Katie Mitchell

My Mom is the one who got me into teaching. I was a professional actress and technician in the Seattle Theatre community and loved it! She was the one who got me an interview for a Master’s in Teaching program. After the interview, I told myself I would only continue if 1) It was worth the money I was paying for the degree 2) I loved it because I had already found a career that I loved 3) I thought I would be a good teacher. I’ve now been teaching over 14 years, and I was true to those promises

I truly believe that all students want to succeed. Most mistakes are made because students feel like they’ve let someone down and they’re trying to remedy it. I don’t think I have a most memorable single experience, but the most profound teaching moments have been when I’ve sat down with a student who’d made a big mistake, discussed why it happened and how we can move forward and support one another from there. The incredible growth that has resulted from those chats is mind blowing.

I am a part-time teacher with three kids under six years old. Honestly, it is not financially feasible for me to work with the amount it costs for childcare for three young kids. My husband’s job pays much more. However, I love my job and my students. That money would probably go to childcare costs so I could continue working and impacting student lives.