Elementary teacher retires

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

Johanna Bangeman ended her teaching career at Bigfork Elementary School on a high note.

Bangeman, who taught at the school for 13 years, organized a trip for her fourth grade class and Nancy Trembath's class to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, the Boone and Crockett Ranch on the Rocky Front and overnight stay at a former nunnery in Great Falls.

"It was a fun way to end my career," Bangeman said.

The group of students, two teacher and number of parent chaperones were greeted by Earl Old Person, the chief of the Blackfoot Nation at the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning. They also hiked and dug for dinosaur bones on the trip.

The trip, just like Bangeman's teaching career and life, covered a lot of different areas and topics. Bangeman taught all over the Flathead Valley during her 26 years of teaching, as well as at the University of Montana, a school in Missoula and one in Hawaii. Bangeman said she felt lucky to be an elementary teacher because she was able to teach all subjects to her students. She taught them reading, language arts, math, science, geography, social studies and writing of all kinds.

"I was always learning new things myself," Bangeman said as she fondly recalled working with the Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs program, writing assignments and earth science studies of rock types.

Bangeman began teaching in Bigfork in 1992 as a Title I teacher, teaching eighth-grade cultural subjects and other remedial courses. She then worked her way into a third-grade teaching position.

An avid skier and hiker, Bangeman decided to retire from her teaching position at the end of the past school year so that she could learn and experience more life herself.

"I just could," she said about why she retired. "It was kind of scary to take that step."

Bangeman added that previous skiing accidents had left her with a desire to get out and about before she couldn't anymore.

"I'm going to miss the kids. I look forward to stopping in," Bangeman said of her class. "I loved working with kids in writing and drawing their own personalities out."

She said she also appreciated and will miss working with her colleagues at Bigfork Elementary.

"It's a really solid school system with support for students, arts and lots of opportunities for students," Bangeman said. "It's a climate where teachers work as a team."

Bangeman took a unique approach to teaching her students, looping with her third-grade students and teaching them the next year in fourth grade.

"It's uncommon," she said of looping classes. "A few teachers do it. It's a nice way to get to know families."

She added that looping classes also helps at the beginning of the school year when most teachers are finding out their students' needs and abilities.

"You just take off running," Bangeman said of looping classes.

Bangeman isn't truly done teaching just yet. She has the opportunity to teach other teachers with the McGraw Hill math course. Bangeman used the math program when she taught and will try some of the lessons from the new edition in Bigfork before hitting the road and traveling to teach other teachers.

"I'll get to see different areas and talk to different teachers," she said.

Before she begins that teaching, Bangeman is taking time to travel abroad in Europe.

Bangeman said she's open to the idea of returning to teaching as a full-time profession.

"Teaching is nice like that. I can go back if I want to."