Kim Lodewyk helps grade school students build a love of learning
Hey, Mom,” called a second grader from across the classroom. “Yes, Honey,” returned his teacher, Kim Lodewyk, with a smile. The room burst into friendly laughter.
Lodewyk isn’t actually the boy’s mother, but after more than 25 years with the Madison Metropolitan School District, including the last nine at Franklin Elementary School, she knows the joy of these small, funny moments with her students.
“Second graders change so much from the beginning of the school year to the end,” notes Lodewyk. “It’s such a tender age.”
That’s why she uses her influence to help her students appreciate the importance of education.
“I want my students to understand why school matters and to respect both learning and their teachers,” she said. “Most of all, I want them to develop a lifelong love of learning.”
A Colorado native, Lodewyk always imagined being a teacher. Her dad and grandpa were teachers, and she enjoyed working with kids in her early jobs.
She earned her teaching degree from Northern Arizona University and accepted her first teaching job in California. Here, she met her husband, Brent, also a teacher. Together, they moved to Madison in 2000 and found jobs with the Madison Metropolitan School District.
“I’ve always enjoyed children and their energy,” said Lodewyk.
Making learning fun
The school day begins with a “soft landing,” time for the kids to eat breakfast, socialize and play. Then the kids head off to their “special” classes, which include the library, art, physical education and music.
Once the class is back together, Lodewyk sets the tone for the day with a sharing activity and a morning message that helps students know what to expect. These rituals create a sense of comfort and connection, giving children a chance to settle in and feel ready to learn.
“The kids take turns reading a poem, too,” Lodewyk said. “It helps build confidence and a sense of participation.”
From there, the day moves through literacy, math, spelling and a rotating mix of social studies, science, social-emotional learning and health, punctuated by recesses and brain breaks. Throughout it all, Lodewyk balances structure with encouragement, guiding students through lessons and helping them work through challenges one step at a time.
Her most rewarding moments come when a student persists through a struggle and has an aha moment.
“When they figure it out, when that lightbulb clicks on, that’s the best,” she said.
Teaching in a changing world
Those breakthrough moments are part of what has kept Lodewyk in the classroom for more than two decades. But while the rewards of teaching have stayed the same, many parts of the job have changed. The world students bring with them into the classroom looks very different than it did when she first began teaching.
One of the biggest reasons is the growing role of technology in children’s lives. Devices are now part of some classroom lessons, including math and phonics, and many students also spend hours at home on phones, tablets and computers. All of that screen time affects how children communicate and relate to one another.
“Technology is good,” she said, “but it also changes the way kids interact. Part of my job now is helping them learn how to talk with each other and solve problems face to face.”
Expressing ideas through art
One way that Lodewyk helps students build those interpersonal skills is through storytelling and the arts, which can give children a chance to express themselves and connect with one another.
Lodewyk has seen firsthand the power of the arts. Her dad, Kearn Blocker, was an art teacher for 30 years, and growing up, the walls of their home were adorned with his artwork.
“I always remember my dad drawing,” she said. “Sketching is his primary medium.”
Kearn taught for 20-plus years in Colorado before moving to Madison. In retirement, he served as a crossing guard at Pflaum Road for seven years.
Now residing at Heritage Senior Living, art still fills his days. His sketchpad and pencils are usually nearby, and he spends a lot of time in the art room.
“When I visited him one day, I recognized his handwriting on other residents’ artwork,” she said. “He’d given them all an A+!”
Blocker is still an art teacher at heart, and the facility is filled with his artwork—sketches of people, plants and nature, and cowboys and Western-themed drawings. Lodewyk is grateful that her dad still has sketching to fill his time.
Creating a lasting impact
Watching her father continue to create and encourage others has reinforced for Lodewyk how deeply a teacher’s influence can last. She hopes to offer that same kind of encouragement to her own students, helping them grow into who they are meant to be.
This summer, Lodewyk looks forward to teaching summer school, which she sees as a chance to try new curriculum ideas and reflect on what will best serve her students in the year ahead.
“Summer school is a time to reset,” she said. “The students come in with a fresh energy and outlook.”
Outside the classroom, Lodewyk enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, along with boating, swimming, walking her dog and gardening. That rhythm of rest and renewal helps prepare her for what matters most—returning each fall to shape a new group of children during one of the most formative years of their young lives.
