Teacher Feature: Kathryn
Kathryn is one of those teachers who’s felt called to teaching since she was a kid (except, she says, for that fleeting childhood dream of being an interior designer). A teacher colleague of Kathryn remarks: “Kathryn's greatest strengths are her communication skills, lesson planning abilities, and her deep care for her students.”
Learn more about Kathryn’s fun projects she assigned to a student around his interest in Minecraft, her favorite subject to teach, and why she loves being a resident of Montana.
About Kathyrn
Kathryn graduated from George Fox University with a BS in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. During that time she also became ESOL endorsed and language arts certified for the middle school level. Kathryn also holds a master’s degree in integrated curriculum from the American College of Education.
After completing three different student teaching placements in university, Kathryn taught 3rd-6th grade language arts at an international school in China where she was promoted to head teacher. Afterwards, she worked as an English assistant at a public school in Spain and then moved back to the US to become a lead middle school teacher in a multi-age classroom in Big Sky, Montana.
Kathryn believes in finding the appropriate balance between offering support and challenging her students to their full potential. She has been working with students since 2015 in pre-k through 8th grade in language arts, social studies, and science.
When did you start teaching and why?
Besides a brief window in time when I thought I wanted to be an interior designer at age ten, all I’ve ever wanted to do is teach. Because of this, I chose a university that had a major in education, started teaching in my own classroom soon after graduation, and now I’m in year five of classroom and one-on-one teaching. My own memories of my elementary teachers making the classroom learning fun and inviting spurred me to want to do that for kids as well. I have always wanted to help shape young minds and show them that so much is possible when you work hard, use creativity, push yourself, and strive to be the best version of you.
What’s your favorite subject to teach and why?
My favorite subject to teach is language arts. Being a bit of a bookworm as a child, I love showing students that reading can be fun! Writing becomes a natural extension of this as the more you read, the more you have a sense of language and the more you will have to say too.
What do you enjoy most about teaching with Pacific Preparatory?
What I enjoy most about teaching with Pacific Preparatory is all of the great one-on-one learning that happens. As a teacher, you really get to know each student well and can tailor the curriculum to their interests, strengths, and goals. It’s really enjoyable getting to know students on a deeper level than is normally possible in a classroom. It is an honor to be in someone’s home (whether in person or online) and meet the whole family. A shout out also has to be given to the amazing leadership team at Pacific Prep who are organized, prompt with emails, and so kind, as well as trusting of us professional teachers.
Can you tell me about a specific time when you saw a student thriving at Pacific Preparatory?
A time I have seen a student thriving at Pac Prep is when we were able to incorporate his love of computer games into class. Knowing that he enjoyed Minecraft, I assigned a project that gave him the opportunity to demonstrate content knowledge, but in a way that interested him and allowed him to use computer skills. He then went above and beyond to record the presentation in a video with an introduction and voice-over, effectively learning lots of new skills on the computer and creating an amazing end result!
What are your top three book recs in your subject area?
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Peak by Roland Smith
What’s your favorite activity to do outside of teaching?
As a resident of Montana, most of my time outside of teaching is spent hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. With one ski season under my belt, I am eager for the snow to start falling and so I can get on the mountain again!
Happy teaching, Kathryn!