By Tessa Lahaise, Staff Writer

June 13, 2023

Kate Curtin, a 10th-grade US I history teacher, the student council advisor, the spirit club advisor, and the coach of the swim team is a beloved teacher here at Norwood High School.

Although Curtin did not always know what path she would follow after high school, her love for working with kids led her to be one of the most loved teachers at the high school.  

“When I was in high school I always really liked school. I didn't necessarily know I wanted to be a teacher. I really liked art and I was thinking about maybe pursuing a degree in graphic design. I thought about it and went down this path potentially to go to art school but I was like I don't know if this is what I actually wanted to do. I had always done tutoring or coaching in the summer and swim lessons so I really liked working with kids,” said Curtin.

After narrowing down the idea of working in a school setting Curtin liked the idea of being someone that could have a positive impact on students while helping them grow academically. She then decided to major in history and political science at UMass Amherst. 

“Once I kind of realized I didn't want to go to art school I thought about being a high school teacher or a guidance counselor and I thought about which path made the most sense for me. I thought about being a math teacher because I really liked math but I ended up being a history teacher because history has just always been a subject that I think is really important to understand and one that you can help students connect with in different ways,” said Curtin.

While it can be difficult to get students fully involved in a subject they might not have much interest in, Curtin found that history had many ways that would allow her students to feel interested in what they were learning by connecting events in the past to the present.

“It's hard to always get someone invested whereas in history there are so many ways to connect to the material it can be easier to get kids engaged in the subject,” said Curtin. 

Curtin is involved in many after-school activities and clubs that really bring the student body together. Though it may seem like a lot, every new opportunity to meet someone new is well worth it.

“I like the fact that I get a chance to meet a lot of different types of students in a lot of different ways and kind of help kids reach potential in different types of ways,” said Curtin. 

Whether it be in the classroom or the swimming pool Curtin loves getting to know her students and helping them achieve certain goals. 

“I definitely feel like building relationships with my students and helping students get to a point where they feel really confident in a new skill, really excited about learning something, or have one of those moments where they put the pieces together for the first time is a very valuable moment.. I think anytime where you are able to help a student learn something new and take that skill with them is a very rewarding experience,” said Curtin.