La Farge Middle School teacher's curriculum helps students pursue academic, career development

LA FARGE, Wis. (WKBT) -- La Farge Middle School teacher Curt Chroninger enjoys the creative environment the classroom can bring. Whether he's covering social studies or math, young minds in his classroom are always at work.

Chroninger's overseen that learning process in La Farge for 25 years. When you're in one place that long, you teach generations of families.

"It's kind of strange sitting across the table during parent-teacher conferences when you know, hey I had this kid in class at one point. And then I think, boy I'm getting really old," said Chroninger.

But his work ethic makes it seem like he's fresh on the job.

"Whether I ask him to take on an overload for an extra class, during an afternoon break he's taking his sixth graders out to set up the football field for a football game, he's piloting a math series for me this year--he's not afraid to take on whatever you ask of him as a teacher," said school principal Todd Camlek.

He's found purpose in the classroom, something he wasn't sure he'd find as a high schooler in Westby.

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and I had one great teacher who asked me my senior year, 'What are you doing next year? Where are you going to college?' And I said I don't know if I'm going to college. He took me out of the class right then and took me down to the guidance office and said we're going to pick out a college and at least find a place for you to start," said Chroninger.

That conversation got him to Winona State and eventually La Farge. Chroninger is now channeling that conversation into a new effort this year--introducing his students to local businesses.

"Trying to get kids thinking about careers and what they need to do to get to where they want to be in the future," said Chroninger.

He says the younger that process can start, the more knowledge those kids can have when it comes to decision time. It's another way Curt Chroninger can give back to a community he's happy to call home.

"When I first started here, I thought I'd be here one or two years and then move on to something bigger and better. I've seen bigger; I just haven't found better yet. We have a lot of great people here."

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