Deb Vorderstrasse

by Judy Walters

November 01, 2007

Sixth grade teacher Deb Vorderstrasse grew up on her family’s original homestead farm in Orleans, Nebraska. Her Swedish great grandfather immigrated to America, homesteaded the land and built a log cabin to fulfill the Homestead Act requirements. Mrs. Vorderstrasse, a fifth generation descendant, remembers the log cabin being one of the center rooms in their home. In 1972 the original cabin was dismantled and rebuilt at the Orleans Museum. Her elementary education was in a rural “one-room” school house. She looks at many of the new trends in education today and thinks to herself, “We were doing that in our one-room school!” Mrs. Vorderstrasse and her husband, Duane, who works for U.S. Bank in Lincoln, still farm the same land raising corn, soybeans, and sorghum.

Mrs. Vorderstrasse chose the teaching field for two reasons. First, her mother was a teacher. Second, she had excellent high school teachers who were influential role models. After graduating from the University of Nebraska with a BS in Physical Education and coaching, she started her 31-year teaching career at Thayer Central as a P.E. teacher, junior high English teacher and a coach or assistant coach of all three girls’ sports teams. A Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction was earned from Doane College. For the past few years she has worked with the sixth grade class teaching Social Studies and Math and continues as an assistant coach in track.

Drawing on Nebraska’s pioneer history, Mrs. Vorderstrasse uses simulation games to enable her 34 sixth graders to experience the history they study. For example, in a monopoly type game, they each get to claim a “homesteading quarter section.” They earn “money” to make improvements on their section and pick cards that describe fateful circumstances, such as tornadoes, that they must face on their “homestead.”

Another yearly project for her students involves several teachers who work together to take the students on a three-day camping trip to different parts of Nebraska where they pitch tents, cook their own meals, and learn about their state. One year during the anniversary of the Oregon Trail, they followed the Trail to Scottsbluff. Mrs. Vorderstrasse wants her students to have fun learning. And they do!

Mrs. Vorderstrasse also enjoys using cutting-edge technology in the classroom. This is made possible by grants and by the community. “I have always appreciated the support the community has given to the school through tax dollars,” she says. “We have been able to keep our school system on the cutting edge.” She adds, “I would put our school up against any other school in the state. Our math department has been known for many years as one of the top math departments in the state.”

It isn’t only the community that makes it possible for the school to excel. The administration, she acknowledges gratefully, is very supportive. “We are not allowed just to sit here and be okay. We are always pushed to the next level. As soon as we get there, the bar is raised,” she explains. “We have an excellent education system because our administration keeps the expectations high for our curriculum and our staff.”

She knows there is yet another reason for an excellent school. She points out, “We have good kids in this community.”

Add to all that a staff of excellent teachers, and you’ll know why Mrs. Vorderstrasse loves TCCS!