Teacher. Adventurer. Podcaster. Believer in Kids.
I’m Nicholas Kleve, better known around the classroom as Mr. Funky Teacher. I teach fifth grade at Winnebago Public Schools, and 2026–2027 is my 24th year of teaching.
Our Five Classroom Affirmations
These are the five affirmations we repeat and carry with us in our classroom.
I can do hard things!
Hard does not mean impossible. I can ask for help, try again, and keep going.
I am unstoppable!
Mistakes and setbacks do not get the final word. I keep moving forward.
I matter!
My voice, ideas, effort, choices, and presence matter.
I am smart!
I can learn, wonder, solve problems, revise, and grow.
I can change the world!
I can help someone, improve my classroom, serve my community, stand up for what is right, and use my voice for good.
24 Years of Classes. One Continuing Story.
My teaching story began in 2003. I spent 22 years in South Sioux City schools — nine years at E.N. Swett Elementary, two years at Covington Elementary, and eleven years at Lewis & Clark Elementary. In 2025, a new chapter began at Winnebago Public Schools.
The schools and programs have changed, but the purpose has stayed remarkably consistent: build relationships, help students grow into leaders, give them meaningful opportunities to use their voices, and remind them that they can make a difference.
Developing Student Leaders
Student leadership is its own story — from the South Sioux City years and the Lewis & Clark Student Leadership Council to The BAGO Mic at Winnebago.
Student Leadership & Student Voice
Student leadership has been part of my classroom for years. Student Leadership Council was one way students could put leadership into action. At Winnebago, The BAGO Mic has helped bring confidence, communication, listening, storytelling, and student voice into the experience of the entire class.
A Gift I’ll Always Treasure
During my first year at Winnebago, my students surprised me with a medallion that carries two pieces of the classroom story: Mr. Funky Teacher and You Can Change the World. A student from that first class created the necklace portion, and Ms. Shipman and her Family and Consumer Science class worked with my students to help create the medallion and gift.
It is one of those reminders that teaching is built from relationships, gratitude, shared experiences, and people doing meaningful things for one another.
Outside the Classroom
Paddleboarding. Biking. RAGBRAI. Hiking. Camping. Fishing. Travel. Family. Those adventures are part of why I believe learning should include curiosity, trying new things, healthy risks, and seeing more of the world around us.