By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The “Coaches in the Classroom” feature is a weekly series that spotlights and celebrates coaches throughout Portage County, who spend their days in the classrooms and hallways leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today’s spotlight is on Mogadore track and field coach Kim Kreiner, who is in her ninth year as a health, science and biology teacher.

• How long have you taught at Mogadore?: 9 years.
  

  Mogadore High School track and field coach, and health/science teacher, Kim Kreiner dresses the part for a Mele Kalikimaka themed day in class.

• Classes taught?: High school Health, junior high Health, 8th grade Science, Biology, Advanced Biology, Anatomy, Environmental Science — and will teach Forensic Science beginning in 2025-26.
• What made you want to become an educator?: I am a Mogadore High School alumni, and I enjoyed high school. I may be in the minority but I loved going to high school, everything about it. I had some fantastic teachers that made learning fun and made me want to come to class. They made a point to talk to me about everything going on in the classroom and outside the classroom. They were genuinely interested in all aspects of the high-school experience and me as a person. I really appreciated that! I think that experience steered me toward being an educator. I even have the fantastic opportunity to teach and coach at my alma mater and guide the current students to find what they are passionate about.
• What is your favorite part of your job?: Interacting with students and getting to know them in the classroom and outside the classroom. A lot of students here at Mogadore participate in many different activities outside the classroom, and I try to see a little bit of everything to cheer them on and support them. We have some very talented students who are active in band and drama, as well as many students who participate in sports. I try to attend as much as I can. I love seeing the students doing what they love to do — whether inside the classroom or outside the classroom. The smiles on their faces are why I do this. Seeing them excel and figure out what they are passionate about is a wonderous thing, and it helps them develop the ability to advocate for themselves and gives them a sense of purpose and determination. All those characteristics will stay with them throughout college or whatever avenue they pursue — and those very same characteristics will help them become successful adults.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: That the best plans almost always get thrown out the window. You have to learn to be flexible and be able to adjust on the fly. Things quite often don’t work out the way that you planned them, which is not a bad thing, sometimes it’s actually good. I have multiple biology classes throughout the day, and I don’t cover the material the same way twice. I start out with the same plans, but I always adjust as the class period goes.
• Which teachers influenced you to go into education?: There were so many great teachers at Mogadore when I attended. Some that come to mind are Mrs. Ness, Mrs. Gearhart, Mrs. Maholm, Mr. Weaver, Mr. Schaible, Mr. Brumbaugh, Mrs. Wilkinson, Ms. Clayton and again that’s just to name a few.
• How do you apply some of your coaching to the classroom?: I think with what I teach, Biology, it isn’t the easiest subject and lots of students either don’t like science or say they aren’t very good with science. So I try to be very encouraging just like when I coach. Students do so much better when you encourage them, I try to give them strategies to help them study and understand the material.
• How do you apply some of your classroom to your coaching?: I try to see the positive in people. I believe everyone has the chance to be successful no matter if it is their first year competing or they are a senior. I point out what they do correctly and encourage them before giving them things to work on to get better. I try to make what I say more like a “sandwich.” I layer it first, be positive, then critique, then encourage.
• What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you in a classroom?: In an 8th grade Science class a handful of years ago, a student had his shoe off and was playing around with it. Twisting it with his foot and he was sitting in the first row of desks right in front of me when I was teaching. This went on for a few minutes. It was getting a little distracting, so while still teaching I walked over to the student, bent down and took his shoe and tossed it towards the trash can without looking. The kids watched the shoe fly through the air and go straight into the trash can. They all turned around wide eyed and mouths hanging wide open. I just shrugged my shoulders and they all laughed and asked how I did that. Now I knew this student well and joked with him quite often so he was not upset and the trash can was empty. But all the students were very impressed with my “shot.”
• Who have been mentors in your building that have helped you along the way?: Mr. Swartz has given me plenty of advice since I have started teaching at Mogadore. As well as Mr. Fankhauser, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Baker, Mrs. Miller-Rhet, Mrs. Maholm. So many teachers here have helped me along the way both in the classroom and with coaching.