“It was a huge shock to me. I feel very undeserving,” said Katy Craig, recipient of RCSD’s New Teacher of the Year. “It was very humbling. I see teachers, day in and day out, working harder than most people could imagine, and giving all of themselves to this job and to this school and to our district. To know that I was thought of, and to be recognized among a crowd of people, who work so hard and give all of themselves was a huge honor.”
The Tupelo native has always known she was born to teach.
“My mom tells a story about how, when I was little, we would go to McDonald’s Playhouse and I would just gather people on the playground and play school with them. It’s all I’ve very wanted to do. When I got to college, I stuck with the same major all the way through and never questioned it.”
Craig said that to her, the best part of teaching is watching the transformation her students undergo within the short span of a year.
“I teach sixth grade, so they are at a very formative time in their lives. I will get a kid in August and they are completely different by May. To see them discover who they want to be, and find their voice, and realize that they have the power to make a huge difference in the world they live in, is really cool to be a part of.”
But what makes a good teacher? Craig thinks it’s a combination of things, including “being willing to listen to the needs of children. Somebody very personable, understanding and compassionate.”
Craig also believes that the best teachers are a life-long learner and somebody who’s always willing to learn the new technology, the new curriculum, the new expectations to better equip students to better meet those expectations.
JOSH, DOES SHE TEACH SOCIAL STUDIES?????
“Social Studies is my favorite subject! I love history, have always loved history. I think it’s really important to study the past to figure out where we want to go as a society moving forward, and I hope that’s something my children take away from my class.”