Editor’s note: In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week 2020, we are running a series of stories highlighting a handful of educators in Daviess County. While we realize that every teacher deserves recognition, especially during these trying times, we’re able to tell just a few of their stories this week with the help from their school principals.
Day 5: Denise Pearson is basically the school mom at Heritage Park High School. The special services teacher makes sure every student knows they will be cared about, and she forms lasting relationships with foundations built from love and trust.
Denise Pearson could talk for hours about her students. She treats them as if they were her own children, going out of her way to show love, compassion and trust.
That’s why they call her “Mama P.”
“Not that I am their mom, but I’m kind of like their school mom,” Pearson said. “I love that. I want them to have somebody they trust because I don’t want them to walk aimlessly up the line thinking no one cares about them. Or if they make a mistake and need to tell somebody something, I hope I’ve developed that rapport where they trust me.”
Pearson is a special services teacher at Heritage Park High School, where she’s spent the last five years. She’s been teaching with a degree since 2004, but she also did some teaching in various roles before then.
Pearson said she went into teaching because she has a sincere passion for children — something that doesn’t take long to notice once she starts talking about her job.
“Even though I’m a special services teacher, I’m always telling (Heritage principal Michelle Ruckdeschel) I’m the keeper of the gate. This is my house,” Pearson said. “I’m going to make sure every child in that building is cared for, respected, helped. It doesn’t matter.”
Ruckdeschel said Pearson is always going above and beyond for her students, but her extra efforts have been even more noticeable over the last several weeks as teachers had to convert to Non-Traditional Instruction.
“Denise always advocates for students that are on her caseload,” Ruckdeschel said. “During the homestretch toward graduation, she met almost daily with each of her seniors to assist them with coursework and to provide encouragement and support. All of their families know her by name and they are thankful for what she is providing to help their kids.”
Pearson said it’s been a very stressful time, and the long hours have made it feel like she’s working 12-hour shifts at times.
“It’s been crazy,” she said. “Normally you can stand there and teach a lesson to a whole classroom, but now we’re doing it kind of individually. Our students are making appointments to call and we’re helping them with assignments one-on-one. For my seniors, I’m just so nervous. I want to help them and make sure they’re meeting all their graduation requirements.”
That concern for students starts before they ever enter Pearson’s classroom.
“For me, I have to develop a rapport with them first, even before teaching begins,” she said. “They have to know you care. When they know you care, they will start caring. I know my kids need me, but I need them just as much. They keep me grounded. They teach me how to communicate with their generation — sometimes they teach me more than I need to know. They trust me.”
It doesn’t stop with the children, either.
“Denise is not just there working hard for our students and families, but she is also a very caring and compassionate support for our staff too,” Ruckdeschel said. “She is truly passionate about what she does.”
Pearson said it all stems from her childhood experiences. From wanting to be a mother figure early on to having strong relationships with her own teachers, Pearson was almost destined for her career as an educator.
“Growing up, I was always one of those kids that just loved their teachers. Because my teachers were so great to me, I wanted to return that same love and concern and empathy toward other children,” she said. “It’s kind of weird and crazy, but when I was a little girl I used to dream of having 32 children. At that point my mom always thought I was crazy. I became a teacher and I kind of feel like I fulfilled my dream. My first class ever in life I had 32 kids.”
Her class sizes are smaller now, but her goal remains the same.
“All the kids that have passed my classroom door, I hope that I left something positive for them to remember me by, because what we say to a kid can make them or break them.”
