by Graham Davis

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires,” William Arthur Ward once stated. Choir students from PCM have been shown that glimpse of a great teacher through Ms. Meredith Blankenheim. Ask almost any student from the PCM school district who has participated in choir how they would define Blankenheim, and they would, without a doubt, look at you and say she was the definition of a great teacher, someone who inspires.
“Blankenheim is phenomenal,” sophomore Savannah Buys said.
Blankenheim started her career here at PCM in the fall of 2012, with an approximate of 30 students in the PCM High School choir. This past year, starting in 2014, that number increased to over the very large number of 55 members. This is not only because of the love for singing and music, but for the feeling of being pushed to achieve each and every goal you desire.
“I became a teacher because I love music and I wanted to share that passion and that joy you get from making music with other people to teach students how to do it themselves. I picked it in the eighth grade and never wanted to do anything else,” Blankenheim said. “When I first started, I thought my job was to just teach anything about music, the base level. Especially at my time here at PCM, I’ve realized that I’m supposed to teach students through music to be better people.
Blankenheim has achieved many things as the choral director here at PCM, including three Division II ratings at State large group, and leading many students to a future in music. She has laid out many opportunities for the teenagers, including sending them to honor choirs, nominating them for Europe trips and leading them to great ratings at Solo & Ensemble contest.
This past year Blankenheim has decided to end her career here, wanting to teach closer to home, and to her fiancé. She has taken a job in Indianola, as the choral director at the middle school.
“I hope by focusing on one age group, that I will be able to better serve my students. I always want to give my students the as many opportunities as possible,” Blankenheim stated.
Students from PCM wish Blankenheim the best throughout her career as a music teacher, and to never let the passion die.