Have you ever met a teacher that owned his own music school, is a hypnotist, and had a lawn business for 20 years? No? Well then meet Don Heese, a history teacher with an interesting background. 

How long have you been a teacher/ taught at East? 

“I began teaching in Des Moines Schools 25 years ago.  After being re-assigned each year to different schools at first, I found a home at East in 1999 – 19 years ago – It’s interesting when I realized a couple years ago that I started at East before my students of the past 2-3 years were even born” 

Tell me about your job as a hypnotist 

“When I was 14 and in eighth grade, a friend of mine and I walked out of the school gym after witnessing our first hypnotist show.  We decided to try it on each other.  He tries it on me – it didn’t work.  I tried it on him and he goes into a trance.  It was kind of strange, but I got used to it pretty quick because during high school, I got asked by a lot by people to hypnotize them for all kinds of things like sports, stage performances, playing pool better, and even some who were stressed or having trouble getting over relationships. I went public 6 years ago and I meet with clients in the evenings at my home.  They also come for a variety of issues like weight loss, stop-smoking, fears and phobias, sports performance, academics, bad habits, relationship issues, etc.  Some come in for what’s called Life Coaching in addition to hypnosis. It’s been very successful and is one of the most satisfying occupations I’ve ever done” 

Tell me about your past jobs 

“In college I was a swim pool manager for the city in Iowa City – and at the same time I worked at Campus Food Services and in the Recording Studio at the School of Music.  I was also apartment manager at the complex where I lived.  I did all that because I liked the money – and I was paying for my own college.  In grad school I worked at a private music school and at the university as a Teaching Assistant to the professors. When I moved back to Des Moines, I started my own private music school in conjunction with a piano company here at the time, and we built that school from the ground up to over 200 students in the first two years.  After 4 years of that, I chose to return to school in my 30s and get licensed to teach social studies in the public schools.  I’ve been a part of DMPS and mostly EHS ever since” 

What is your favorite part of being a teacher?  

“What’s really interesting about teaching is that no two students (out of thousands) and no two classes have ever been alike.  There are some similar characteristics that go with being a teenager, but every single student has had a unique and interesting personality.  So even though the material we teach is often the same, the students are always new” 

 What do you plan on doing after you retire? 

“I am only 55 so this is really just a working retirement where I plan to build my current business and enjoy being able to set my own schedule and pursue some other personal goals.” 

 Tell me about your hobbies 

“I don’t have any hobbies, I like to work and when I’m not working, I just spend time with loved ones or friends”  

Tell me about your family 

“I have a very lovely and pleasant wife named Jody.  I have 2 children who were adopted from Russia 20 years ago. Both are adults now.  Olga was 14 when we adopted her, and Kyle was 18 months old.  I also have a step-son Andy, in college and a step-daughter Emily, who will start 9th grade next fall”  

Tell me what you like to do in your free time 

“Can’t make money with free time, but my family and I enjoy trips to places like Lake Okoboji, Florida, etc.  I do a lot of writing and some recording.  I’ve actually been learning some new rather advanced piano pieces lately, too.  Haven’t done that for years, and it’s kind of nice to advance a little again.  I enjoy a number of other things, too, but they’d take too long to explain” 

Tell me some interesting facts about yourself 

” I have a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance. After leaving the music school I started, I taught piano lessons for 30 years, I had a Lawn Business at the same time for 20 of those years, and a rental property I think for about 7 or 8 years- – I met Pope John Paul II in Rome when I was 16 – went back to Europe during college and traveled alone for 2 months at age 21. And with all the other things I do, I still watch a lot of TV and get plenty of down time alone and with others.  Life has been very interesting and enjoyable overall so far, and I suspect that will continue even though my school teaching time is coming to a close”