It is the end of the school year which means that we will soon have to say goodbye to a few of our favorite teachers. This year, 17 middle school teachers are leaving and over the next 15 school days, The Direct Message will post an ‘Exit Interview’ that we conducted with each of these educators.
Check out all the Exit Interviews by clicking here: Exit Interviews
Mr. Kevin Kuehn
6 Years at AES: 2011-2017
Next Stop: Singapore
Courses Taught: Humanities 6-7 Teacher, CYO, and Study Skills
What will you miss most about AES?
Without a doubt, the two things I will miss most are my students and my friends.
What is the best part about being a teacher at AES?
I arrive and leave work inspired almost every single day. There is nothing better than feeling so excited about my job. (A really big part of this is that I get to work with truly amazing people).
What are your plans for next year and what are your thoughts about this next step?
I am going to take a year to stay home with my daughter Mili. When I’m not taking care of her, I will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Literacy. To be honest, it was not something that I expected to happen. It was something that we knew was a possibility, but we thought there were other scenarios that would have played out. That said, there was a time when I was nervous, but as my daughter has gotten older, I find myself continually more excited about what next year holds. I guess I’m still a little nervous, but also excited. So maybe I’m excervous? Or maybe nervited?
How do you hope your students and colleagues will remember you?
I hope they remember me as a positive and reflective influence both personally and professionally.
What message would you like to leave for the community at AES?
Mainly, I’d like to say thank you. When I arrived here, I was twenty-four years old – I was a baby. Now that I’m leaving, so much has changed in my life, but AES has given me so much in the way of opportunities for growth, and I will be forever grateful. Thank you.
What the students had to say.
Menaha Malik, seventh grader
What will you remember the most about Mr. Kuehn? “I’ll remember Mr. Kuehn’s approach to everything – positive and fun. He always seems to be able to make a joke in situations where jokes seem hard to make. He’s so open minded. He allows students to change his thinking as well – sometimes you just walk into his class and see Mr. Kuehn and a student having a heated discussion on LOADS of things, including Pokémon Go and Clash Royale! He makes learning fun and enjoyable, and wants every student to improve day by day and will do anything to help them.”
What is a funny or memorable story that you have about Mr. Kuehn? “Firstly, the stories about his girlfriends and the story about when he thought he was moving to Toyland, when it was actually Thailand. When he described his feelings when he found out it wasn’t Toyland was just hilarious! Secondly, there was this day where he got so mad at a student that he couldn’t staple properly, he took a picture of the student and posted it on Instagram. He started teaching the student how to staple properly, and it’s quite funny when the student approaches Mr. Kuehn with a stapler in hand. He goes in slo mo trying to teach him again and again. Thirdly, when Mr. Kuehn gets provoked, it’s quite dangerous (well, to the boys anyways). He’s thrown multiple whiteboard erasers and markers at boys because they’ve made him quite mad. He always puts on a hilarious show for EVERYONE, even the guilty ones.”
What makes Mr. Kuehn unique? “Mr. Kuehn treats everyone as his equal. He doesn’t make it seem like its Student and Teacher all the time. He lets his child side show, so he’s not only fun but he thinks and feels like a student. Mr. Kuehn is so open and approachable – you get that idea of having a friend in him which you never get in any other teacher.”
Rahul Bhandari, seventh grader
What will you remember about Mr. Kuehn? I will remember that this was the teacher that made sure I always understood something, and also that he was the funniest teacher I ever had. Mr. Kuehn is easily my favorite teacher ever.
What is a funny or memorable story that you have about Mr. Kuehn? Throughout the whole first quarter Mr. Kuehn told us about his childhood girlfriends. He told us about all of them, except for the mystery girl known as Karen. The two weeks before WOW we had all forgotten about Karen, and how Mr. Kuehn was supposed to tell us about her. Then on WOW one night Mr. Kuehn decided to live up to his promise, to tell us about Karen. We all gathered around him, and he told the one minute story of Karen. The story was short but then he just talked about his childhood. That night was not a great night because Mr. Kuehn told about Karen, but because we got to see the very fun Mr. Kuehn, not the just fun Mr. Kuehn that we see in class everyday. Mr. Kuehn is easily my favorite teacher ever.
What makes Mr. Kuehn unique? He has this ability to keep the class entertained with his small side jokes, that are full of all sorts of humor fit for anyone who listens. He is once again the funniest teacher, has great teaching skills, and also has great hair. Mr. Kuehn is easily my favorite teacher ever.
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