Mr. Witt Celebrates 35 Years of Teaching

Mr. Witt, a teacher in the English department at Hastings High School is celebrating his 35th year of teaching this school year.

“I spent my first 12 years at Columbus High School, from 1987-1999, then started at Hastings High in the fall of 1999 and have been here ever since,” Mr. Witt said.

Mr. Witt teaches three English classes at Hastings High: English 9, English 9 Supported, and English 11 Honors. Along with teaching education, Witt also has several degrees of his own in various areas of study.

“I have an Associate’s Degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting from Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Black Hills State College (now University) in Spearfish, South Dakota; and a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney,” Mr. Witt said.

Throughout his 35 years of teaching, Mr. Witt has gotten to know thousands of students in his career. As a teacher, his favorite thing is to see his teaching making a difference in students’ lives.

“I like to see my students improve, whether that is in grammar, reading, writing, or whatever; whether it is from not getting it at all to being proficient or whether it is from being proficient to attaining advanced skills. Student improvement lets me know I’m making a difference,” Mr. Witt said.

Although Mr. Witt loves what he does, there are also bad days as a teacher. He points out that his current least favorite part about teaching is the high truancy rate at Hastings High. 

“My least favorite part this year is the high absentee rate. I want to be able to help students, but I can’t do that when they don’t show up to school. I find that when I send assignments home or make them available remotely, they don’t get done,” Mr. Witt said.

One interesting thing to note about Mr. Witt is that he does not drive to school every day, he walks. No matter the weather, Mr. Witt can be found walking to and from school every single day.

“I walk for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s a decent form of exercise, and I have never liked just exercising to exercise. Walking to and from school gives me a purpose to get moving. Secondly, it’s a good transition time from home to school and school to home. I get to be outside, listen to my podcasts, and either get geared up for work or wind down from work. Thirdly, I like the simplicity. I only live a mile away,” Mr. Witt said.

Although there are two teachers with the last name “Witt” in the school, they are not husband and wife. Dr. Witt in the math department is Mr. Witt’s sister-in-law. Mr. Witt and his wife, Rose, have three children together. 

“I have three children: My oldest son Chris, who is married, is a computer programmer who works in Omaha. My daughter, Hannah, is also a computer programmer for a company out of Kearney. My youngest son, Zachary, is working on a graphic novel,” Mr. Witt said.

Mr. Witt is also very involved in student activities, he hosts a club with math teacher Mrs. Davis called the Table Top Club. It takes place on Mondays after school until 5:00 pm.

“There is no membership requirement, and anyone is welcome to stop by. We have a whole window shelf full of games from which to choose, or people are welcome to bring their own. Whoever shows up shows up, we pick a game or games to play, and we have fun,” Mr. Witt said.