Ms. Kimberly Penning is a new teacher this year at OHS. Ms. Penning has been teaching for twenty-six years and has been teaching science for twenty. Before Mrs. Penning was teaching science; she was actually teaching spanish. Ms Penning got her start after graduating from OHS and became a paramedic where she was working in ambulances. While Mrs Penning was a paramedic she volunteered in a classroom and really liked it.
After her volunteering experience she decided to switch her major, and since then has taught in a few schools and universities, including Byron school district, University Of Minnesota, University of Iowa, and the Owatonna ALC. Before Mrs. Penning came to the ALC she was teaching at the University of Minnesota. Ms. Penning decided to come back to Owatonna to be closer to family and so she didn't have to commute. This is when she switched to the Owatonna ALC teaching 9th-12th graders science. After working for the Owatonna district for seven years at the ALC she got the position to fill in for Mr. DuFrene.
Ms Penning decided to teach science because she has always loved science. She took every science class offered in high school. She taught anatomy and microbiology at the University Of Minnesota, and is now teaching 9th grade geoscience. This is the first year OHS has offered a geoscience course Ms. Penning said, “This year im looking forward to the new beginnings; because for me this year it's a new position, we’re in a new building, and I'm teaching a new course that hasn’t been taught at the high school yet, it's a year of new beginnings for me.” Ms. Penning has a goal for this year to build and grow the geoscience course.
Outside of school Ms. Penning likes to go boating, fishing, swimming, spending time with family, and going for walks. Ms. Penning knew she wanted to teach science due to her love for science through her school years. She prefers to teach the older age range because of their maturity, and teaching more complex and difficult concepts. Ms. Penning has always taught older ages whether its college age or the 9th-12th graders at the Owatonna ALC. At the OHS, Ms. Penning is in room 201.
