Putnam County R-I Schools Logo

Brook Fleshman: Teacher Spotlight

February 10, 2022

 Launch the media gallery 1 player

Show some love for our Middle School Counselor, Mrs. Brook Fleshman! Not only is it National School Counseling Week this week, but it's also Mrs. Fleshman's birthday month! When asked who or what inspired you to pursue a career in education, this is how Mrs. Fleshman responded:

"I have distinct memories from when I was in school, listening to other students make comments about tragic or unfortunate situations they experienced at home. As I was exploring possible careers I was unsure if I would be able to provide enough help to students in similar situations. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to try to help relieve even a small portion of grief that a student could be experiencing which fueled my desire to be a school counselor."

Mrs. Fleshman is married to Kyle (Mr. Fleshman) who teaches high school math and coaches our varsity boys basketball team. They have two little boys, Emmitt, a tall second-grader, and Bayler, who is enjoying his first year at Putnam. This is the first year the Fleshman fam is all at the "big school" as Bayler puts it. The Fleshmans spend a lot of time doing home projects and attending basketball games. Mrs. Fleshman enjoys baking and cooking for her household of guys in her spare time. She says, "it's a good thing, because these boys can eat!"

When asked about her journey to the field of education, Mrs. Fleshman said:

"After graduating from PCR-I, I attended Northwest Missouri State University where I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education. I taught business at Schuyler for one year before taking the school counselor position at La Plata while obtaining my Master of Arts in Counseling from Truman State University. After seven years at La Plata, Kyle and I decided to move back to Putnam County to be closer to family and for Kyle to expand his farming operation. To fulfill the role as a gifted education instructor here at Putnam, I have also received my certification in Gifted Education from the University of Missouri."

We asked Mrs. Fleshman why she chose to come home to be a Homegrown Hero for Putnam County R-I. Here's what she had to say:

"I graduated in 2005 and I appreciate personally knowing the families of our students. It is always fun when students find a picture of me from high school in a yearbook or in the class pictures and I can share a school story from "back in my day." It creates a unique connection with students that I would not get to experience anywhere else!"

This is what a fellow teacher had to say about Mrs. Fleshman: "Brook always goes above and beyond to help not only our middle school students but our staff as well. She spends countless hours trying to make sure everyone in the middle school has fun and feels like they belong. Brook always has a smile on her face and is always willing to step up to help everyone."

It is Mrs. Fleshman's 6th year at Putnam County R-I and her 14th year in education. Help us wish Mrs. Fleshman a happy birthday month, school counselor appreciation week, and thank her for putting her heart into education!