Bringing history home: Klawonn ready to retire as educator

Local native ready to step down after 27 years inspiring kids 

American history teacher Brenda Klawonn stands in front of a photo from Washington D.C., a city she visited 15 times as part of student projects like Heroes & Huskies.
American history teacher Brenda Klawonn stands in front of a photo from Washington D.C., a city she visited 15 times as part of student projects like Heroes & Huskies.

Brenda Klawonn’s lesson plans for teaching American history at Aurora High School the past 24 years go well beyond memorizing dates, names and significant events dating back to the post-Civil War era. Her goal has always been to help students find a connection that helps bring history to life. “Kids think history happens somewhere else,” Klawonn observed. “They’re not part of history, at least tha…