An Indiana Teacher of the Year’s closing argument. A Q&A

As she heads into retirement, Kathy Nimmer revels in the small moments amid big awards from her own career as she encourages a new generation of teachers. Plus, 1 killed, 3 wounded in laundry shooting

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AN INDIANA TEACHER OF THE YEAR’S CLOSING ARGUMENT. A Q&A

Kathy Nimmer, Indiana’s Teacher of the Year for 2015 when she was an English and creative writing teacher at Harrison High School, is closing out her career with Tippecanoe School Corp. at the end of the semester.

Two years ago, Nimmer helped start and lead TSC’s SEEDS program. SEEDS – standing for Supporting Educators Entering District Service – was dedicated to working with first- and second-year teachers in the district to help build personal and professional support.

And for the past few weeks, she’s been touring TSC schools with Tate, her guide dog, and the rest of the SEEDS staff, talking to teachers and making what she calls a closing argument, both in her career and for the profession at a time she says educators need all the support they can get.

Former Indiana Teacher of the Year Kathy Nimmer, along with Tate, her guide dog, talks about her career during a stop at the Wyandotte Elementary library. (Photo: Dave Bangert)

Here’s part of a conversation with Nimmer after she met before school Thursday morning with teachers at Wyandotte Elementary.

Question: How have these past few weeks been?

Kathy Nimmer: A lot of emotions. Not really sorrow, but gratitude and bittersweet, I would say, because I've loved so much of what I've been as an educator for 32½ years. And it's been a time of remembering a lot of that and some goodbyes. It's been a lot. It's good, though.

Question: Tell me about this tour. You’re hitting all the schools. What are you getting out of it? And what are you hoping teachers you’re meeting get out of it?

Kathy Nimmer: When I stepped out of the classroom during the COVID year – that was the transitional year when TSC wanted to build a program that was supportive of new teachers – I took that year to create it. When I didn't have students anymore, I had the opportunity … to come around two times during the year to each school to just do uplifting, motivational things. This is one of those times, mid-November through mid-December. I'm hitting 13 of our schools. The title of the speech or talk, or whatever you want to call it, is “The Closing Argument.” Mike Pinto, the principal at Cole (Elementary), is a good friend. When he and I were talking about things in the summer, about my retiring and all, he said, “You know, when you come in November, it should be the closing argument.” I said, closing argument to what? And he said, “You decide.” I thought about that a lot, my thesis or defense or closing argument for this statement – that it is worth it to be an educator. That's the premise.

Question: What sort of reaction have you been getting? Does it feel like a real farewell tour?

Kathy Nimmer: It does in a sense. I am not moving away, I am not disappearing, and I'm also not going to be in the same role I've been in. Each building has something special about it that really speaks to me. Like this building. It’s full of very enthusiastic people. I've helped several new teachers who are here. Their principal is dynamic. When they had the building facility dog, Cash, the yellow lab, my guide dogs would always love this building. And so it's like stepping into a whole bunch of memories. When I'm talking, I'm listening for the reactions. One part of my speech is about the funny things that have happened to me as an educator, and they're laughing, and I know in their minds they're thinking about the funny things that have happened to them. It's a good connection. It gets rather emotional at the end, and that's what I feel. It's gotten rather emotional at the end of this path, this time as an educator, and I’ve probably cried more in this semester than I have cried since my beginning year as an educator – for totally different reasons.

Question: Let's talk about that first year crying. What were the tears in those days?