraduate studies and the American University of Antigua. Going into medical school, he went in with an open opinion thinking he would be exposed to a lot of different medical fields, but there were certain aspects about some he did not like as much. “In surgery, you don’t get as much exposure to the patient, like interactions or getting to know them,” Bradley said.
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Dr. Nicklaus Bradley has worked as a family doctor for the Harbor Beach Medical Clinic for the past four and a half years. As a family doctor, Bradley sees a wide range of patients young and old. Bradley’s residency was a four-year program at the Mid-Michigan Medical Center in Midland, which he went through from 2013 to 2017. It was a pilot program for its time to determine whether a four-year program would be more beneficial than a three-year program. “I chose to go there because I thought it would get better opportunities and a better educational background so when I move on, I
would be better prepared to work in a stand-alone clinic,” he said. As a family physician, Bradley can potentially see patients as early as a few days after they are born to potentially the day they pass away. “I remember a day in my residency where I delivered a baby, then had to run over to a patient in extended care and evaluate him as he was passing away,” Bradley said. “Kind of a circle of life thing.”
The goal of the primary clinic is to help people manage chronic illnesses and prevent problems like heart attacks or strokes as opposed to emergency situations where the main Harbor Beach hospital can take in patients. While Bradley would like to be the doctor who can manage all a person’s medical needs, he is not afraid to refer a patient to a specialist or somewhere else if the equipment needed is not on hand.
“My primary goal is to do my best by the patient,” Bradley said. Part of the reason Bradley came to Harbor Beach to practice was because he wanted to be involved with the community in a way he would not get to in other big cities he has been to, like New York or Miami. Outside of the medical clinic, Bradley is a member of the Harbor Beach school board, oversees health care for the Harbor Beach Community School District,
and even worked as the team doctor for the school’s football team for a time. “Part of being in a small town is seeing the community,” Bradley said. “I’ll see patients at the store or at a football game and get to talk. The relationships you make are probably the most rewarding part.” For Bradley, the best part about being a doctor here in Harbor Beach is getting to know patients, earn their trust and know that he is making a difference in their lives. That comes with some minuses as well as plusses, since during the COVID-19 pandemic, his close relationships means he has had to see people suffer. But still, Bradley enjoys the variety that comes with his medical field and that in a sense, he can get very close with his patients, from when they are born to throughout the years. Even when taking on patients who have been with other primary care providers, he enjoys establishing that relationship with them. “A lot of people would like to say they help make people better,” Bradley said. “Luckily I get to do that on a daily basis.”
Part of being in a small town is seeing the community. “I’ll see patients at the store or at a football game and get to talk. The relationships you make are probably the most rewarding part.
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Stephanie Brining using new means to improve student’s well-being ROBERT CREENAN Staff Writer Stephanie Brining may have had to use new ways to teach her students, but working to make that personal connection with students never changes. The fourth-grade teacher has been with North Huron Schools for the past 11 years, having been teaching for the past 17 years. Looking back on her childhood, Brining would be the student who wanted to write on the chalkboard, run errands for her teacher, and help correct papers. Being a teacher was something she always saw herself doing. “I knew I wanted to be with elementary kids because I love to babysit, and I worked at daycare centers,” Brining said. “Being around children was always natural for me. I wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives.” A Bad Axe native and graduate of Bad Axe Public Schools, Brining went to Grand Valley State University for her undergraduate degree and
to Marygrove College for her master’s degree. She first taught in Crown Point, Indiana, near the Gary metro area, for two years because her husband got a job out there. After moving back to the area, she taught at Bad Axe schools for four years before coming to North Huron. “This is the first year in eight years I’ve been teaching every subject area,” Brining said, having mainly taught writing and social studies in the past. “It’s been a shift in mindset for me knowing I can teach every subject again.” Writing is a big passion for Brining, so she feels privileged that the North Huron administration allows her to incorporate a lot of writing techniques into her everyday teaching. She is also still getting comfortable with teaching her students how to use technology as part of learning. One of the ways that Brining teaches math is with thinking tasks, where the kids are given the answer to a problem before telling them about the problem, so
they have to figure out what the problem is by working backwards. The students also work with number sense skills, real world situations, and group work besides the basic paper and pencil math assignments. The students have also been working on social and emotional learning, which includes learning breathing techniques that help calm the body, being kind to other students, and saying affirmations to themselves in front of a mirror. “Once that’s in place, learning will happen more easily,” Brining said. Brining has 18 students in her class this year, which is in the average class size range for her. She considers the district’s small class sizes fortunate because it allows her to make better connections with the students. “It’s good being in a small district with one class per grade,” Brining said. “You get to do a lot of work with each other.” The last two years have obviously been challenging for Brining
Stephanie Brining has been North Huron’s fourth grade teacher for the past 17 years. While mainly teaching social studies and writing, she has had to teach all subjects to her students this year. while teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, but what it taught her was that children are very resilient and that teachers have to go with the flow because they do not know what tomorrow will bring. “Any day that I can be here in person and have children here does not go unappreciated anymore,” Brining said. Brining knows that
the work she does is not unnoticed. At the beginning of the school year, the district celebrates International Dot Day, inspired by the Terry Shay kid’s book “The Dot,” where children write compliments to people who have made an impact on their lives. Brining received several such compliments this year. “I received several
emails at the beginning of the year saying, ‘Thank you for helping me get ready for the sixth grade. It’s very different. I miss you,’” Brining said. “The first students I taught in Indiana, I found them again on Facebook and some have their own children. Its eye-opening that I’ve been doing this longer than it feels like.”
Middleton makes an impact for Cass City Agriculture Science TOM GREENE Staff Writer
Cass City’s Heather Middleton makes a big impact on Agriculture students.
For the last three years, students at Cass City schools have turned to Mrs. Heather Middleton for help on anything related to agricultural science. Middleton has taught at Cass City schools for three years teaching agricultural science, and currently works as a Michigan FFA advisor. "I also worked at the MSU Extension doing 4-H programming before that," she said. Middleton loves teaching kids and believes that’s where the future is. "A good day for me is spending a day with students," she said. Middleton said having an impact on a student means a lot to her.
"I care very deeply for our students," she said. "If I can make even a small impact on them, it means a lot. They impact me more than I impact them, sometimes." Through her years of teaching, Middleton said she's noticed that students learn from a family-type setting. "I've had success that way," she said. "I treat them like my kids. We learn together, and it's OK to make mistakes and learn from them. I care more about how they learn than just the content we go over. We do a lot of hands-on learning. The classroom environment is a big part of that, being a family." Middleton said while she inspires students, the students have inspired her. "The students have
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inspired me in how doing it differently may Middleton, my agriculthey handle diversity, in change the whole thing tural teacher, respects the turmoil we've been (project or concept). her students and always through (over the last Step out of the box." has a positive attitude in two years)," she said. In Week 7 of the 2021 class. She makes going to "They're just resilient. football season, the Red school enjoyable." I've inMiddleton spired a lot thought that of students Always think outside the box. Don’t it was a humfor the love be afraid to step out of the box and of agriculbling honor do things differently. It’s OK if doing ture and that Mester that type it differently may change the whole gave her his of work. A thing (project or concept). Step out jersey. couple of "As eduof the box. students cators, we have told are told how me they Hawk football team did we significantly impact want to be an ag teacha "My Jersey/Your Imour students' lifelong er." Middleton also offered pact," jersey swap, which journey, but there is saw teachers wearing advice for those in the not much said on how jerseys from players who educational community, those students impact us nominated them. whether that be a stufor our lives," she said. Running back Jordan dent or teacher. Mester knew who he was "Being asked to wear the "Always think outside the box," she said. "Don't going to give his jersey to jersey has significantly impacted me, and I will once presented the idea. be afraid to step out of "I thought it was pretty never forget how honthe box and do things differently. It's OK if cool," he said. "Mrs. ored I was to be asked."
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Continued from page 6 someone they hated at some point. By participating in group projects, he reasons, the students will have to work together, even if their ideas conflict or if students in the group don’t like one another. Huston emphasized that getting the students
Kal Pokley teaches biology, physiology, and chemistry to many college-bound students at Bad Axe High School.
Bad Axe’s Pokley loves providing students with ‘wow’ factor MARK BIRDSALL Staff Writer
biology courses. It gives students a chance to use what they have learned in their lessons and tie it all together. "It's one of the first labs that I run where they really can get their hands on things," he said. "Obviously, it's not for everybody. There's definitely a 'wow' factor. I've been fortunate that a lot of kids are motivated and excited. That's my ultimate goal." Pokley previously taught for Caseville Public Schools, with a one-year detour in his hometown of Algonac in St. Clair County. He returned to Caseville to teach and had the opportunity to draw upon the experience of fellow teachers at schools throughout the Upper Thumb as his career as an educator progressed. It was a teacher as Bad Axe named Steve Varner who ended up being instrumental in where Pokley's career would take him. He said Varner was a "great guy allaround" and a "mentor" to him and was loved by his students. It was when Varner retired that
When Bad Axe High School teacher Kal Pokley decided to step down as head coach of the varsity football team, he felt regret, but he knew he was leaving the team in good hands. In 2020, he led the Hatchets to their first league title and playoff appearance in decades and their first playoff victory since 1978. He made his decision to step down for two main reasons: He knew the team would be in good hands, and he felt he needed to focus his full attention on his role as a teacher. "I just felt like I was stretching myself thin, and it wasn't right for everybody involved," Pokley said. "It'll be the right thing for the program, honestly." Pokley teaches biology, physiology, and chemistry to many college-bound students at Bad Axe, and he said he finds particular satisfaction when engaging students with lessons like heart dissection in his
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he moved on to Bad Axe Public Schools. "He was super-helpful," Pokley said. Like all teachers, Pokley was forced to tackle the challenges of teaching during the lockdown of 2020, and he knows from experience that virtual learning isn’t an ideal way to teach. He recalled how it took an extra effort to keep students engaged and sometimes had to review material taught virtually once students returned to the classroom. But finding a silver lining in that cloud, he used the pandemic as a way to illustrate subjects he was teaching his students, things like antigens and antibodies in the blood. Of course, there are always emotions involved when discussing anything to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, but he’s glad his students are talking about it in a classroom setting in a productive way. "I do think it's definitely an important thing to discuss in the classroom," he said.
There’s definitely a ‘wow’ factor. I’ve been fortunate that a lot of kids are motivated and excited. That’s my ultimate goal.
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involved with things like this ultimately requires trust between him and them. “I feel like it’s my job to build trust with the students before I ask them to do a lot of that stuff,” he said. “I feel like since every student will come into my room at some point, I’m kind of in a good position to do
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that.” “The biggest lesson about teaching that I’ve learned is that teachers are there for the students, not the other way around,” he added. And through his teaching methods that look to the kids’ future, not just their present, he puts those words into practice.
Jennifer Nicol gives kids music as a haven CONNOR VEENSTRA Staff Writer Up until the 11th grade, Jennifer Nicol was convinced that she wanted to be a pediatrician. However, music was her passion and she couldn't see herself leaving it behind. So, she decided on a career that would ultimately lead her to being the music teacher at Ubly Community Schools. Nicol graduated from Laker High School in 1997 and from Central Michigan University in 2001. From there, she worked as a student teacher in the Unionville-Sebewaing School District's sixth grade class. She was working there part time until 2002, when she filled an opening for the Ubly music teacher in the latter half of the semester, a position she's held ever since. Nicol teaches music appreciation and exploratory classes, as well as multiple bands, for children in grades six through 12. This range of middle and high school pupils is one of the things Nicol loves about her job. "The most rewarding part for me is to see them mature and grow, as a musician and a person," she said. She likes to be able to build a relationship with students over the eight continuous years, rather than having them passed on to a new teach every year. The most frustrating thing for her, though, is when she can't always help a student when they're struggling. She can impart all the wisDid you know? Music courses can have a profound impact on students, potentially helping them perform better in other subjects. A recent study from the American Psychological Association found that high school students who take music courses score significantly better on exams in subjects like math and science than their
Jennifer Nicol, Ubly Schools band teacher. dom she can, but sometimes there's no talking a teenager out of thinking their current struggles will last forever. It's hard to watch, even if Nicol is aware that it has to happen. "They need to live through those struggles themselves, too," she admitted. However, it's because of these struggles that she's passionate about her students' musical education. Nicol rarely does the same piece two years in a row, but instead picks music that will compliment and celebrate the strengths that the band has that year. "Maybe I have a stellar soloist that year and show them, but I also cover new skills each year, so it doesn't get repetitive and boring for the kids," she explained.
Aside from sheet music, her classes study musicals. They look at the struggles that the characters have and talk about how they connect to the students' own lives or if the characters could have done something differently. This emotional and intellectual connection to music is what Nicol wants to leave her students with when they graduate. "I've realized that not all the kids in my program are going to continue their music education after high school, but I want them to have music as a coping technique after high school," she said. If she's not there to help their students with something they're going through, she wants to make sure they know that they can turn to music.
nonmusical peers. The improved academic performance was more pronounced among students who learned to play an instrument rather than vocal music. The researchers behind the study examined the records of more than 112,000 students in British Columbia. Among the students whose records were studied, 13 percent had participated in
at least one music course in grade 10, 11 or 12. Researchers discovered that, on average, children who learned to play a musical instrument for many years and ultimately played in a high school band or orchestra were the equivalent of roughly one academic year ahead of their peers in regard to their English, mathematics and science skills.
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989-269-6406
The Huron Intermediate School District is a regional, educational agency that serves students, families, and communities in Huron County.
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1299 S. Thomas Road, Suite 1 Bad Axe, MI 48413 • 989 269-9216
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get paid to be there Contact Tribune Assistant Editor Scott Nunn at 989-245-7140 or scott.nunn@hearstnp.com to join the Huron Daily Tribune’s freelance team.
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