The Kim Nuxhall file
Birthday: Sept. 10, 1954
Education: 1972, Fairfield High School; 1978, Miami University
Career: Red's minor league player 1972-1974; Central Elementary School Physical Education teacher 1978-2010
FAIRFIELD — Instead of counting off by numbers to figure out teams in his class, Kim Nuxhall used character traits: Courage, responsibility, caring, kindness ...
After 32 years of teaching physical education at Central Elementary School, Nuxhall, founder of character education in Fairfield, has retired.
The son of Red’s Hall of Fame pitcher and long-time broadcaster Joe Nuxhall credited his father for encouraging education in addition to athletics.
The 1972 Fairfield High School alum earned a degree from Miami University while playing minor league baseball.
In 2003, Nuxhall and his father created the Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund to underwrite character development programs and projects for children.
“It’s daunting teaching 675 kids a week,” he said. “All of a sudden, when I started focusing on character education, it really changed my whole career. It changed my whole philosophy of teaching and really energized me. I feel I was a much better teacher at the end of my career than I was at the beginning, and it’s really because of that. When I started focusing on character first, everything else kind of fell in place.”
As a retiree, he said, there will be more time to focus on projects like the Miracle League, a rubber field for ball players in wheel chairs. He also anticipates developing a workshop or presentation to help teachers incorporate character education into the classroom.
But Fairfield students haven’t seen the last of Nuxhall, who said he plans to make guest appearances on the morning announcements, resurrecting his favorite voice impressions such as “Mr. Whiner.”
Nuxhall taught more than 6,000 students during the years and called it an honor to be a male role model.
“Teaching physical education, I’ve always said its like being king for the day,” he said. “I found the secret, and it’s really deep seeded mutual respect. Once you get that, it’s a really fulfilling feeling and the kids want that.”
Principal Dick Wood said Nuxhall leaves big shoes to fill.
“He’s going to be a great loss,” he said. “He’s done so much for Central and Fairfield in general.”
Superintendent Cathy Milligan said she always enjoyed visiting Nuxhall’s classes.
“When I needed stress relief from the pressures of my office, and I needed to see kids, I went to Kim’s classroom,” she said. “My stress faded away and my soul was restored, just in watching him. Kim was that kind of teacher.”
“A child will not learn until he or she knows care, respect and value from the teacher. And Kim would say love as well. Kim truly loved each of his students, and he was not ashamed to say that.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.
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