More Than Just English, A Teacher Who Inspires Readers and Learners
By many students at MHS, English class might just seem like another required subject. But for Mrs. Pflughoeft, teaching is much more than that. It is not just her job it is her passion.
Pflughoeft grew up in North Central Kansas and has spent most of her life in Central Kansas. Today, she teaches English I, Advanced English I, and Senior English. She says she loves teaching both freshmen and seniors, calling them “the bookends.”
“I love working with students who may not enjoy English and those who love it,” Pflughoeft said. “I love variety in my day.”
Her classroom is never boring because she believes learning should always feel fresh. “I always keep in mind that if I’m getting bored with the lesson, my students likely are getting bored as well,” she explained. Because of that, she is always switching things up and rarely teaches the same lesson the same way twice.
Pflughoeft’s journey to becoming a teacher started early. “I was pretty young when I knew that I wanted to be a teacher,” she said. Teaching runs in her family, and she credits her dad as one of her biggest inspirations. Even though he was not a teacher, “he always took me places and was teaching me things and making sure I was learning something that I did not know.”
She attended Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where she earned degrees in Social Science Education and History/Political Science. She later earned her master’s degree in Adaptive Special Education from Emporia State University. Over the years, she has taught special education, middle school, and now high school English. She has been teaching at MHS since 2018.
When asked about the teachers who influenced her most, she had many to name. “When it comes to teachers, I had the absolute best,” she said. She talked about teachers who went above and beyond, spending early mornings and late evenings helping students succeed. “They never took. It was all give.”
Those experiences shaped the teacher she is today. “I hope I am paying it forward by doing my best to do the same things that they did for me with my students,” she said.
What does she love most about teaching? Her answer was simple and honest. “EVERYTHING. Well, maybe not everything,” she laughed. “The absolute best part is the students and always will be.”
She wants her classroom to be a place where students feel comfortable and supported. “I hope they feel supported and cared for,” Pflughoeft said. “I hope they think of it as a safe place to connect with others and most importantly learn!”
Reading is one of the most important parts of her teaching. “Reading is SO important for everyone,” she said. “It is literally the skill that is needed for every other thing that we do in life.” She believes reading builds empathy, focus, and critical thinking, and she wants students to see that reading can actually be enjoyable.
“I want to inspire students to see that reading is not all about skills and drills,” she said. “It can be fun and bring happiness to their lives.”
To encourage reading, Pflughoeft models it herself and gives students choice. She provides time to read, talks about books, and works with the school librarian to help students find stories they enjoy.
In the end, Pflughoeft is more than just an English teacher. She is someone who truly cares about her students and wants them to grow not just as readers and writers, but as people.
And that is what makes her classroom a place students won’t forget.
