‘You’ve got a friend in me’

When Charlee Kleve was in the third grade, she told her mom she wanted to be a teacher. She’s also been holding on to a lesson that her mom taught her years ago: People will remember how you make them feel.

It’s Kleve’s huge heart that earned her the honor of the Heart Award in this year’s Emerald Awards program as she finishes her fourth year of teaching English at Holyoke JR/SR High School.

“The way she actively loves her school and co-workers, no matter what, is something I greatly admire and look up to,” said family and consumer science teacher Karen Ortner in her nomination letter for Kleve.

“Charlee has worked to build meaningful relationships with students at all levels,” said nominator Aaron Cottam, a band teacher at Holyoke schools. “I have seen her comfort numerous students when they are struggling with classwork and personal issues. She has sacrificed lunches, after-school time and planning time to be a sounding board for students to talk about their issues or to give them extra time to do work (not always related to her class).”

Kleve had an influential teacher when she was growing up, noting that “the fact that he took an interest in me made all the difference.”

She said as an English teacher she teaches a wide range of levels, from eighth grade to college, and that’s something she loves about her job. While she has two high school aged kids of her own, she considers all of her students family.

“We take care of each other,” Kleve said, noting it’s infectious the way the kids care about each other.

Her goal is to get students to think about others instead of just about themselves. “I want them to know there’s always someone to talk to. Knowing that you’re not there by yourself is amazing.”

Read the full article in our FREE Emerald Awards section! Click here!