Combination of fun, learning leads to national award for Freeman's Jodi Neuharth
Jan. 27—FREEMAN, S.D. — Jodi Neuharth's preschool and junior kindergarten room at Freeman Elementary School was quiet during a recent school day afternoon as her young students took their nap time.
But it was only a few minutes ago that her students were hard at work exploring the arctic or studying the lives of the pioneers. All the while, they were also absorbing lessons on reading and, particularly, mathematics.
Neuharth, who lives near Olivet but is originally from Ethan, recently received recognition for her methods in teaching mathematics when she was named as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science from the National Science Foundation. The award recipients were announced earlier this month.
Neuharth, who is in her 17th year of teaching, said it was both an honor and a surprise to receive the award.
"I was super-excited to be a finalist. As a finalist, you're hopeful, but then when I got the email, I was like, 'Whoa. Like it's almost not real,'" Neuharth told the Mitchell Republic. "I'm very honored."
Neuharth, 38 and a graduate of Dakota State University in Madison, has spent the last two years teaching all subjects for second grade at Freeman Public School but transitioned to teaching preschool and junior kindergarten this year. She had previously taught second grade at the Garretson School District for 12 years and taught reading and mathematics interventions at the Baltic School District for her first two years of teaching.
She may have changed school districts a handful of times over the years, but her dedication to teaching has remained the same. She works to incorporate special projects into her curriculum, providing hands-on activities which bring learning alive for her students. She has developed and organized after-school learning events for her second graders, such as a "Pioneer Night" at the public park, using Makerspace, coding for her class and bringing in speakers for her students.
That tradition continues even now as she heads up her classroom of even younger students, with lessons based around the exploration of the North Pole and South Pole and time spent discussing the hardships of the pioneers who settled the area.
"It is an extreme amount of work, but when you can take the learning you have to do and mix in the fun with it it is very validating that you can teach and have fun at the same time and have the kids learn," Neuharth said.
Neuharth is technically a 2022 recipient of the award, with COVID-19 having derailed the application review process and delayed the announcement for that year's recipients until just recently. She has since moved on from the second grade where she utilized the methods that earned her the recognition, but her lauded methods have remained in somewhat simpler form to accommodate the learning curve of her young students.
She teaches many reading and math skills by incorporating them into a classroom exploration of the world with the students acting as "scientists." Lessons about the arctic and antarctic regions of the world dovetail into simple math problems.
"I had taken and made paper icicles, and so then they were scientists. So we dressed up in lab coats, and we were in Antarctica, just researching. Researching penguins, researching all sorts of stuff," Neuharth said. "I try to do all inclusive units where there's a little math, science, reading, social studies."
Neuharth would leave the paper icicles out for the students to find when they came to class in the morning. She would tell them the "overnight scientists" had found the icicles and it was up to the students to take accurate measurements on their length.
That morning surprise and the work that followed kept the students engaged and excited about learning, she said. The arctic setting for the lessons gives them an exotic but familiar feel, with the cold and snow of South Dakota's winter right outside their window.
"And so then all the kids went to town and they measured all their icicles and they worked together to collect their data and see how the icicles had changed. It's all about that excitement," Neuharth said. "It feels like the arctic right now, and living in South Dakota, you come back from Christmas and it's just easy to talk about now. And then what kid doesn't love penguins?"
Neuharth also teaches sections that embrace multi-subject learning. The kids also get to explore the lives of the pioneers who settled the area in the 1800s. In other activities, the students become postal workers who deliver Valentines. Or they may be doctors learning about the human body.
She enjoys making the lessons fun for her students because she was once a young student herself, and the classroom was always an environment she enjoyed and she enjoyed being around young learners. Her mother, she recalled, used to provide learning lessons for her as she grew up on her parents' dairy farm.
"I babysat all the time as a kid, and I remember playing with my siblings. But when I didn't get to be with the teacher, then I played school with my stuffed animals. And I've always wanted to teach," Neuharth said. "I loved to learn and play, and play and learn. And that's why I teach the way I do."
That philosophy has anchored her teaching for the past 17 years and has served as an asset to the various districts with which she has served.
Katie Juhnke, who serves as K-6 and colony principal for the Freeman School District, said her approach continues to benefit the students in her classroom. Her connection with Neuharth goes beyond the teacher-principal relationship, having known Neuharth for years even prior to her joining the Freeman district.
"Jodi really excels at creating a hands-on, engaging learning environment that encourages her students to think critically and explore beyond the basics. While she prioritizes meeting academic standards, her creative teaching methods make learning fun and meaningful," Juhnke said. "She also takes the time to truly know her students, ensuring their individual needs are met while maintaining excellent communication with parents."
The award comes with a certificate signed by the President, a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the accomplishment as well as participate in professional development activities with fellow STEM educators from around the country. It also comes with $10,000 for Neuharth to use as she sees fit.
Neuharth said she sees herself teaching well into the future, and there is likely more exploration in store for her students. Whether that takes them to the North Pole, South Pole or beyond remains to be seen, but Neuharth said she would continue working to engage her students in fun lessons that help them learn.
"I don't want to have the exact same lesson over and over. I personally love learning, so I love to go out and learn. What else can I learn? What else can I incorporate? Every year I try to add something or change something or make my teaching better. Because it's fun for me, but it's also beneficial for the kids."
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