Everyman Educator: Holmes paraeducator inspiring students while assisting in multitude of roles

English, math, art  —all other academic subject teachers are all very important, but it is the teachers who don’t have one certain classrooms and will jump in for any teacher in a pinch that keep the school running.

Special education teacher Chad Wilming is a hard working paraeducator who comes to work Monday through Friday at 7:15 a.m. and leaves every day at 3 p.m. Throughout the day, Wilming does every job you can think of. He supervises detention, lunch break, Study Plus (Tiger Time activity), P.E., skills ( a special education learning group), algebra, informational tech, cooking/sewing and technology in art. He also teaches special education English and reading.

Wilming has seen a lot of kids grow and learn throughout his 12 years at Holmes Junior High, and it inspires him to come back every day. “What inspires me is seeing students who I work with growth intellectually, socially and emotionally as a result of my interactions with them,” Wilming said.

In the fundamentals algebra class he helps out and the students notice his determination for them to be the best. “I don’t know him very well, but he is so helpful in our class,” freshman Avery Straw said.

Wilming also helps out after school on Thursday at science club. “He’s super organized and gets things done efficiently,” Holmes freshman Elise Markham said.

Students are not the only ones who appreciate Wilming’s hard work; teachers do as well. “I really appreciate having Mr. Wilming work at our school because he is a great mentor to students. He cares so much about the students in our building and is so friendly and fun to work with,” Spanish teacher Sara Blanco said.

For Wilming, it’s all about the students he teaches. “One of my favorite things I like about my job is working one on one with all different types of kids. Also, over the last eight years, I have had the opportunity and pleasure of helping coach students with autism participate in high school track and swimming,” he said. Wilming gives students with disabilities chances that they may have not have had otherwise.

Other teachers also notice his hard work and effort that goes into changing kids’ lives. “Mr. Wilming has worked with special needs students, helping them to accomplish athletically what the student would not have dreamed to be possible,” math teacher Sue Green said.

Wilming’s enthusiasm and hard work  is what really changes the classes he works in. Although he may just be a shadow in those classes, people seem to know him for being kind and enthusiastic. Students and teachers respond to Wilming’s name with smiles and murmurs about his enthusiasm and his dedication. “My favorite thing about Mr. Wilming is his enthusiasm for life,” Green said.

Wilming’s main goal is to set an example for the students, and even when he is not in his classroom, he is still striving for this goal. “I appreciate how he uses the Spanish he knows when he is in my classroom.  His willingness to use Spanish is a great example for all of my students,” Blanco said.

So many students and teachers respect Wilming, and one of the main reasons is because they know he has high hopes for them and will do anything to help them do their best. “He is very helpful to the students he works with, yet has high expectations for them,” Blanco said.

He also teaches students that they are all equal and are all so smart. “Mr.Wilming does a great job of making students feel valued,” Green said.

Wilming is also known for his persistency and determination, “He works hard to try and bring out the best in a student. He is always willing to give any student extra help,” Holmes paraeducator Janie Laipple said.

Wilming’s students definitely benefit from his hard work and enthusiasm as a paraeducator, but Wilming said he thinks it is he who benefits the most. He said, “Working and interacting with kids and teachers in both academic and social settings has made me a more patient and empathetic person.”