Where are you from?/How long have you lived in Fort Dodge?
I've lived in Fort Dodge all my life, except for the four years I spent at UNI. I attended Duncombe Elementary for grades K through 6.
Do you have family in Fort Dodge?
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Yes, one of my daughters and her son live here as well as one of my sisters and her family and my brother-in-law's family.
How long have you been teaching?
30 years
What's your favorite subject to teach?
Math
What was your favorite part of school when you were in 3rd grade?
Reading! I read all the time back then and I still do today.
Who is your mentor/role model?
Too many to list! I remember all the great teachers I had through the years who inspired me to go into teaching.
Do you have a favorite book?
Love You Forever is my favorite. I read it to my class at the beginning of every year. It's a wonderful story about the love a parent has for their child.
Do you have any pets?
We have a 13 year old Yorkshire terrier named Buddy.
Can you recall a fun field trip?
As a student I remember going to visit the Fort Museum. As a teacher my students love the field trip we take in May to meet our pen pals from Mrs. Rathermel's third grade class at St. Edmonds. We meet at Oleson Park where we eat and hike and have fun.
What's your favorite project to do with your class?
It's a story telling project. We read When I Was Young In the Mountains which tells about growing up in a time before all the technology my students are used to. I tell them stories from my growing up days in Fort Dodge such as only having black and white television. Then they write a story about their life in Fort Dodge now. We type them up, illustrate them and make a book called When I Was Young In Fort Dodge. Everyone gets a copy of all the stories. I sometimes pull out past copies and read stories their older siblings wrote when they were at Duncombe. The students really enjoy it.
Any math tips to share?
Memorize the multiplication tables! They will use that knowledge often and in a variety of ways.
What makes Duncombe a great place to teach?
There's a family-like atmosphere here amongst all the staff in the way everyone cares for each other and our students. It's a very positive place to work!
What do you like best about your students? (Or what makes 3rd graders fun?)
They still have a love to learn. They're excited about school. And third grade is perfect because we teach some things for the first time like cursive writing and multiplication and division. And the fundamentals of reading they established in 1st and 2nd grade we can now take to the next level in doing research for science or social studies.
How will you spend your holiday break?
My sister and her family are coming to visit from Missouri and my grown daughters will be home too, so we'll have lots of family time to eat, shop, play games and enjoy being together.
Students speak out:
"What do you like best about Mrs. Kudron?"
"Mrs. Kudron reads good books to us. When we're good she gives us treats." Michaela N.
"Mrs. Kudron lets us do fun stuff like spelling, stories, and games on the computer." Ebonee A.
"She's nice and makes learning fun and easy." Logan F.
"Mrs. Kudron is so smart and kind to everybody. She helps us read and spell and do math." Jesus M.