Teacher of the Month: Kimberly Rougeau

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Clarksburg Elementary School third-grade teacher Kimberly Rougeau has been selected as the January Teacher of the Month. 

 

The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will run for the next five months and will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here.

 

Rougeau attended Clarksburg School from kindergarten through eighth grade and fell in love with its small school feel and strong support system. 

 

Since then, she has returned to her alma mater to provide her students with the same fun, supportive, and great educational experience she had, she said. 

 

She has spent her entire 26-year career at Clarksburg Elementary, aside from a few small educational positions while attending Providence (R.I.) College for her bachelor's degree and Simmons College at The College of St. Rose for her master's degree.

 

Rougeau said she continues to learn from her students, co-workers, and recently finished the Leadership Academy program at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 

 

"I just have a love for this school. It's special and unique. It's more like a family," she said. 

 

With the help of her co-workers, Rougeau also runs the school's Acceleration Academy program and organizes community events, such as a space-themed literacy night and a math night. 

 

Rougeau has a strong belief in community and strives to create a sense of belonging and pride for the students and families.

 

"I want them to see this not just as their school but almost like a second home so that they feel comfortable here," she said. 

 

"You can see when you have students coming in outside of the school day with their parents, they're proud to show what they know. They're proud to show the school itself. It's great that we're able to bring families back in after not being able to do that for a while. So I think that's so important."

 

She has taken on several leadership roles within the district, including her involvement in establishing a preschool program in the Clarksburg School District by petitioning for a feasibility study.

 

Students said they have found success in Rougeau's firm, gentle, structured, yet flexible teaching style. 

 

"[She is] very kind, thoughtful, loving, but also she's got high expectations for her students, so she tries to make sort of these just right challenges, so that way they're pushing themselves, but they feel comfortable taking risks and being a bit vulnerable in her class because I think she supports that," said Christin George, occupational therapist.

 

Principal Sandra Cote, also highlighted the success students have found under the direction of Rougeau. 

 

"She is just really well-rounded. She makes learning fun, she holds kids to high expectations. She's approachable. Students just really love being in her class and have success under her leadership," she said. 

 

Rougeau's third-graders demonstrated how she encourages and supports them when they are struggling. Rather than giving them the answers, she works through the problem with them step by step. 

 

"She was one of my favorite teachers; she helps out a lot, and she shows us good tricks for our math problems. She has been a third-grade teacher for a very long time. So, she also deserves to be the principal, and she's a very nice teacher," third-grader Hudson Belleau said. 

 

Many students highlighted how she has helped them improve their math skills, particularly in division and multiplication. They said she has taught them strategies and tricks to make math easier. 

 

"She gives me the best math experience I've ever had in my life because, at first, I thought division was hard. I thought I didn't know how to do it at first, but then I got better at it because Ms. Rougeau started helping me, and now I understand division," third-grader Thaddeus Griffiths said.   

 

Third-grader Ben Malinowski also emphasized this and said Rougeau will continue to impact students for many years to come. 

 

"She helps us and makes it a little bit easier for us sometimes, and she tries to find ways to make it fun … it also helps us keep going because it keeps us motivated to have fun," he said. 

 

"I hope she can help out many other students that might come into this third-grade classroom or just at school itself because you never know. But I still love that we had her. She was a great teacher, and I hope she can continue her career as what she wanted to do and what she loves."