This is part of a series featuring the new teachers at Fort Scott’s School District.
There are 20 new teachers this year.
Karen Self, 56, is a new English teacher at Fort Scott High School.
“As a child we had a basement that had a chalkboard and desks that we purchased from the three-room grade school that had closed its doors in our rural neighborhood,” she said. “Mrs. Green…. my 5th grade teacher, let me choose anything I wanted from the pile of going-to-be-thrown-away textbooks. I took those books home and devoured them. I played teacher…for hours at a time, reading and exploring these old textbooks and trying to get my siblings to play along. Today, I am taking that next step into my childhood dream.
Creating an atmosphere of safety and peace when chaos abounds, like so many incredible educators did for me throughout my school years, is a passion for me.”
“I have substituted in USD 234 in the last few years, but most of my experience comes from raising, nurturing and advocating for my children,” Self said. “I also volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care for 6 years.”
For her education she attended Missouri Southern State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Butler County Community College, and finished her secondary education degree taking night classes at Newman University, Wichita.
She has 10 children ranging from 16-35 years of age and 6 grandchildren, 6 months to 13 years of age.
In her spare time she loves to read and write, among other interests.
“I am fascinated by British TV, British accents and London,” she said. “For the last decade I have explored writing and hope to one day write a book about the beautiful life lived by my lovely daughter, P.J., who succumbed to the ravages of muscular dystrophy and left this earth in 2011. My favorite pastime of all time is spending time with my children and grandchildren.”
“I love that moment when the look of confusion or frustration on a student’s face is replaced with the ‘aha’ delight of catching the inspiration of learning something for the first time,” she said.
Julie Forkner, is a new Fort Scott Preschool Interventionist.
She earned a BS in Elementary Education and Early Childhood and has taught for 38 years.
“I enjoy small children and building relationships with families and helping shape the future and making a positive difference in kid’s life’s!” she said. She also enjoys getting to know other teachers, too.
A challenge for her will be starting in a new district and a new environment and learning how things work, she said.
She has two children: a daughter, Mandy married to Steven, is a Kindergarten teacher in Exeter, MO. She has two grandchildren: Kaylor, 5-years-old and Kruz, 1 1/2. Her son Austin is a professional motocross racer in Murrieta CA. and will get married in October to Rylee.
In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her grandkids, traveling, watching her son race.
Her hometown is Moundville, MO.