WMS teacher Schimming named Herb Kohl Teacher Fellow

Whitewater Middle School teacher John Schimming was named a Teacher Fellow by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation earlier this month. (Bob Mischka photo)

By Ryan Spoehr

Staff writer

When John Schimming received a letter from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation earlier this month, he was a bundle of nerves

“I saw where it was from. I was kind of nervous. Fortunately, my wife was driving at the time after we picked up the mail,” said Schimming, who is a seventh grade math and social studies teacher at Whitewater Middle School. “I wanted to get the award, so there was a lot of anticipation and excitement.”

When he opened the letter, it was the news he had been hoping for. He was being named a Herb Kohl Teacher Fellow.

“I was real excited when I got the letter in the mail,” Schimming said. “I knew the the selection was going on, but I thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t get it.’ But sure enough, I did and I was excited.”

The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation issued a press release on March 15 announcing who is being recognized.

According to the press release, fellowship recipients are educators who have shown a superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, an ability to motivate others and leadership and service in and out of the classroom.

Schimming has been in the Whitewater Unified School District for 11 years. He started as primarily a seventh grade social studies teacher, but he later became both a social studies and math teacher.

“Math is my true passion,” Schimming said.

Prior to his tenure of teaching in Whitewater, Schimming taught in Necedah where he had classes for both grades seven and eight at different times.

Rosalinda Martinez, an English language learners instructor in the district was also named as a fellow, and student Mitchell Dalzin was named as a scholar.

Whitewater is a part of CESA 2 in the state for school districts, which is the south-central region of the state. Schimming, Martinez and Dalzin will be honored at a banquet with other fellows and scholars of CESA 2 and 3 at Middleton High School on April 29.

Kohl established the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program in 1990. Since, the foundation has awarded $11.5 million to Wisconsin educators, principals, students and schools.

“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation,” Kohl said in the press release. “I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students, teachers and principals, and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future.”

Letters notifying recipients of the award were mailed by the foundation on March 11. Kohl is scheduled to attend all the luncheons honoring award recipients, according to the press release.

      Further coverage of the Herb Kohl Foundation awards to come in the Whitewater Register.

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