MR. MERKLE’S MAGIC

Steve Merkle shares how his love for special education has shaped his life.

BY ZAIRA AHMED & KRISHA KAPOOR

PHOTOS BY SACHIKO GOTO, ISABELLA TISDALE & COURTESY OF STEVE MERKLE DESIGN BY SILA DURAN

BEFORE WEST

Throughout his time at West, Steve Merkle

has been a light in and outside of the school community. He has worked as a special education teacher for 30 years, 24 at West, but his teaching journey started years before when he set out to become a woodworking teacher.

“I thought I was going to go be a teacher, and I loved working with wood. I loved my industrial arts classes; [they were] probably the classes I did the best in. I sometimes struggled with academics, and so I really thought that was my path,” Merkle said.

Merkle’s parents were educators, with his dad serving as a high school principal and his mom as a teacher. Merkle followed in their footsteps by attending the University of Northern Iowa. After graduating, he found it difficult to find open job positions, as woodworking declined in popularity and was considered a less useful skill for students to learn. Merkle tried teaching industrial tech; however, he didn’t feel the role was right for him.

“I really struggled to find a job that I thought I would be good at or was qualified for because I was interviewing for graphic arts and computer tech stuff, and [interviewers] just didn’t feel I was that knowledgeable,” Merkle said.

Eventually, Merkle got a job at Grinnell Middle School in Grinnell, Iowa as a paraeducator substitute teacher. While in this position, he observed many special education classes.

“I realized I really liked this special ed class. Then in the summer, I decided to go back [to school] and get my master’s degree,” Merkle said. “I think I matured a bit over those five years of being out of school and started getting really good grades in college for my master’s degree.”

Merkle found his position in Grinnell fulfilling.

“I did it for about a year, and I really loved it,” Merkle said. “That’s

when I [realized] I wanted to be a [special education] teacher.”

Following this experience, Merkle was offered a job in Atlantic, Iowa as a special education teacher. Merkle realized that initially struggling in his job search was a blessing in disguise.

“They needed special ed teachers badly, so they hired me halfway into my required 30 hours of special ed teacher [training]. I really loved it in Atlantic,” Merkle said.

Merkle connected with special education due to its more individualized approach to teaching and learning. He enjoys finding what each student needs and how he can help them.

“I think [students] have to learn [their] skills, and as a teacher, I need to learn how to identify those in special education kids and teach them techniques or ways to do things,” Merkle said.

Merkle’s understanding of the diverse needs of students comes from his own experiences as a young student. As a sixth-grader, Merkle re-

ceived academic support when a special education teacher taught him about executive functioning — a mental process that allows one to focus and plan successfully through lists and schedules.

“That was a big changing point in my life. I had to rethink how I saw [learning],” Merkle said. “That’s where I really started turning my educational and academic challenges around.”

Since learning more about his ideal learning approach, Merkle feels he is better equipped to help students, especially those in special education.

“My struggles definitely taught me … you’ve got to learn how to find the right people to help you, and teachers’ jobs are to do that,” Merkle said.

Merkle emphasizes how learning is a lifelong process.

“Surprise! If you’re thinking you’re going to go to college and be done [with learning], that’s not usually how [it works]. [You] continue to educate yourself throughout life,” Merkle said.

MAKING EDUCATION SPECIAL

From lugging around parade tricycles in

his pickup truck to carrying bags of cookies and scotcheroos through the hallway, Merkle does it all to support his students.

“I always told [former Principal] Jerry Arganbright, ‘You know, if you ever hire a new guy [after] me, he’s gonna have to have a pickup [truck],’” Merkle said.

Merkle appreciates the liveliness required in special education.

“[Special education] keeps me moving. I kind of enjoy staying busy and moving around the building,” Merkle said.

After students pitched a staff versus student basketball game in 2017 to raise awareness for Community Inclusion Club, Merkle organized the

basketball games, which bring together the staff, special education students, basketball teams, cheerleaders and band. Social studies teacher Gary Neuzil is an announcer for the games and appreciates the community it creates.

“[Merkle] has made sure that his students are part of every aspect of our school, and I think that’s a huge accomplishment. He has had so many programs that incorporate cooperation and support from the student body,” Neuzil said. “I hope [the CIC basketball game] continues, and I hope [Merkle] continues to bring in more and more students and families. It is probably the most feel-good event of the school year.”

Long before the CIC basketball games, Merkle started the tricycle project in 2004 to build community for his special education students.

“The goal [for the trike project] was to create tricycles that anybody could ride based on their abilities or the lack thereof,” Merkle said. “It’s fun to see kids that haven’t ever been on a ’cycle try it out. It’s just a neat

My struggles definitely taught me ... you've got to learn how to find the right people to help you, and teachers' jobs are to do that.

-STEVE MERKLE, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Steve Merkle engages with a student at the annual Talent Show and Family Night.

thing to do.” Neuzil said. “He’s doing it 100% for his students, not for himself. That’s

Watching his students succeed is one of the many reasons Merkle en- what makes him special.” joys his job. Camp Courageous — a special education summer camp Merkle believes that these community projects are essential to his stu— offers him another place to see this. After learning about Camp Cou- dents’ growth. rageous on a camping trip before starting his teaching career, he was “I’ve always had a theory that if you can find what motivates a student, inspired. that’s 90% of the game. I mean, if they’re not motivated, then you’re

“I went up [to Camp Courageous] one year, and I thought, ‘Well, if fighting all the way to teach a skill,” Merkle said. “If [a project is] a hook I ever get into special ed, I’m [bringing my students to] Camp Coura- to get them to enjoy school and find purpose here at West High, I think geous because the place was amazing,’” Merkle said. it’s a worthy project.”

Every year Merkle spends at Camp Courageous, he finds joy in watch- A long-standing project that Merkle spearheaded is the recycling ing kids improve their skills over the years. routes at West. Merkle, his students and paraeducators devote time to

“[Students] do stuff that we would all find hard. To see kids make it picking up recycling from each room in the building. As his students two feet off the ground one year, and then a couple of years down the work on recycling, they build skills like communication, following rouroad, they’re climbing clear to the top of the tree, those things are really tines and sorting materials. neat,” Merkle said. “When I see [growth] happening and [students] breaking some of the

Regardless of how much effort and time Merkle’s social barriers that were many projects take, Neuzil knows Merkle continu- challenges as [they] went ously prioritizes the growth and joy of his students. through high school, it’s a

“There are so many different things that he does pretty good feeling, like I that we don’t recognize because he just does it,” accomplished something,” Merkle said. Merkle believes that supporting paraeducators is also important to building a supportive and successful special education environment at West. “You need to empower your paraeducators. I’ve always tried to be an advocate for them and make sure their job was the best job I could make it with whatever power I have to do that,” Merkle said. Alice Jones has been a paraeducator at West for 27 years and remembers when Merkle joined staff. From the beginning, Jones has felt Merkle’s support and noticed he has a special way of working with students. “[Merkle] is just able to get [students] to do things that I couldn’t. He was teaching me how to do the things that he was doing. He was getting the results where the other teachers weren’t,” Jones said. Merkle believes the culture of camaraderie at West is a large contributing factor to the special education program’s success. “I go to PE and music class almost every day to check in on my students and [see people working together],” Merkle said. “I’d say the people have changed, but [West’s] philosophy of excellence and working together like a family has been [constant].” To Neuzil, Merkle is a big reason that West feels like a family. “He is always positive, always supportive, always appreciative — every quality that makes not just an excellent educator, but a fine human being,” Neuzil said. “Anytime you have a colleague who is so talented with his students, you are motivated to do the same in your own classroom.” From the minute Merkle steps on campus, his son Lyova Merkle ’23 notices the joy that being a special education teacher brings his father. “He definitely comes into his job with a smile on his face. We’ll be walking through the parking lot, and he just starts yelling with excitement,” Lyova said. “It’s kind of embarrassing sometimes. But usually, it’s a fun sort of embarrassment.” At the end of the day, being able to witness the growth of his students

HE’S DOING 100% FOR HIS STUDENTS, NOT FOR HIMSELF. THAT’S WHAT MAKES HIM SPECIAL. -GARY NEUZIL, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER Steve Merkle and students advertise the Community Inclusion Club at the Club Fair.

is what makes the job special for Merkle; seeing the growth of his students at the CIC’s annual Talent Show and Family Night is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.

“We’ve had some students that struggle with communication and being in front of people,” Merkle said. “When they finally perform at the talent show, you [can] see that breakthrough and the parents in the audience are just thrilled — it’s a pretty good feeling. Maybe even the word magical would fit.”

Steve Merkle and Renee Meyer at Camp Courages.

BEYOND WEST

When Merkle isn’t engaged in his work at

West, he spends time with his family and friends exploring the outdoors. Merkle finds peace in canoeing, hiking and woodworking. One of his favorite activities, though, is hunting.

“I just sit there and watch nature, and it’s relaxing. I might even fall asleep for a little bit,” Merkle said. “One thing that is amazing is it’s never the same. You have raccoons crawl right up the tree at your tree stand, a squirrel right above your head or birds flying around because you sit there and you’re quiet.”

Merkle also finds joy in embracing his hobbies with his children, Lyova and Sasha ’20. He and Lyova spend time together in a workshop at home building sheds, trikes for the school and scooters for Lyova to ride.

In addition to sharing his hobbies with his children, Merkle values culture and tradition. Merkle’s wife, Victoria Merkle, is Russian. Merkle and Victoria met through a mutual friend and had a long-distance relationship until they got married in 2000.

Similar to traditional Russian families, Merkle’s family lives with Victoria’s parents. This proximity to Russian culture plays an important role in the Merkle family, which he welcomes.

“I joke about how when you’re from a country like Russia, my goodness, it seems like every weekend we have something to celebrate,” Merkle said.

Merkle takes pride in the fact that both of his children are fluent in Russian. Lyova is grateful for his grandparents’ presence and the preservation of his mom’s culture.

“It’s definitely kept that Russian side alive,” Lyova said. “[Without my grandparents], they would just be family members [whom] I wasn’t as connected with, so I’m thankful that I know them.”

Even from a colleague’s perspective, Neuzil notices how important familial relationships are in the Merkle household.

“His children have the same qualities and dedication [as him],” Neuzil said. “His whole family, they are very close-knit. It’s just a pleasure to see his inspiring outlook on life.”

Lyova also admires his dad’s outlook on life and tries to apply it to his own.

“[He] thinks on the brighter side instead of wallowing in the bad, and I think just going into everything with that sort of [attitude] really helps me think more positively,” Lyova said.

Lyova also appreciates his dad’s sense of humor. HE CAN JOKE WITH YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HE [IS] A SHOULDER TO CRY ON ... HE’S REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF

“He’s really just a person to light up EVERYTHING I DO. the room. On top of his sense of humor, he’s really comforting as well,” -LYOVA MERKLE ‘23 Lyova said. “He can joke with you, but at the same time, he [is] a shoulder to cry on … he’s really supportive of everything I do.” In addition to being supportive, Merkle tries to impart lessons to his kids. “I teach my own children to pay attention to what’s available and then take advantage of it when it’s right there in front of you,” Merkle said. “Try not to miss lifetime opportunities.” Lyova admires the impact that Merkle has on the West community. “It’s just an inspiration of, ‘Oh, my dad went into teaching. Maybe I’ll go into teaching.’ And that’s what I’ve been looking at,” Lyova said. Merkle hopes Lyova will find a job that means as much to his son as special education means to him. “Well, [special education is] my life. It’s what I’ve done for 30 years,” Merkle said. “It’s what I do.”

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