MACOMB – Students in Pre-K through 12th grades in Macomb, West Prairie and Bushnell school districts have outstanding teachers who give it their all five-day-a-week (and then some). And many of those teachers were once students in the very schools where they're now teaching future generations.
Kim Havens, Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School Havens, who graduated from BPC in 1983, became a BPC Spartan the middle of her sophomore year. Her father was a pastor, so the family moved frequently; however, it was Bushnell where they eventually settled. During her two years at BPC High School, Havens jumped right in and got involved. She was a member of the basketball team, track team, Student Council, pom squad, yearbook committee and COE.
After graduating from Western Illinois University, she began teaching third grade in her hometown.
'When I started college, I was thinking about child psychology, and then I quickly changed my second semester to accounting. By my junior year, I had almost finished my degree in business administration. I think I changed my major to business, but I was married to my high shool sweetheart and we had a child, so I was reminded that I always wanted to be a teacher. I changed my mind and got my teaching degree.'
In addition to teaching third grade early in her career, Havens also taught first grade for one year and fourth grade as well. She moved on from the traditional classroom and was the elementary school's PE teacher for 16 years, and also spent 17 years as a track coach at the junior high and high schools. If all that wasn't enough in her educational career at BPC, Havens also served as the lead teacher at the elementary for four years, and during the past three years she has been serving as the assistant to the principal.
'My personal goal has always been to touch as many lives as possible. I ultimately want students to learn, but have also focused on relationships and students being able to understand their importance and their own talents,' she explained. 'As a teacher, never forget the purpose that you are here. It is more important that students learn rather than for you to teach.'
Editor's Note: This is the final installment of our our Hometown Teachers Series.
