NGPF Distinguished Educator Kim Pennycuff is a CTE Business Teacher at Pickerington High School North, in Pickerington, Ohio, a suburb east of Columbus. Now in her 28th year as a teacher, she's able to use her 14 years of previous experience in corporate business to pass on financial lessons to her students. Read on to learn more about Kim, including her unique Meet the Teacher night idea. 

What is one of your earliest money memories?

I asked my father how much money he made at his job (a journeyman and machinist for sheet metal). He was so angry that I would think to ask, so he stormed out of the room. He later told me that this information was not for children’s knowledge, and that I should not ask such personal questions. I didn’t realize then that being curious about such subjects could cause such emotion. But, this was in the 70s…women still didn’t have the right to a credit card without their husband’s approval/co-sign.

My dad did change his mind about giving me that information, but only after I had graduated from college and we were talking about investments and organizing his financial documents while calculating his net worth. He is 83 now, and I am the executor for his trust and will, so I think he finally realized he had to open up a little. :-)

My other early memory was asking for a job at age 13 at a local beauty shop. I asked if I could sweep the floors and clean the stations of the beauticians. I made $.50 an hour and worked a long Saturday, but it taught me the value of having an income and being in control of my money (choices).

Describe your school and the size, location, and community where it is located.

I teach CTE Business at Pickerington High School North, in Pickerington, Ohio. This is a suburb east of Columbus, Ohio, with close to 1,900 students this year (increasing each year). Our district has two high schools. We used to be known as a farming community, but our population has increased tremendously and we now have more factories and distribution centers than agriculture. Occasionally, a local pig or goat gets loose, but not too many.

How long have you been teaching? And how many of those years have you taught personal Finance? 

This is my 28th year as a teacher. I have taught many subjects, but finance has been for the past nine years. I came from a corporate business background where I was an administrative assistant, sales person for corporate and residential real estate, marketing coordinator for one of the top quick-serve restaurant organizations and a finance associate for a large farm and commercial equipment company. I did that for 14 years before becoming a teacher.

What other classes do you teach? And what age are your students?

I have a business pathway, so I teach Leadership, Ethics and Finance, Lean Business Essentials, Professional & Technical Sales and Marketing, Operations Management, and Strategic Entrepreneurship. My students range from 9th to 12th grade, ages 14-18.

What makes you passionate about personal finance education?

Any student who is able to understand the basics of financial literacy and can truly find the benefit of compound interest, budgeting, and saving for their future will likely be a happier person who sets goals and then reaches them. I remind my students that most people don’t escape mistakes and choose less than ideal actions that may cause them loss, but that learning how to manage their money could be a change in their future for the better and that it is a marathon and not a sprint.

What are your favorite topics to teach? And activities to use?

My favorite topics are budgeting, paying for college and behavioral economics. The activities I use are the Bean Game, Spent, Tuition Tracker/Data Crunch and also Nearpods with Time To Climb.

Can you provide an example of how a lesson taught in class helped a student and/or someone in their family make a better money decision?

One of the very first activities I complete is on Meet the Teacher night. I ask all parents and guardians to write on a big post it note what they wish they had learned in high school about personal finance. The parent/guardian loves to tell me what would have helped them in their life to make it less challenging and to help them reach their financial goals. I hang the poster in the room and when we get ready to begin a unit, I point to the poster. I say, this is what your parents/guardians said would have been helpful in “real life.” Let’s work hard to not feel the same way when we are adults.

Do you hear from past students? If so, what do they say about having taken your class?

I have brothers and sisters of my past students who introduce themselves as “John’s sister or brother” and how their sibling recommended the Leadership, Ethics and Finance course to their younger family members. The younger one usually asks me about the STAX game and when we are going to talk about the stock market or some other activity that the older one liked

One nice thing about teaching a business pathway, is that the finance course I teach often keeps students returning for the next course topic. Every course I teach has a standard for finance. I explain that if you can’t manage your own personal finances, you shouldn’t be in charge of a business’ money. That hits home!

How has being part of the NGPF network helped you personally? Professionally?

I love the NGPF network. As many teachers experience, business/finance/marketing/family and consumer educators are often the singletons in a school system. NGPF educators, no matter their core subject matter, are my network. I love getting online and seeing their faces and chatting in the breakout rooms. I love that the individuals who teach me are so enthusiastic about personal finance and how it can change my student’s lives, and also my life. The most important professional impact for me has been the in-person conferences that I began before COVID and continue to attend presently.

I find new ways to deliver content in a fun and interactive way. I worked very hard to achieve Distinguished Educator status and NGPF has acknowledged and celebrated my efforts. Finding NGPF and learning from the coaches/staff, I believe it has been one of the best things I could do for my personal and professional growth.

What advice do you have for other personal finance teachers? 

The best advice I could give to new personal finance teachers is to make a little time each week to be a part of Virtual PD and then to pursue a Certification Course in specific areas. You learn so very much that makes you more confident in the classroom. There isn’t any faking it until you make it. You have the tools right away! I’m so happy to see that professional development/college hours are now being offered. This is important information and learning and is being recognized more and more by our own schools and the states we work in.

My other tip is to go ahead and try a MOVE or PLAY activity. So what if it doesn’t turn out perfectly. Your willingness to show your vulnerability to your students is something they won’t forget, and that failing is learning.

Is there anything else about you, your school, or your personal finance journey that you would like us to know?

I have been the recipient of great knowledge from NGPF and this has made me want to spread the word about NGPF and its mission. Recently, my state adopted the requirement for personal financial literacy before graduation. I was already teaching it, but the school added it onto the social studies department responsibilities. Given the hard work I had been doing for the past nine years, my course was also certified as fulfilling that graduation requirement. I really felt heard and seen and I love that students really enjoy learning in a way that helps them socially as well as academically.

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.