For new first-grade teacher Clara Wieser, teaching at Cleveland this year is sort of a homecoming.
“During my time in college I did one of my field experiences in Cleveland, and the community was so inviting that I knew I wanted to come back.”
Wieser was raised in Rushford, MN and graduated high school there. In 2020, she earned an Elementary Education degree from MSU, Mankato. Before coming to Cleveland, she taught kindergarten at Sleepy Eye Public Elementary.
She decided to be a teacher when she was a teenager.
“During high school, I had the opportunity to volunteer in a preschool room, and that was when I knew I wanted to become a teacher. The kids were so excited to learn how to read.
She says teaching reading continues to be where her heart is.
“I love teaching students how to read and challenging them to read outside of their comfort zone. My favorite part is before they begin to read a story and they tell me they ‘can’t do it,’ but before you know it they are working through their reading strategies and finish the story all by themselves. It makes me so proud of how hard they worked, even though they doubted themselves at the beginning. I cannot wait to start school in the fall at Cleveland Public School.”
Wieser’ family includes her mom, dad, younger sister and younger brother. When she is not teaching, she likes to workout at the gym, spend time with her friends and family, shop and spend time out at the lake.