As the general music K-5 teacher at Prairie Ridge Elementary School, Katie rotates in about 200 students a day and sees about 450 twice a week. She also has a 75-member choir that meets every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school.
Her favorite part of teaching “is simply getting to know my students and build relationships with them,” she said. “My students are a bunch of cool little people, and each one of them excels at different things. It is so fun to learn their interests, have them tell me what they do outside of school, and help them uncover talents they might not have known they had. My students make my job a dream.”
She has, though, been surprised at just how talented her young students can be.
“What has surprised me most about teaching is being blown away by what students can create and do when they put their mind to it,” she said. “When I have auditions for grade level performances, I am always so surprised at some of the kids’ emotion when speaking and singing in front of large audiences. It is a great feeling knowing that you helped them get there.”
But, she says she has much to work on in her new career. Any specifics, Katie?
“One word…Kindergarten,” she said. “Oh my, those little humans are so full of life and have so much more energy than I could possibly possess. However, we have come a long way since day one. Until about my third week in, it never occurred to me that this is the first time kindergarten students have ever ‘been in’ or ‘done’ school, and they assume nothing…rules, expectations, running out of the classroom, nothing. It was a learning experience for the all of us, and I now feel much more prepared and comfortable when teaching them and knowing how to plan. They also are the cutest and say the absolute best lines.”
She also provides some advice for fellow and future new teachers.
“Every day is a new day,” she said. “No matter how long you’ve been in college, how many classrooms you’ve volunteered in, or how well your blocks/student teaching have gone…, once you’re on your own, it’s a new ballgame, my friends. The game is full of emotions—exciting, scary, hilarious, sleep depravity—and you definitely play more than nine innings. The good news is…if you strike out, you get back up to the plate and start swinging again. If something doesn’t work or you make a mistake, brush it off because in about 30 minutes something else you didn’t plan for will happen and you are now onto another task. Take time to enjoy the home runs!
“Your students will surprise you, trust you, and love you just as much as you love them,” she said. “Remember to celebrate small victories as much as large. Another surprise is, as soon as one game ends, another begins. You will be running around bases more than you’d ever expected and then do it all again the next day. Sometimes you will lose, but other times you will win! Just remember, mistakes are normal and can only make you better—it’s just up to you to see the good in each one and move forward. Teaching rocks and is the best game you could ever play.”
Katie is also appreciative of her time in the music education program at KSU.
“I could never say enough good things about KSU’s COE and how much more prepared I have felt in my first year of teaching than I ever thought was possible,” she said. “I have a countless number of resources such as technological, literature, professionalism, and psychological resources I use daily, all learned throughout my classes in the COE. I felt prepared to conduct conferences with parents, understanding how to create different types of assessments/rubrics for my kids, create a comfortable and safe environment in my classroom, and how to read/help create IEPs and 504s for the success of my students. Compared to other first-year teachers I am working with, I have always been able to say I knew what administrators were talking about or expected because it is something that was covered in my COE classes.”
She may be out on her own in her classroom, but Katie said she continues to find support from the KSU faculty.
“You will definitely miss them once you’re finished, but it is a good feeling knowing they will still help you with anything they can after college too.”