Hello everyone! My name is Katelyn McCormick. I am in the MATC program and plan to graduate in December. I have been teaching for three years in Chicago Public Schools. I taught my first year in 2nd grade and then two years in kindergarten. I absolutely love teaching kindergarten! I am currently searching for a new teaching position near Ormond Beach, Florida because my fiancé and I will be moving there in two weeks!
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I grew up in Michigan and went to MSU for my undergrad before moving to Chicago for four years. I love running, riding my bike, and doing just about anything outdoors. I’m so excited to move close to the ocean, so I can sit and read on the beach and go swimming.
Honestly, I haven’t had time to watch too much TV lately. I used to watch Friday Night Lights and would like to re-watch some of the seasons. I like the show Friday Night Lights because it portrays a school that acts as a community. The characters are involved in sports, academics, and the school as a whole. As a teacher, I place a high value on everyone from students to families to staff being involved in the school community to make it a positive place to learn. The staff at the school act as mentors to the students to help them through their lives outside of school. I believe all teachers should take personal interest in their students’ lives at home. At my school in Chicago, many students had very difficult home environments that impacted their learning at school. Each morning, students had time to share about what was going on in their lives. This sharing time helped me learn so much about my students and helped me invest in their personal lives. I hope to do the same at my new school in Florida.
I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you in TE 822 this summer!
katelynmccormick 
Hi Katelyn,
Thanks so much for your post and welcome to the course!
What an amazing path you have been upon. Teaching at CPS over the past few years must have been quite an adventure. Much good and some, for sure, must have been bad (politics attendant upon the strike and the terrible gun violence). Chicago holds a firm place in my heart given the years I spent on the South Side while an undergraduate. My sister lives there now and I visit often with my family (we are really into Piece Pizza and Stan’s Donuts these days).
Perhaps even more excited is your impending move. An ocean community sounds about as good as it gets. The rich experiences you’ve had the past years will no doubt help your new students a great deal. Good luck on the job search–I hope you have some good leads, because I know how stressful that can be.
Friday Night Lights holds a deep place in my heart, too. Probably my favorite TV show ever. Not only a great look at a school community, but Coach and Tammi Taylor’s marriage is probably the richest portrayal I know of what a marriage entails. I just love it. The racial politics that come in at several points are also moving and thought-provoking, on many levels. One of the few network shows that give serious attention to Black and White community interactions.
I look forward to learning with you in the course. Let me know if you have any questions!
Kyle
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Hi Professor Greenwalt,
I have had quite an adventure teaching in CPS! I’m so grateful for my experience because I know it has already aided in me become a better educator in my classroom and it has also helped me learn so much about the politics of education as a whole. I’m looking forward to comparing and contrasting my CPS teaching with a new Florida public school.
Piece and Stan’s are some crowd favorites lately! If you’re a fan of Au Cheval burgers, you should try the new Small Cheval in Wicker Park when you’re visiting.
Katelyn
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