Blackhawk Elementary’s Kathy Harms in South Beloit earns Golden Apple nomination in first year back in the classroom
"I want all my students to feel as though they can accomplish anything," says Harms, back in the classroom after 14 years of raising her children
When South Beloit Junior High teacher Kathy Harms talks about her students, she doesn’t begin with test scores or lesson plans. She starts with a feeling.
“As a kid, I struggled with my math class,” Harms said. “I had a teacher in high school who was able to explain things in a way where I could understand, and I have never forgotten that feeling of accomplishment.”
It’s that moment — the spark of finally “getting it” — that brought Harms back into the classroom after 14 years as a stay-at-home mom and 11 years teaching math and coaching drama at Marshall Middle School in Janesville. Now, in her first year at South Beloit Junior High, that same drive to help students feel capable and confident has led to her nomination for a Golden Apple Teaching Award.
“I knew I wanted to teach kids who may not have had the confidence in school and help them see a future,” she said. “I am ready to inspire and guide our young ones in the world today.”
Harms believes her nomination may have come from a community member who noticed the way she invests in her students’ lives.
“I show that I do care for the well-being of each of my students and this is reflected in my daily routine,” she said. “I want all my students to feel as though they can accomplish anything, so building their self-confidence will help them achieve large obstacles.”
That emphasis on confidence is not just a classroom slogan for Harms. It shapes the way she interacts with students and the expectations she sets for them.
“My honest reaction to the nomination was shock,” she admitted. “I consider myself as a first year teacher since I have been out of the classroom for so long. I am truly honored to even be considered amongst such outstanding educators.”
Still, she sees the process as an opportunity to grow.
“I know that this will be a great experience for me,” Harms said, “and I look forward to diving into the requirements.”
For Harms, building relationships with students means showing that she cares about them as people, not just pupils.
“I build quality relationships with my students by practicing what I preach,” she said. “I make the effort to attend their sports functions and plays. Showing them that I care outside of the classroom will build our relationship both in and out of my classroom.”
Those small but consistent acts — cheering from the bleachers, clapping from the auditorium seats — send a clear message to her students: you matter.
That message, Harms believes, is what helps students open up, take academic risks, and start to believe in themselves.
Like many educators, Harms says the job comes with no shortage of challenges, but she views them as part of her growth.
“I am faced with challenges every day, but these obstacles help me shape my approach in the classroom,” she said.
She is quick to share credit with the staff around her.
“I am surrounded by wonderful colleagues who are so generous with their advice and resources,” Harms said. “I am only as good as the community that supports me.”
That sense of gratitude and teamwork reflects the culture she’s helping to build at South Beloit Junior High: one where teachers support each other, and students see adults working together on their behalf.
For Harms, the Golden Apple nomination is more than an award form or a title. It’s a full-circle moment that connects her own struggles as a student, her years spent raising her children at home, and her return to the classroom.
The high school teacher who once made math finally “click” for her might never know it, but that example is now echoing through a new generation of students in South Beloit.
Harms hopes her students walk away from her class with more than just content knowledge.
“I want all my students to feel as though they can accomplish anything.”
