kurt dieterle

Returning to School — As a Teacher

By Angela E. Pometto
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 12/14/06)

At age 55, Kurt Dieterle started kindergarten — as a teacher’s aide. On his first day at school, Dieterle entered the chapel where the kindergarten students were assembled. They greeted him in uniform, “Good morning, Mr. Dieterle.” And then one small voice chimed in, “Hi, Dad.”
After 21 years as a Marine, seven years in business and five years as a stay-at-home dad, Dieterle went back to school when his son, Matthew, entered kindergarten at St. Mark School in Vienna.
Now, Matthew is in third grade, and Dieterle is teaching eighth-grade home room and middle school math and religion.
Dieterle comes from a military family. His mother was in the Coast Guard, and his dad and brother were in the Army. Not only did he hear military stories from his parents, but when he was growing up, his neighbors and family friends had lived through World War II and the Vietnam War.
“That’s what they talked about,” he said, adding that it was a natural decision for him to join the Marines.
He met his wife, Carol, near the end of his Marine career, and they were married in 1989. They became parishioners at St. Mark Church.
“I never felt like I had roots before,” he said. “The community at St. Mark is incredible.”
When their son Matthew was born, Carol continued working, and he became a stay-at-home dad.
“I feel fortunate that she had the guts to reverse roles,” he said, adding that he sometimes felt guilty staying home while his wife went to work. “I wore a pair of jeans in the winter and shorts in the summer, and the biggest decision was what park to go to today.”
As a parishioner, Dieterle helped get the school built. When it opened, his son was ready for kindergarten, and he was ready to go back to work. He saw an ad in the bulletin for teaching aides and decided to give it a try.
When he started, his mentors were two kindergarten teachers less than half Deiterle’s age — Laurel Buckis and Carrie Conques.
“I had no idea what kindergarten kids were like,” he said. Buckis and Conques “showed me what it means to love kids and got me pointed in the right direction.”
He spent his days cutting out little hands and working on arts and crafts with the children. While he enjoyed that year spending time with his son, Dieterle was happy to switch to teaching middle-school so his arthritic hands could take a break. Now that he’s started teaching, he’s hooked to the profession.
As a business man, Dieterle said he would go to work “looking behind his back” to see who was trying to get ahead of him. At St. Mark School, the students and teachers gather in a circle each day and pray for each other and for the school community.
“It’s the exact opposite,” he said. “If God gives you an opportunity and you have the courage to take the leap of faith, He provides.”
Dieterle hopes to continue teaching until his son gets through at least high school and perhaps college.
“As long as I get my summers to go fishing, I’m happy,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for people who have spent their lives doing this. It’s demanding, but those who are truly called are wonderful people.”

Angela E. Pometto can be reached at apometto@catholicherald.com.