The Crookston Public Schools District has many new faces joining its staff for the 2021-2022 school year. KROX has been introducing you to the new teachers throughout the week. Below is an introduction of the third and final group of new teachers.
MOLLY CORDES
Molly Cordes is a new 5th Grade Teacher at Highland Elementary School for the upcoming year. Cordes is from Henning, Minnesota, and graduated from the
University of Minnesota Crookston, bringing her to Highland.
Cordes talked about what she’s hoping to see from her students this upcoming year. “I just hope to see growth from them,” said Cordes. “Definitely in reading and math but other subjects as well. Seeing the growth from the beginning of the year to the end is the big thing.”
Cordes says she became a teacher because of her want to help people and feels teaching comes naturally to her.
KAITLYN BORAH
Kaitlyn Borah will also be working at Highland Elementary School this year as a 1st Grade Teacher. Borah is originally from Frazee, Minnesota, and hopes she can
help make her students want to be at school and fall in love with learning.
Borah says she always has had a love for learning, and that was a big reason she got into teaching herself. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher because I really loved being in school myself,” said Borah. “I always thought my teachers were the sweetest people ever, and that has a lot to do with why I wanted to start.”
Borah also talked more about what led her to Highland this year. “I have never been to Crookston before, but every time I would drive through, I just loved the whole town,” said Borah. “The community just seems knit together, and I just thought it was a great place to be.”
REBECCA AAKER
Rebecca Aaker, who also goes by Becca, will be a new 4th Grade Teacher at Highland Elementary School this year. Aaker is from Fargo, North Dakota, and attended Augsburg University in the Twin Cities. She taught around the
Minneapolis area before moving back closer to the Fargo area to be near family.
Aaker talked about her aspirations this school year after a school year that was anything but normal. “I think just coming out of a Covid year, we need to build community and focus on the social and emotional aspect of the students,” said Aaker. “Creating that sense of community for kids and reestablishing that is important to me because it’s something that has gone off to the side throughout the pandemic.”
Aaker says she fell in love with Crookston and loves their mission and goals for their students. Aakers hopes to continue working in general education and loves 4th grade because the students can have meaningful conversations while still being curious about learning new things.
