September 4, 2025 • 5 mins
In this episode, speak with SEMO Alumna Julie Hecht, who was recently among the 2025 Regional Teachers of the Year, announced by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).The Regional Teachers Award recognizes outstanding educators for their contributions to teaching and leadership within specific regions. Julie Hecht is a reading interventionist at Altenburg Public Schools in Altenburg, Missouri, who has been teaching for 28 years, 21 of those at Altenburg Public Schools. Hecht previously taught third grade, focusing on communications arts, math, and the Title 1 reading program. Hecht earned a Bachelor of Science in social work and a Master of Arts in education with a reading emphasis from SEMO.She says that education helped to put her on the path she is on today and stresses the importance of parents knowing where their children are with their reading development. As an educator in a relatively small school environment, Julie hadn't expected a nomination, as most nominations come from larger schools with specific programs to highlight their educators; that isn't the norm at medium to small-scale school environments. Hecht shared the exceptional honor of being nominated without any institutional prompting by a parent. The parent simply found the nomination site online and thought Julie deserved the acknowledgement.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Arrow on the Air. I'm your host, Ella Tinsley,
and in this episode we interview Julie hect, a reading
interventionist at Alberg Public School in Alberg, Missouri who's been
teaching for twenty eight years. This CIMO alum was nominated
for the twenty twenty five Regional Teachers of the Year Award,
an award that recognizes exceptional teachers across various regions, celebrating
(00:22):
their excellence in the classroom and significant impact on student outcomes.
These regional winners are considered for the overall Teacher of
the Year Award in their respective states. Hi welcome, Julie.
Go ahead and introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
My name is Julie Heck. I graduated in nineteen ninety
two with a social work degree from Southeast Missouri State
and went on to get my certification in teaching from
another university. But then I came back to Simo and
graduated in two thousand and six with my master's degree
in education. And now I am currently working at Altenburg
(00:58):
Public School as a reading interventionist in in my twenty
ninth year.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Okay, what does that entail? A reading interventionist?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Okay, so A reading interventionist is someone who screens children
in their reading. I screen kids from kindergarten through eighth grade.
We do a felexia screening from kindergarten through third and
then the State of Missouri has us do another screening
that's for a Senate build that they have that we
have to it's mandated. And then from that we decide
(01:29):
which kids need intervention, serious intervention, and I provide that
service to them. We write them a plan, and we
provide that for them. I also work with several of
our special education students who have sever reading deficits, and
so part of my time is working with kids with
just an RSP, and then the rest of my time
(01:51):
is working with kids who have an IP and a
reading intervention plan as well within their IP.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Awesome, that's that's so in depth and so cool. Did
you learn a lot of those skills here at CIMO
or are they more on the job?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
More on the job those have been After I got
my master's degree, I felt like I was lacking in
the area of learning about dyslexia and how I can
help my kids who are really struggling. So I went
on and got some more education through the Dyslexia Training
Institute in San Diego and learned a lot and that
(02:30):
has helped me tremendously that part. And then here recently,
all of my teachers at school and myself have all
gone through the letters training at Simo's RPDC, which is
something that all teachers are in the state of Missouri
are expected to do at this point in time. So
all of that education has helped dramatically.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
And so is it those kids that you work with
now that nominated you for the twenty twenty five Regional
Teachers of the Year.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, one of them? Yeah, awesome?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Do you know anything?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Know who it is? But I figured it out?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Aw Do you know how anything about how that process
works or why you were nominated?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, So most schools, well big schools usually have a
program where they celebrate a teacher of the year within
their school and so that person would then go on
to qualify for Regional Teacher. Small schools, on the other hand,
we don't really have that because we're so you know,
we don't have that many teachers, so we don't really
(03:34):
have a program that promotes one teacher in a program.
So in a small school setting, this parent just happened
to go online and was on Deafy's website and saw
they were taking nominations and we're like, you know what,
missus heck deserves that, and so they nominated me.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
That's really sweet and it really puts a big focus
on community. Yeah, is there anything you'd like to note?
I always like to open up the floor to my
guests to know anything that they find important about whatever
I'm reporting on.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Oh, well, let's see. I think you know, parents just
need to be aware of their child's abilities in reading
and if they need help, get it and don't be
upset with them if they need that help. You know,
it's a it's a Reading is one of those skills
that takes many years to develop, and you know, the
(04:29):
more emphasis we put on their weaknesses, the harder it
is to get over them. However, you know, on the
other hand, you want to be very vigilant and get
the help they need from someone who is understanding.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Right, that's all the questions and input I have. Thank
you so much for meeting and talking with me.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, hope that helps you.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Ella, thank you for listening to Arrow on the air.
I'm your host, Ella Tinsley, and we will see you
next time.
Welcome to Arrow on the Air. I'm your host, Ella Tinsley,
and in this episode we interview Julie hect, a reading
interventionist at Alberg Public School in Alberg, Missouri who's been
teaching for twenty eight years. This CIMO alum was nominated
for the twenty twenty five Regional Teachers of the Year Award,
an award that recognizes exceptional teachers across various regions, celebrating
(00:22):
their excellence in the classroom and significant impact on student outcomes.
These regional winners are considered for the overall Teacher of
the Year Award in their respective states. Hi welcome, Julie.
Go ahead and introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
My name is Julie Heck. I graduated in nineteen ninety
two with a social work degree from Southeast Missouri State
and went on to get my certification in teaching from
another university. But then I came back to Simo and
graduated in two thousand and six with my master's degree
in education. And now I am currently working at Altenburg
(00:58):
Public School as a reading interventionist in in my twenty
ninth year.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Okay, what does that entail? A reading interventionist?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Okay, so A reading interventionist is someone who screens children
in their reading. I screen kids from kindergarten through eighth grade.
We do a felexia screening from kindergarten through third and
then the State of Missouri has us do another screening
that's for a Senate build that they have that we
have to it's mandated. And then from that we decide
(01:29):
which kids need intervention, serious intervention, and I provide that
service to them. We write them a plan, and we
provide that for them. I also work with several of
our special education students who have sever reading deficits, and
so part of my time is working with kids with
just an RSP, and then the rest of my time
(01:51):
is working with kids who have an IP and a
reading intervention plan as well within their IP.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Awesome, that's that's so in depth and so cool. Did
you learn a lot of those skills here at CIMO
or are they more on the job?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
More on the job those have been After I got
my master's degree, I felt like I was lacking in
the area of learning about dyslexia and how I can
help my kids who are really struggling. So I went
on and got some more education through the Dyslexia Training
Institute in San Diego and learned a lot and that
(02:30):
has helped me tremendously that part. And then here recently,
all of my teachers at school and myself have all
gone through the letters training at Simo's RPDC, which is
something that all teachers are in the state of Missouri
are expected to do at this point in time. So
all of that education has helped dramatically.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
And so is it those kids that you work with
now that nominated you for the twenty twenty five Regional
Teachers of the Year.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, one of them? Yeah, awesome?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Do you know anything?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Know who it is? But I figured it out?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Aw Do you know how anything about how that process
works or why you were nominated?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, So most schools, well big schools usually have a
program where they celebrate a teacher of the year within
their school and so that person would then go on
to qualify for Regional Teacher. Small schools, on the other hand,
we don't really have that because we're so you know,
we don't have that many teachers, so we don't really
(03:34):
have a program that promotes one teacher in a program.
So in a small school setting, this parent just happened
to go online and was on Deafy's website and saw
they were taking nominations and we're like, you know what,
missus heck deserves that, and so they nominated me.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
That's really sweet and it really puts a big focus
on community. Yeah, is there anything you'd like to note?
I always like to open up the floor to my
guests to know anything that they find important about whatever
I'm reporting on.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Oh, well, let's see. I think you know, parents just
need to be aware of their child's abilities in reading
and if they need help, get it and don't be
upset with them if they need that help. You know,
it's a it's a Reading is one of those skills
that takes many years to develop, and you know, the
(04:29):
more emphasis we put on their weaknesses, the harder it
is to get over them. However, you know, on the
other hand, you want to be very vigilant and get
the help they need from someone who is understanding.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Right, that's all the questions and input I have. Thank
you so much for meeting and talking with me.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, hope that helps you.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Ella, thank you for listening to Arrow on the air.
I'm your host, Ella Tinsley, and we will see you
next time.
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