Amy Ascherl has been a part of the Eagle Grove Area School District as a teacher at Robert Blue Middle School for 18 years. In that time, she has taught a variety of subjects to help fill needed positions.
“My first year I taught 5th grade tech, then a section of 8th grade language, science, tech and PE (physical education). I then moved to 5th and 7th grade tech. From there I taught 5th grade social studies and tech. I then moved to 7th grade social studies and tech. Moved again to 7th and 8th grade social studies for a few years. Recently I have spent the past few years teaching 7/8 tech and 7/8 PE. Last year I moved to full time 5-8 grade PE.
In total, she has spent eight years teaching PE, which is where she finds her true joy…and it shows.
“I love sports, the outdoors, and working with kids. Teaching PE combines all of those things,” she said about why she wanted to fill this position. “I like to expose the kids to a variety of opportunities and activities that they may not get the opportunity to do or that they can do as an adult.”
One of the things she added to the PE program when she took over was a fishing unit, which is what earned her a recent award from the Iowa DNR. She was named the 2020 recipient of the Brass Bluegill Brass Bluegill award from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fish Iowa! program. It has been presented each year since 1996 to an instructor who has established an outstanding local program that exemplifies the goals of Fish Iowa!
Ascherl said she began teaching the unit because “I personally love fishing and the outdoors. It is an activity that those kids who don’t love or enjoy sports have an opportunity to do well at and enjoy. It is SO FUN to see kids’ reactions when they catch a fish for the first time, or actually get to experience fishing for the first time and realize they enjoy it and it actually can be fun.”
As part of the fishing unit, students learn everything they need to know to enjoy the sport from proper preparation for a fishing trip (don’t forget the sunscreen, the bait, etc.), putting the bait on their hook, tieing knots, casting, reeling in a fish, and how to properly take a fish off the hook and handle them.
Ascherl was presented with the award over the pone, due to the Coronavirus, on Aug. 13 at the Natural Resource Commission meeting. She received the plaque in the mail a few days later.
“I’m extremely honored and humbled. I’m definitely not one to toot my own horn,” she said of receiving the award. “It feels good that my hard work and dedication are acknowledged, however I obviously don’t do it for that reason.”
Ascherl offers a wide variety of other fun activities for the kids to try out throughout the course of the middle school PE years. Of course there are the basics like basketball, volleyball, baseball/softball, and football, but she also does eclipse ball, badminton, archery, and 9 square in the air. She also does units in soccer, hockey, track, frisbee/disc golf, pickleball, bowling, and spikeball.
“I also try to get in XC skiing and snowshoeing, but the weather has to cooperate for that! I want to try and add nitroball and tchoukball in the future. I’m always looking for new games and activities,” she said.
She added that she would also like to include Hunter Safety Education at some point as an extension activity during intervention time.
“I am extremely honored and blessed to get the opportunity to teach in this district. 18 years ago, Eagle Grove took a chance on a young kid fresh out of college from out of town and I’ve been here ever since,” Ascherl said gratefully. “This community has welcomed us with open arms and we are proud to be raising our family here. I absolutely LOVE my coworkers and the staff I get to work with daily!
She noted that the kids make her job as a PE teacher a lot of fun and she loves getting to know them both in and out of the classroom setting.
“We sure have a ton of fun together in class! At the end of the day, I hope the kids all take a little something away from my class that they continue to enjoy as they go through high school and as adults.”
