Teacher of the Year

Alma High School’s Kim Dickens selected as district’s ‘Teacher of the Year’ recipient

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools 

Kim, Jennifer, or Sue. 

Kimberly Dickens smiles while answering all three. 

But on Tuesday, Kimberly Dickens hit her square in the heart. Then, there were tears. 

The Alma English teacher was named the district’s ‘Teacher of the Year.’ 

“I was a little kid when I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Dickens said. “I used to ask my teachers for extra textbooks and worksheets and I would take them home and play school. I had my chalkboard and chalk holder … I would play school all the time.

“I was probably five or six.”

Dickens was touched along the way by many teachers, including her fifth-grade teacher (Mrs. Houston) at Fort Smith Beard Elementary. 

“I had a fifth-grade social studies teacher at Beard Elementary who was probably my first inspiration,” Dickens said. “I loved drawing maps and she made social studies interesting. My dad was a big proponent of going to look at historical sights, too.”

Longtime Van Buren high school teacher Teddy McMurray made an impression on Dickens as well.

“I had him as a student and also for an educational program in college,” Dickens said. “I interned under him. I had him the year 9/11 happened as a current events class. I still have the magazines and notes from the class, because it was interesting. He just made it so engaging and made learning fun.”

Dickens is the first Alma High School teacher to be named ‘Teacher of the Year’ for the entire district. 

“It’s a validation and all the hard work,” Alma High School Principal Brian Kirkendoll said. “It’s big for any building, but it’s the first time we’ve had one from Alma High School. It’s good for our faculty. Kim sets herself apart because she is the structural facilitator for literacy, so she’s in a leadership position. We’ve seen the results of her hard work from her test scores. 

“She’s a great faculty member and teacher, and sometimes it’s hard to find both.”

The former Kimberly Holbrook graduated from Van Buren in 2002 and earned her college degree at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Since moving over from Alma Middle School to Alma High School, Dickens has become an intricate part of the English department. 

“One of the things I like about (Alma) is I don’t feel micromanaged — they (administrators) trust us to do our jobs in the classroom. They trust us to handle our situations,” Dickens said. “If we need them, then they’re (administration) 100 percent supportive.

“I always tell my leaders in my department, ‘Mr. Kirkendoll wants you to come to work and do your job.’ That’s the expectation. It seems simple, but there’s a lot that comes with that — you just come to work and teach and do your job.” 

“When you hire good people, you stay out of their way,” Kirkendoll said.