Mrs. Cowing has been a teacher in New Ulm for 31 years.

Her first year, she was at the alternative school, Riverbend. Riverbend was in its infancy at that point.

Cowing then spent about seven years at Washington doing 4th to 6th grade LD and EBD, which stands for emotional, behavioral disabilities, and learning disabilities. Then, she transferred to the elementary school. She was there for about 10 years doing EBD and then later LD. She has been in high school for the remainder of her career.

Mrs. Cowing said she went into special ed because her brother was struggling in school, and she swore she would become a special education teacher from that moment on when she was in high school.

One of her classmates had a difficult home life, and he struggled academically after high school. “He was planning on going to the Marines, I believe, and he had everything scheduled,” Cowing said. “I mean, we graduated at the very end of May. He was going to ship out on the 2nd of June.”

“He had everything ready to go, and the English teacher failed him. I thought it was primarily out of the meanness,” she said.

“I was so incensed with that that I kind of vowed to be a teacher because I remember sitting in the back of class going, the reason he doesn’t understand this is that he didn’t teach it well,” Cowing said. “And I could stand up there right now and do a better job. That’s pretty egocentric. Not egocentric, but it’s arrogant, I guess. I still believe that I probably could have,” Cowing said.

Mrs. Cowing has a strong and genuine connection with her many students in terms of study skills and English 10; she’s done it by just keeping her mouth shut.

Mrs. Cowing has previously worked with some students who have been vocally damaged. She had some students years ago who were not treated well, and it haunts her to this day. “I’ve had kids wipe crap on walls, punch me in the face, and even piss in cups and put them on my desk,” Cowing said.

A typical day in Cowing’s classroom is never typical, because it really depends on what class she is teaching from study skills, to reading to English she can do it all. “Other than the math, of course,” she said.

When asked what lesson she has learned from some of her students over the years, she said, “You don’t always know what’s going on below the surface, only above.”

Mrs. Cowing has some tough days, but when asked what helps her with those days, she said, “Well, I’ve got a couple of friends like my sister. My husband is pretty darn good, you know, so I go home and talk to him. He’s kind of a sounding board. I’ve got friends like Van Leeuwe and Ziemer and Longtin and  Jon Laudert. So that’s been helpful. I also have started doing a lot of meditating and praying,” Cowing said.

Mrs. Cowing has a lot to do with helping further the education of students with special needs, and she really likes being able to help do this and make sure these kids further their careers.

When asked if she could change one thing about the education system for students with special needs, she said, “They’ve got to spend time doing the electives that were important to them.”

Where does Mrs. Cowing see her classroom and herself in 5 years? “I really don’t know if I got 5 more years in me,” she said.

Mrs. Cowing hopes that kids who have taken classes or have been in a class will remember these things. “I gave them a head start in life, especially with money,” Cowing said.

Lastly, Mrs. Cowing hopes “that my impact will be something that will be felt in 20 to 30 years, by not only them but will maybe hit the next generation, and eventually keep going.”

As for the seniors in her 3rd hour study skills class, “Damn it, Damn it, Damn it,” is what she said.

“Being able to see the kids I taught growing up and graduate is one of my favorite things – just knowing they are moving on to bigger and better things,” Cowing said.