Colette Fisher
I am retiring after 42 years in the OCSD. My career began in 1979 at Evans Junior High after I attained my degree in home economics education with a minor in health education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI. I obtained my masters degree from Walden University in 2010. In the early 1980’s Ottumwa began closing some of our elementary schools and junior high schools so I was bumped to the high school in the fall of 1982 when ninth grade became a part of OHS. I am the last teacher left from that group of teachers who moved to the high school for ninth grade.
Highlights of my career include getting to work with so many neat kids from all walks of life and from all over the world. I have also been fortunate enough to work with really great people in the family and consumer sciences as well as staff that is so outstanding. The privilege of writing almost eighteen different curriculum programs, beginning the health education program at OHS, and serving students in so many different sports, clubs, and organizations I was a part of will always be remembered. Surviving the renovation of OHS during the 1990’s when I moved rooms six different times and transported my kitchen from home for a year, surviving state evaluation of our program to meet the new 21st-century career focus which took 2-3 years of hard work, and surviving COVID and virtual learning, will always loom out there as challenging moments.
I have always loved coming to work everyday, the generations of students from the same families I have gotten to know, and the friendships formed with staff at work. I look at retirement as goodnight but not goodbye. I will still be thrilled to be recognized by so many former students in the community despite my age and hopefully continue giving tours of OHS for class reunions. Boy, did it go by fast!