Bretton Cole
Editor-in-Chief
Crowder College is the teaching home to award-winning, multilingual educator, Dr. Denna Clymer, a woman of broad interests and an unwavering belief in making the most of life. As a teacher at Crowder, Clymer has made the most of her opportunity to help students understand how history is useful as well as keep class engaging and meaningful.
Her teaching life, however, is only a part of what makes her the person she is. In fact, it wasn’t what she initially planned to do. Clymer was originally interested in working for the National Park System.
As a teen, Clymer shared she loved the outdoors and all of the knowledge nature had to offer. However, the process for hiring was tedious, and the more education that appeared on the resume, the better the odds of landing a job.
To that end, she pursued higher education, majoring in history. Teaching was part of her graduate program, and she fell in love. History brought together both teaching and the partiality she had for information.
“History has this fantastic storytelling component that appeals to everyone,” Clymer said.
She has been successful as a teacher at Crowder – students love her, and so do her peers. She was the recipient of Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in December of 2018.
Teaching, however, isn’t the only thing she does well. In fact, it is one of many diverse interests Clymer has mastered.
She can converse in five different languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, German, Spanish and American Sign Language. She was quick to explain that she spoke Spanish “like a caveman,” but admitted that she could have conversation in any of the five. Being multilingual is a tribute to her emphasis on exploration.
“I dabble in anything that captures my interest,” she explained, “We’re wired to learn stuff.”
This attitude is reflective of her philosophy in life. Several times throughout the interview, she highlighted the idea that life should be fun, and that variety and exploration are key components to that end.
She has lived out this philosophy in her own life by pursuing multiple languages as well as other unique characteristics. For example, she told stories of how she bottle-fed orphaned kittens because it gave her joy.
She was also a golden glove boxer in college, noting “It’s a great sport.” She has ran in marathons and half marathons – anything that she feels makes her happy.
“I think [the] best thing we can do is nurture our own interests,” she advised. Life without variety is dull.
“No one wants to go to a buffet and just eat mashed potatoes,” she added.
Those inward motivations are what she requires of her students. She admits she pushes her students harder than some instructors might, but explains it is for their benefit.
She wants students to find their motivation intrinsically, not from anything she can offer. She does, however, want to offer something that every student can enjoy. As her life philosophy would dictate, pursuing what interests students is paramount.
Clymer explains how history is analytical and essentially the logic of cause and effect. That is something she believes can extend to any part of life, inside or outside of the classroom. The process can be taught, but the application is up to students.
“I love seeing my students succeed,” she said, smiling. As a history teacher, she knows there are a lot of students not interested in majoring in the field. Yet, she encourages students to explore what life has to offer for them – that is something she marks as a success.
“People forget to have fun sometimes,” she pointed out. It’s okay to dabble in various interests. She wants students, more than anything else, to figure out a reason they are there. That self-determination and decision is powerful.
“That,” she affirmed, “will push you to succeed.”
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