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After teaching 35 years, teachers develop a pretty thick skin. Holmen High School’s 2009 Teacher of the Year, Ron Sauer, is no different. His thick skin came in handy as he braved the onslaught of funny and poignant stories about him from colleagues at the ceremony honoring him June 3.
“Ron’s selection by his peers is tribute to his ability to work with others,” HHS Principal Bob Lecheler said. “Ron’s selection puts him in impressive company with past recipients.”
The school has selected a teacher of the year since 1988.
His many years teaching taught Sauer one thing about speeches: be brief. He had two speeches planned, he told the audience of friends, colleagues, wife Linda and daughter Angela, who came down from Minneapolis. “In the interest of saving time to eat cake, I’ll tell you the short one: Thank you.”
With laughter filling the room, he told the audience, “OK, I guess I have time for the longer one: Thank you very much! Let’s eat!”
Sauer, a business education teacher, is retiring after 35 years in teaching, 34 of those years in Holmen and one year at Fennimore High School. His nomination for the award was a joint effort between the marketing and business departments.
According to Scott Shriver, a past recipient and one of the committee members selecting the winner, Sauer was chosen “based on his passion for his subject area, commitment to student learning and overall involvement in the Holmen School District.”
Karen Rooney, a language arts teacher, and Heather Breske, a marketing teacher, nominated Sauer. Rooney said way back in 1975, she had one semester of keyboarding on manual typewriters and one on electric typewriters, both taught by Sauer. “Things have changed a lot in the technology and keyboarding world in that time, but Ron’s passion for his job, subject matter and students hasn’t. That’s what’s important.”
Sauer has spent all of his HHS career on the Vocational Education Committee. He’s also been a member of the varsity football “chain gang” for 32 years, business department head and scheduling committee for 31 years, senior class adviser for 29 years and after-school tutor in the computer lab for 17 years.
He has also been lighting director for the school stage, boys and girls varsity head golf coach, newspaper adviser and assistant Future Business Leaders of America adviser.
Sauer said he has a passion to motivate kids to be the best they can be. “No one should take someone’s dream from them by telling them they can’t do it,” he told the audience of peers. “Effort is everything. Give the best you can and then don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for doing your best.”
Special education teacher Pam Siegert recalled one particular student whom Sauer helped. “Ron brought out the best in this kid,” Siegert said. “He didn’t want any part of the class. He ended up taking it twice because he loved it so much. It gave him such confidence in his own abilities.”
Then there is the silly, playful side colleagues shared, to Sauer’s embarassment. Greg Grokowsky has been on the chain gang at the football games with Sauer and said Sauer always kept him on his toes. “He will come up to you with the most straightforward, serious face and say something so bizarre, so ridiculous and even inappropriate, just to get a reaction out of you.”
Don Harvey, a graphic arts and photography teacher, recalled playing golf with Sauer and it wasn’t always pretty. “Ron sometimes didn’t play well, but he always kept his positive attitude.”
Kent Kramer told a men’s-room story that, although clean enough to repeat, has gestures and body movements that don’t translate well in print. You’ll have to ask.
Despite all the ribbing, Sauer said the secret to his positive attitude is his faith. “My greatest inspiration is my faith,” he said. “If there is one thing that makes me as positive as I am — my faith is where it starts.”
He’ll need that faith and positive attitude in the next few weeks. After organizing and celebrating his father-in-law’s 90th birthday party, Sauer will get a knee replacement on June 29. He is hoping that surgery will give him the freedom to be out boating, golfing, bowling, hiking and doing things with his wife and grandchildren without pain.
His wife also just retired from teaching fifth-graders at Northern Hills Elementary in Onalaska. “That’s the first thing I’ll be doing is being a caregiver for six weeks.”
“That ought to be fun,” they said at the same time with a laugh. The Sauers plan to stay in the area; he said he will be substituting when he can.
No matter where he is on any given day, Sauer will be following his own motto, “TGIT” which stands for “thank goodness it’s today.”
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