Hearn's hugs, heart leave legacy of love

POST FALLS — "I’m going to miss you,” a boy in Paula Hearn’s first-grade class said last week as his cheeks grew red and tears streamed down his cheeks.

"It’s OK, don’t cry,” she said as she put an arm around him and gave him a gentle squeeze.

She quoted Dr. Suess as she comforted him.

“Don't cry because it's over," she said. "Smile because it happened.”

This little boy wasn’t the only one who would miss Ponderosa Elementary school's adored Mrs. Hearn.

Before long, Erin Butler’s first-grade class, red-eyed and emotional, made an unexpected visit to Hearn’s room to have one last hug from one of their favorite teachers before she left the school forever. The kids made a quick loop through the classroom. Hearn hugged them all the way a sweet grandmother soothes her grandchildren.

"When I was younger, they’d call me 'Mom,' and they'd be embarrassed," she said. "Now they’ll say, 'Grandma,' and some of them still say 'Mom,' and the other kids laugh, and I say, ‘You know, it’s OK.'"

After 44 years in the Post Falls School District, Thursday was Hearn's final day of teaching. It was a day of mixed emotions, for her and her colleagues as well as the kids.

"The thing I love about her the most, above all else, is her love for students," Ponderosa Principal Scott Ross said. "It’s evident. You can go to the back of the building right now and you can see that it’s not just first grade crying. There’s third grade crying, second grade crying. All of these students have been impacted by her."

Hearn was 22 and fresh out of school when she began teaching sixth grade at Post Falls Junior High in September 1975. It’s not just that schools didn’t have computers then — they didn’t even have handheld calculators.

"I was only 10 years older than my students," she said.

The second year she taught fifth grade at Seltice Elementary. The next year, Ponderosa was built, and it became her second home.

"I’m the only teacher left here who was here when this school opened,” she said.

Hearn's classroom is sunny and bright with reminders of love. On the orange door are colorful signs to let her students know that when they enter Room 7, they are scientists, learners, explorers and mathematicians. They’re respected, loved, important, a friend and the reason that Ponderosa teachers are there.

Former student Taegan Williams was in Hearn’s class in 2003-2004. He was born and raised in Post Falls and is now in his junior year studying computer science and business at the University of Idaho.

"She impacted a lot of lives, and mine especially," he said.

Her effect on him came in many forms, "from the little incentives she gave to her students for showing participation to always caring about her students in a very friendly and familiar manner."

"Mrs. Hearn instilled a lot of the drive I have for learning," he said. "This came from her constant love for teaching and how she always challenged us with new and entertaining forms of education."

From simple arts and crafts to reading and math, Hearn helped shape how Williams would engage with the world.

"A lot of the friends I made in that class I'm still in contact with today," he said. "It was Mrs. Hearn's comforting character that made her presence help every child that had the honor of walking through her door feel safe and important."

Tara Hanning's son, Aiden, 7, was also Hearn's student.

"I was extremely happy with having Mrs. Hearn for my son's first-grade teacher," Tara said. "She was extremely dedicated to her children and always went the extra mile to make them feel special; Aiden still has gifts she made him for Christmas and Valentine's Day."

The thoughtful Hearn has had countless proud moments in her long career.

"First grade is unique because I get to see so much growth from September to June," she said. "Many children are not reading when school starts and when the light-bulb moment happens, they make leaps and bounds. They are excited and so proud of themselves."

A few tough moments, too, such as when her son was deployed to Iraq.

"He called me at school from the airport," she recalled. "I was having a very hard time and was crying. When I hung up, my first-graders came to me with a big group hug. They could tell I needed their support."

There were fun times, too.

"I was mentoring a new teacher," she said. "We met in my room after school. As we talked, a bird flew in the window right between us. We both screamed and jumped a foot. When we realized what had happened we had a good laugh."

Hearn said advice she would give to young teachers is to "be flexible."

"Lessons change, methods change and so do teachers," she said. "Realize the pendulum in education swings back and forth. You will not be doing things the same way for long. Things will come and go and come back again."

The last class to have Hearn as a teacher will graduate in 2030. She has taught children of former students, and she has found that to be really rewarding.

She and three other retirees were recognized during a morning assembly at Ponderosa — secretary Tammy Kane, second-grade teacher Sharon Wagner and third-grade teacher Anne Bryan — and all of the ladies were honored with gifts and a tearful standing ovation from the whole school.

Ross said Hearn has been one of his go-to people since he came to Ponderosa three years ago.

"There’s going to be close to 50 years' worth of students that had Mrs. Hearn as a teacher that are going to graduate from Post Falls High school," he said. "I challenge you to find one that doesn’t have a wonderful thing to say about her. She’s like everyone’s grandma in the building.

"She’s always so willing to just be there for people, no matter who they are," he continued. "It just really speaks to her character, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re going to miss her as much as we are. It’s going to be a big hole for us to fill."

A number of other teachers and staff members are retiring by the close of this school year.

Coeur d'Alene School District Mary Ann Vining, Spanish, Lake City High, eight years. Bryan Duncan, science, Coeur d'Alene High, 25 years. Teri Leonard, art, Coeur d'Alene High, 27 years. C.J. Stuermer, social studies, Coeur d'Alene High, 28 years. Craig Leaf, P.E., Coeur d'Alene High, 27 years. Diann Wandrey, special ed, Lakes Middle, 16 years. Nancy Stevenson, fifth grade, Dalton, 31 years. Vickie Juhlin, teacher, Lakes Middle, 29 years. Susan Thomas, teacher, Venture High, 25 years. Bill Burch, teacher, Atlas Elementary, 23 years. Ron Stone, teacher, Hayden Meadows Elementary, 39 years. Jacqueline Dean, kindergarten teacher, Skyway Elementary, 28 years. Magdalene Kemp, teacher, Winton Elementary, 15 years. Pam Bright, teacher, Canfield Middle, 17 years. Pat Behm, teacher, Lake City High, 14 years. Kathryn Schmidt, speech-language pathologist, district-wide, 14 years. Kimberly Duncan, teacher, Winton Elementary, 23 years. Peter Bolton, head facility manager, 12 years. Tricia Benefiel, Lake City High, assistant treasurer, 26 years. Patty Larson, kitchen manager, Sorensen Magnet, 26 years. Linda Basler, bus assistant transportation, 14 years. Shirley Horther, kitchen manager, Lake City High, 18 years. Mona Whitney, paraprofessional, Ramsey Magnet, 27 years.

Post Falls School District Anne Bryan, third grade, Ponderosa Elementary, 25 years. Mary Byrne, P.E., Post Falls Middle, 15 years. Sandy Combo, speech-language pathologist, Ponderosa Elementary, 16 years. Susan Conti, school nurse, Post Falls High School, 22 years. Janice Hamby, bus driver, nine years. Kathy Cooper, fifth grade, Seltice Elementary, 22 years. Julie Giguere, special ed, River City Middle, 12 years. Paula Hearn, first grade, Ponderosa Elementary, 44 years. Ava Hoyer, special ed, Post Falls Middle, eight years. Sandra Jackson, seventh-grade English, Post Falls Middle, 17 years. Glenda Kohoutek, attendance secretary, Post Falls High, 16 years. Pam Mitchell, activities secretary, Post Falls High, 23 years. Tammy Kane, secretary, Ponderosa Elementary, 27 years. Mary Rohlman, Title 1, Frederick Post Kindergarten, 36 years. Sharon Wagner, third grade, Ponderosa Elementary, 23 years. Vivian Ward, sixth grade, Post Falls Middle, 19 years. Rebecca Vellucci, choir, Post Falls Middle, 18 years.

Lakeland Joint School District Angela Milks, teacher, Lakeland Junior High, 30 years. Iva Haukenes, speech-language pathologist, Garwood Elementary, six years. William Miles, sixth grade, Garwood Elementary, 24 years. Norman Albertson, teacher, Timberlake High, 15 years. Susan Little, teacher, Lakeland Junior High, 25 years. Ken Busch, teacher, Lakeland High, 28 years. Edward Underhill, teacher, Lakeland High, 30 years. Linda Vose, kindergarten teacher, Twin Lakes Elementary, 25 years. MaryAlyce Manning, librarian, Lakeland Junior High, 45 years. Debra Hull, administrative assistant, Betty Kiefer Elementary, 20 years.