The Vital Signs of a Great Teacher: Celebrating Mrs. Kussow

Though some teachers have cold rooms that you may dread going into, others have rooms that feel like a second home, that are safe and familial.

Mrs. Kussow is one such teacher, who made her students feel like a family. Mrs. Kussow has been teaching at the FHS since 2021 and has made an impact in so many ways.

She didn’t initially start off wanting to become a teacher, though, and just wanted to work closer to her family. 

“I don’t know that I set out to become a teacher. I was a nurse for 20+ years, worked in labor and delivery, doctors offices, and then I was a case manager. At the time I had a child that was getting ready to go through Franklin High School and there was a position open that would bring me closer to home, and I thought why not, I’ll try it. And I ended up falling in love with it.”

Even though it wasn’t her plan in the beginning, she has created a family not only in her nurse aid, medical assistant, or health science classes, but also as a HOSA advisor. She doesn’t have a lot of her HOSA students in her classes, and hasn’t got to teach all of them, but still has given them a place to grow and fall in love with health care.

“I think some of the most important things that I don’t know that you really can teach but I try to teach are empathy and compassion, so that my students, when they get out there in clinicals or in the real world, they have empathy and compassion for the patients they’re gonna take care of.”

While working at FHS, she has made an impact on a lot of her students, like Layla Reeves, who has had Mrs. Kussow since her junior year.

Layla gets to work with Mrs. Kussow on a daily basis in her nurse aid class and as the HOSA president. She has nothing but good things to say, whether it’s the safe and family-like atmosphere Mrs. Kussow creates, the incredible job she does at being the HOSA advisor, or the confidence she instills in her students. 

“No one could ever top her dedication and love for her job and most importantly her students. She has inspired me to push myself beyond my limits and has instilled a new sense of self-worth. Mrs. Kussow is the definition of hard work, love, compassion, grit, support, and has been overlooked by many.” (Layla Reeves, 12th grade) 

She also made an impact on Abigail Pope, who is in her nurse aid class and has had Mrs. Kussow since her junior year. 

“Mrs. Kussow has been one of the most impactful teachers I’ve ever had. She teaches with dedication and grace, and has shown me that grades don’t define you, but how you treat others does. I’m going to miss having her here, but am so thankful for the experiences in her class, in HOSA, and beyond!”(Abigail Pope, 12th grade)

Mrs. Kussow has affected so many students that can’t image the school without her, but the students have impacted her as well. 

“They have just had a huge impact on me with so many things; they teach me things daily. They make me a better person. They’ve taught me to listen better. They’ve taught me that things aren’t always what you see at face value and to look deeper. And I think that they just have impacted me and made me want to be a better person to give back.” 

Anyone can see the love she has for all her students and her incredible ability to make you feel safe. She has done so much for all her students, whether that involves staying after school to help her students practice for HOSA competitions, or just sitting down and having a much needed conversation. 

All her students send the biggest thank you to her for the opportunities she has given them, the ability to walk in a classroom and feel safe and comfortable, and the confidence she builds in them. Mrs. Kussow will definitely be missed. 

“[Franklin] High School will be losing an absolute powerhouse of a human being.” (Layla Reeves, 12th grade)

Thank you Mrs. Kussow for being the teacher that made school a great memory. You have inspired so many FHS students to become better. Thank you for choosing to become a teacher. We don’t know who we would have become without your love and guidance.