#5: Kelly Detwiler, 32 years

Orchestra teacher Kelly Detwiler is an alum of Altoona and Penn State University. She has previously taught at Keith, Roosevelt and the high school, but is now teaching at the junior high and high school.

“Meeting all the students and seeing them grow up from seventh grade to twelfth grade and now sixth grade to twelfth grade,” Detwiler said. “I am the orchestra director, majorette adviser and I do a couple little committees here and there throughout the school.”

Detwiler didn’t intend on graduating with a music major.

“I actually didn’t enter college in the teaching profession. I was actually a math major; I was big into science and that kind of stuff I was really missing music. I went and joined a lot of ensembles and played with them. Once I got in there I knew that was absolutely what I wanted to do and there was no question about it,” Detwiler said. 

According to Detwiler, it was her high school and college music directors who really impacted her love of teaching music.

“My high school band director really taught me a lot about music. He really helped me out and took some time to teach me with my bass playing and was really influential in my career,” Detwiler said. “When I got to college, the jazz band director kind of took me in, and he had a faculty jazz group called a combo, so I ended up playing with them. He just took me under his wing and taught me a lot of things. He is one of the biggest reasons I am the person and player I am today.”

Detwiler believes that one of the biggest changes since she has started is students in the workforce. 

“Kids would go home and be at home. They would do their homework and practice or take private lessons, for my subject that I teach, but nowadays there just isn’t time for it because everyone is running from here and there and everywhere, so that is the biggest change,” Detwiler said

Detwiler has many memories with her students but mostly enjoys who she teaches with. 

“It isn’t a memory but one of the joys that I have while teaching is being able to teach alongside my husband. We are together 24/7 and it creates a relationship that we have so much in common and so much to talk about, and I think that is one of the best things in my position and what I’m doing now,” Detwiler said. 

Detwiler offers advice to beginning teachers.

“Be patient because it won’t be perfect for five years. It’ll take you five years to figure it out. You have to take one day at a time and one breath at a time. If you have the patience and endurance you will absolutely love this career, but it takes a while to get used to it and everything that is going on and all of the personalities and everyone that you have to get in contact with and be with in your classrooms,” Detwiler said.