Kat Willhardt

INTRODUCTION

After earning my bachelor's degree at Monmouth College (and taking a semester to complete the Disney College Program), I joined Teach for America (TFA). I was placed at West Prep Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada and earned my Master's in Education from UNLV. After fulfilling my two year commitment, I stayed an additional five years at West Prep. During my time I taught students grades 7-12 in English and served in various leaderships roles.

When the pandemic hit, I relocated back to Illinois and worked at Monmouth-Roseville Junior High for two years. Then, I found my way to West Burlington Jr/Sr High School where I teach a variety of high school English courses. During this time I earned my MA from University of Iowa in Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency (MATLCC) and began my Ed.D. in Fall of 2023 in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies.

In my free time, I spend time with my two dogs, enjoy arts and crafts, am an avid Disney-fan, and serve my sorority as a the financial advisor to our local alumnae board.

Teacher Pedagogical Foundations

All students deserve to be effectively educated in a safe environment that upon graduation allows students to pursue a career or college they desire. It is teachers job to provide multiple opportunities for students to show mastery of standards in authentic learning experiences. Students do the heavy lifting and the teacher facilitates opportunities for learning and discovery. Inspired by Kagan and AVID strategies, my classroom is often filled with student-driven conversations and projects in contrast to traditional lecturing and rote memorization.

Pedagogy on Texts

Teachers should present material and allow students to engage with it. It is not up for a teacher to determine how students should interpret a text or how students should academically or emotionally respond. Students should be allowed choice in ways that expose students to multiple perspectives; assigning canonical texts which typically have one general interpretation does not afford students this opportunity. Finally, anti-oppressive literature should include a range of character identities in regards to their race, sex, gender, family structure, religion, and more as selections in the English classroom. While it is impossible to expose students to every possible identity and the range of what different identities look like, the principle is that students see varied characters in varied situations that become mirrors or windows into different worlds, as opposed to repetitive texts written by and about dominant identity groups.

Technology

While technology is necessary for students to be proficient so they can compete in today’s world (online applications, typing emails, and more), the pandemic has presented many challenges with technology in the classrooms. The English discipline has standards for speaking and listening which students are displaying deficits in since returning in-person. Furthermore, technology should be used with clear intent and structure within the classroom. It is important to keep up to date with advancements in technolgy and AI, so that teachers can ensure students are extending critical thinking beyond online information gathering.

Texts and Curricula