School's Out Forever For Retiring Glenwood Science Teacher

As the school year comes to an end, teachers and faculty are retiring from the Glenwood Community School District.

One such teacher is Tom Berke.

Berke has taught for 34 years, 32 of which were spent in Glenwood. After graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan University, he first worked as a substitute and second grade teacher in Nebraska. Upon arriving in Glenwood, Berke taught fifth grade for many years before making the change to sixth grade science.

“I decided I wanted to do one thing really well, instead of teaching everything a little bit. So I started teaching science, moved over here when the new high school was built, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said

Berke’s own experiences with impactful educators and coaches influenced his decision to go into teaching. While originally unsure of whether the path was right for him, he says he fell in love right away.

The opportunity to coach served as an additional appeal for teaching. During his career in Glenwood, Berke held multiple basketball coaching positions. These included spots on both the high school girls and middle school boys staff. He especially valued the relationships he built with fellow coaches.

“When you got home and you thought about all the conversations you had with the coaches on the way home, it was good. They were such great guys and good mentors,” Berke said.

Positive relationships like these were echoed across other aspects of his career. Berke built close friendships with his fellow teachers, spending time together after work and even going on trips.

“It’s not very often that you work somewhere where you want to hang out with the people that you work with even when you’re not at work,” he said.

Similarly, he’s enjoyed Glenwood’s small town environment. His children attended school here and he’s found himself a part of the community.

“I used to say I was temporarily displaced in Iowa. And then, 33 years later, it’s home,” Berke said.

Looking to the future, Berke is excited for the chance to have more freedom to pursue his plans and interests. A more open schedule offers him the time to work with his son and explore opportunities outside of an education setting.

“To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what I’m going to do. But, I have a whole bunch of things that I’m never going to do again,” he said.