Katie H.

Katie's Bio & Tutoring Experience

I never intended to be a teacher.

I grew up in a small town in Southern Minnesota, surrounded by farms, fields, and fresh air. There weren't many jobs in that small town that required a college degree, but I knew that I was meant for education, to learn and grow and make an impression on the world. Yet in that small town, the very people whom influenced my learning were the same kind of people that I would become-teachers.

I came to Louisville to get a degree in vocal music--I was going to be an opera singer. Through my first two years of college, everything was going well, until I developed nodules on my vocal cords, possibly from my work with children through a YMCA After-school program. My vocal music career, according to two different otolaryngologists, was over.

I graduated college with a degree in music history--my college's first, and quite possibly, only recipient of that degree. I went to seminary for a short time, thinking I may be called into the ministry, but found that not to be the case. I continued working for the YMCA, as a preschool teacher, and found myself in the position to take on two part-time jobs as a music teacher in Catholic schools.

I loved teaching-for all of it's insanity. Despite the long hours, the nights spent grading, or fretting over a parent situation, or worrying about particular students, I loved it. Not only that, but I also learned that I was GOOD at it. From the notes sent to me by parents throughout the years, to the recommendations of my principals to other jobs, to the hugs and cards I got from students leaving my classroom at the end of the year, evidence has continued to mount in my favor.

My twisting, winding road to life as an educator has allowed me an open-mind and heart when it comes to my students, my approaches to teaching, and my interactions with administration, fellow teachers, and parents.

My classroom is a place of safety, of pushing limits, of acceptance, of students learning how smart they ARE, despite what they may have told themselves or been told by others. Students in my classroom succeed and achieve in ways they hadn't before, and these successes are found in the growth of their characters, as well as the strength of their standardized test scores. In every year I have served as a homeroom teacher, the students' test scores have risen--because they all learn that they can succeed.

I was an active participant in extra-curricular activities, and my own children are also participants. I have participated in (as a student) or coached volleyball, softball, basketball, drama/theater, vocal music, marching band, debate, speech club, mock trial, National Honor Society, student council, and served as a class officer. I adore supporting and running clubs as a teacher, because we get to use that time to really bond with students, outside of the necessity of focused, academic time.

I have had the opportunity to travel in the past few years, and it has given me a great appreciation for cultures. Having visited Italy, Croatia, Greece, Peru and Ecuador, I gained a true appreciation for each of these cultures. I am scheduled to travel with my husband to China next summer, and will get to add those cultures to my understanding of the world.

In the end, what makes me stand out from other candidates? Absolute passion and commitment to being an outstanding educator. My constant desire to learn, to teach, and to love my students puts me in contention for a position like this, and given the chance, I will be an asset to your school community.

Katie's Expertise

Katie's Education & Certifications

MAT-- Elem. Ed
BS--Music History

Teaching licensure: State of Indiana: K-6 General Ed, 5-9 Language Arts, 5-9 Math

Katie's References