Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Who is Katie & How Did She Find Teaching?

About Me:

My great influences - forests (my backyard growing up), large bodies of H2O (Lake Michigan as a kid), Midwest thunderstorms, National Geographic Magazines (I started 'reading' them literally in the closet around the ripe old age of 3), being the baby of a family of 4 girls, losing a great first love at the age of 19, private Catholic school, story collectors, color, dancers, all my amazing math teachers throughout the years

Favorites - colors of the ocean (any shade of blue & green & in between), alleyways, kids & elderly, the smell of lilac trees

My Love Affair with Teaching:

I guess I can honestly say I never intended to be an educator and I've never truly been 'trained' in education. I remember one summer picking up Savage Inequalities from a box of books my sister had left behind. Upon reading it, I new a passion for educating was buried in my greater depths, it was in my heart and soul, but there was so much fear wrapped up with it. For 10+ years I carried such fear. Even now, a woman in my early 30's, I struggle with such. I'm guessing that is a part of being an educator. The fear of never knowing if your best if good enough. Never knowing if you can be everything that a child needs. I've also learned that if you've got such a fire inside of you, you can try and put it out, but chances are it will continue to haunt you until you find the courage to take that risk and jump into it, into the fire that is know as teaching.

So after my summer of reading, I decided to take a few courses in education. I always walked away sorely disappointed. I remember being assigned a project that one would have an elementary child do. That was my breaking point. I didn't want to spend my time on such things; I wanted to learn about different educational systems & structures. Why the American school systems were failing so many students, yet other nations were thriving? What did such successful systems look like? I started reading more. Then graduation came.

Upon graduation, I received a phone call from an acquaintance  from college who wanted me to consider teaching at a summer camp in South Korea. She thought I would make a perfect fit, and although I hadn't been trained in such, she thought I should give it a try. And so I did. I guess you could say that's what set my explorations with teaching into motion! I had an amazing summer filled with adorable & eager children, amazing food, and a whole lot of life lessons. I must have done something right because I was invited back to be their Camp Supervisor for the winter program. I had a whole bunch of excuses (FEAR) so I turned the offer down.

Welcome to my Seattle years (and they aren't over yet). I had lined up a job doing therapy with a high functioning autistic boy a few times a week. After about a year of that, the commute (sometimes a 3+ hr drive to get 15 miles home) was getting to me and I was fearing I was straying too far from my goals. I spent the next two years volunteering in an elementary classroom. I had 'shopped around' for that perfect fit, and as soon as I got into the halls of T.T. Minor Elementary I new it was the school for me. It didn't take long to fall in love with this school and everyone that filled it. I admired the principal & valued all I observed of the teachers' I helped. It was at this point that I started researching a Masters in Education again. But something inside of me held back. It was also during this time that wanted to explore work with a little bit older children. I got a job through Americorps with a local non-profit, Seattle Youth Garden Works, doing garden education and job training with homeless and street youth. I loved everything about this job, unfortunately they never had adequite funding to hire on a regular staff person. It was after this that I continued to do more work in the community, volunteering my time at the local children's clinic and working for another organization in the city doing cooking & nutrition classes to low income members. Most recently, I taught nutrition education (public health style- big & broad) in an Elementary School. This meant I got to travel around to over a dozen classrooms throughout the year, with bags of educational supplies, food, and all the cooking gear one could imagine! It was fantastic. I loved every minute in the classroom with the kiddo's, but was just too darn frustrated and physically worn out from working multiple jobs (I wasn't able to get benefits or full time due to budget cutbacks).

This past year I decided to step back from it for a little while. I pulled the plug on teaching as well as all the volunteer work I was doing in the community. It was time to refuel and re-evaluate where I saw myself long-term. It was time to figure out how I could support myself while doing such work and still maintain a quality of life I deserved. Then in the fall of 2011 I decided I would really enjoy getting certified in TESOL, so I enrolled at my local college for the main course and the grammar course. I am officialy certified to teach english to speakers of other languages! Exciting times on my horizon!

I strongly believe this is the perfect next step for me. My goals, well those are a work in progress. If I stay in the states, there are a couple of routes I would be pleased with. I'd love to get more involved with refugees & immigrants with a focus on women & children. Or perhaps continue my work with children in the classroom. If I find myself abroad, I would enjoy starting in the classroom teaching ESOL to children. Then possibly move into ESOL work with asylum seekers.

Education is fluid, and I strongly believe everyone benefits from such. I do know I'm ready to get my hands dirty!

 

Other Interests:

Of course! Besides my love of teaching (and all topics that fit into that category) I manage to fill my life with so many wonderful additions.

Ranked right up with little kiddo's, I have an utmost appreciate for nature! It's not uncommon that I arrive home from a hike with a baggie of lichen, moss, and other forest loot, later to be displayed some place in my apartment or to be used on the stove for my attempts at dying fabrics! I never tire of the wonders that plants provide-they are my mental savior (when I'm sad or confused this is the first thing I reach out to), my entertainment, my wanna-be scientist laboratory specimens, and my life source (food)! Growing up on Lake Michigan, I always reflect back on how lucky I am to have had that as my childhood. My days (and evenings) were filled with forest and shoreline adventures with my sisters. I am most at peace in such settings, and can't stray too far from water without needing to head back home.

Then there are the man-made structures I adore. I am enraptured by old buildings. When not lost in a garden or forest or on the water, chances are you just might find me in a random alley gazing at some historic structure, scheming its preservation & restoration! I dabble with stained glass & woodworking, and have dreams of helping to restore historic buildings.

Family! They are my everything. I have 3 amazing sisters I am fortunate to call my best friends, and several beautiful nieces and nephews whom I don't see nearly enough. On top of that there is also the family I meet throughout life. Without such relationships and encounters I wouldn't be the person I am today, and for that I am grateful.

And my overflow laundry list: travel, culture, architecture, cooking, kayaking, camping, biking, yoga, textile art, attending lectures & dance performances, garden therapy...

Curious about something? Don't hesitate to ask.

Warmly,

Katie