It was Tuesday, March 28th, of Catholic Schools Week. Mass had finished, and Mrs. Ellen Hohman was named the Kathy Sanders Spirit of Spalding Award Recipient for 2025. One question remained: Who was the teacher of the year? Mr. McCaul began to read the responses for the winning teacher of the year. Students in the Liturgical Choir began to whisper. It’s gotta be Mr. Heming! Sure enough, it was.
To celebrate Mr. Heming becoming Archbishop Spalding’s Teacher of the Year, I asked him questions about receiving the award and his teaching philosophy.
Q.) Leading up to being picked for Teacher of the Year, did you have any idea it would be you?
A.) “I had no idea!”
Q.) What was your reaction to becoming Teacher of the Year? What were you thinking when walking to the stage?
A.) “ It’s a tremendous honor, and I am grateful to be selected as Teacher of the Year. There are so many exceptional teachers at Spalding, so being chosen among them is truly special. I was feeling pretty emotional walking to the stage and really just trying to keep it together.”
Q.) What led/inspired you to become a high school music teacher?
A.) “My high school teaching career started with a phone call from Stephanie Huesgen, who was Spalding’s first Music Department chair. She asked if I would be interested in teaching a guitar class and a music theory class. I said yes, and 25 years later, I’m still here! I started with two classes and grew my program into a full-time position. That phone call had a profound effect on my life. Teaching music is a passion and I’m grateful to be doing it at this amazing school with incredible students and colleagues.”
Q.) What has been the most rewarding part of being a teacher?
A.) “Witnessing a student’s reaction when something “clicks” is incredibly rewarding. Whether they have finally mastered a song or riff they had been practicing or created a beat they are proud of in the music technology class, those moments are rewarding. It’s also rewarding to play a role in instilling a love for music that my students will carry with them long after they graduate from high school.
Q.) Do you have any advice for students?
A.) “ I would say follow your passion. Do what you love and never stop learning.”
