Katie Sullivan
Vermont Teacher of the Year
Warren Elementary, Warren
Grades 3-4, All Subjects

My teaching philosophy
I believe that students learn best when they are engaged in their own learning. If they feel empowered and excited by what they are doing, they will automatically open their minds to new ideas and concepts.

I also feel it is essential that all students feel safe in the classroom. They need to feel safe to take risks and to make mistakes. Students need reassurance that it’s okay to make mistakes and that their effort is noticed. I emphasize the importance of taking risks, failing, and then trying again and again.

Lastly, I believe in laughter. Good natured, heartfelt laughter sets a tone and creates an atmosphere of comfort and belonging.

My philosophy in action
Although all aspects of learning are not always exciting, I engage my students as much as possible by connecting the material to real-life experiences, enlisting them as policy makers, and providing opportunities for them to make choices.

To connect the material to real life, I enlist the help of my classroom pets (currently four snakes and a dove). Caring for the animals helps teach responsibility and respect. Studying reptiles and birds literally comes alive for students as they are observing the predator/prey relationship, watching a snake shed its skin, or holding a dove and feeling its tiny, rapid heartbeat.

When teaching a language arts unit on mysteries, I often stage a real classroom mystery for my students to solve. After a science unit on the food chain and producers, consumers and decomposers, I introduce scientific inquiry with a unit on mold where students conduct gloriously disgusting experiments. On our overnight camping trips, I take the students and parents on a Wolf Hunt. This is a silent night hike and simulation of a wolf pack on a hunt for prey. The experience ends in a rousing group howl!

My greatest teaching accomplishment
Whenever my students LOVE math!

The most critical issues facing educators
Poverty and the ineffective ways that the federal government has chosen to deal with it.

Ways to resolve this issue
First, revise NCLB so that it has less of an emphasis on testing and punishing schools, and more of an emphasis on providing effective, useful resources for schools and teachers. Professional development, mentoring, school initiatives such as Responsive Classroom, smaller class sizes, and healthy food would be a good start.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
Believe that they can! Provide opportunities for them to work collaboratively towards a common goal of helping students excel. When teachers work together with strong peers, there’s no limit to what they can do.

One lesson every student should learn
It’s good to have fun as much as possible, but remember - everything doesn’t have to automatically be fun. Perseverance and hard work leading to a successful end ultimately can be fun. And, of course, more rewarding.

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