Ms. Kowieski

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About The Teacher Label:


About The Teacher
Educator Profile I should have realized that I wanted to be a teacher when, in third grade, I’d rush home from school to teach my little sister all I could about writing in cursive, multiplying numbers, and photosynthesis. But, when I was faced with so many different fascinating majors in college, I chose psychology and peace studies rather than education. As I began to consider graduate school in psychology, I found myself thinking about the research projects and tutoring opportunities throughout college that allowed me to spend many wonderful hours with elementary-aged students. At that point, I decided to apply to the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program and teach in a Catholic school. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! After teaching second grade for two years in Florida, I discovered that I had fallen in love with teaching. I scrapped my plans to study psychology in graduate school and headed back to the Midwest to teach. One of the things that I love about teaching is the relationships that I am able to develop with my students and their families. When I first began teaching at St. Josaphat, I felt so welcomed. I continue to enjoy getting to know the families that make up our wonderful community. While teaching is a very important part of my life, there’s a lot more! My mom is the oldest of seven children, and my dad is the oldest of four. Growing up, I thought there was nothing better than spending time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I still love visiting my family, popping in on my mom’s preschool classroom, playing tennis with my grandfather, reading with my grandmother, and playing games with my cousins. When I’m not at school, I love going for a run along the lakefront, reading good books, and traveling. I also enjoy volunteering at my parish’s food pantry and a community homeless shelter. Teaching and Related Experience I have taught at every level K-8 with the exceptions of kindergarten and third grade. This year as a seventh grade homeroom teacher, I am teaching fifth and sixth grade math, seventh and eighth grade science, and seventh grade religion. Some of my other experiences of working with children include teaching math at the Youth Forward Academy during the summer, assisting with a youth group, coaching track, tutoring, and leading enrichment classes. Education and Certifications Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, 1997 Graduate: University of Portland, Portland, OR, 1999 (M.A.T) Post Graduate: Currently enrolled in another graduate program in Curriculum Studies at DePaul University this school year Certifications: Elementary (K-9) Professional Associations/Activities: • Chicago Lesson Study Group Extra-curricular/Committee work: • Curriculum Committee • Catholic Schools Week Committee (organizing activities for the week) • Enrichment programs – PhatJoggers, Knitting for Novices, and Test Prep • Trained Rainbows Facilitator Awards and Recognition Presenter at Annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Conference, 2006 Sheffield Neighborhood Association Educator's Award (2007) Trainer of Strategic Intervention Teams (ongoing) Teaching Philosophy My teaching philosophy is strongly rooted in my faith. Teaching is a calling for me, rather than simply a profession, and I can’t imagine teaching anywhere but in a Catholic school. I appreciate the opportunities we have to discuss our faith, consider what it means to be children of God, pray together, and build the Church. Throughout the school year, the students and I look at how we can best build a Catholic community in our classroom, our school, and our community at large. I strive to create a classroom in which all students feel safe and welcome. My teaching style is a student-centered approach. I strongly believe that children are very capable of exploring, wrestling with, and learning about many topics. While sometimes I might do more of the talking than the students, I think the best lessons I have taught are ones in which the students are allowed to explore a new concept, discuss with each other what they are thinking, work through problems or questions, and share their learning with their classmates.

Mission Label:


Mission
We will establish our class mission as a class community during the first days of school.