Katherine Spivey - Wakulla Middle School Teacher of the Year

Schools

Written by Mary Katherine Westmark Monday, 09 January 2006 05:01

Katherine Spivey is Chosen as
Wakulla Middle School Teacher of the Year

"Wakulla Middle School is an excellence driven school," says Katherine Spivey, WMS 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year. "It is wonderful to work in a school where you know you have the full support of both the administration and the faculty behind you."

Spivey grew up in Ashville, North Carolina, and began her college years at the University of North Carolina at Ashville. She married and moved to Miami, where she ended up graduating from Florida International University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. "I had my son Timothy nine days later," says Spivey, "and stayed home with him for two and a half years. From Miami we moved to Lake City, and then finally to Crawfordville. Then I had my son Thomas. My sons are now 16 and 14. I started teaching when Thomas was 9 months old."

Spivey started her teaching career at Wakulla Middle School as a long-term substitute. She worked the entire first semester at WMS, and then moved over to Wakulla High to fiinish out the second semester of the year as a sub for a teacher on maternity leave. She ended up spending her second year of teaching at Wakulla Middle again as a long-term sub. "During my first two years of subbing, I was also taking additional coursework in the general education field. I was hired as a full-time teacher at Wakulla Middle School my third year of teaching," says Spivey, "and had to take 24 more hours of coursework during that year to get my certification in General Science."

Spivey continued on to receive her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix in 2004, and will complete her second masters in Education Administration and Supervision in April of 2006 from the University of Phoenix. "My long-term goal is to have my PhD," says Spivey. "I was the first one to graduate from college on both sides of my family, so I am driven. I want every student to know that they can have those letters behind their name; they can go as far as they want to go with their education."

Spivey was inspired to become a teacher by the example her high school social studies teacher, Mrs. Ringo, set for her. "Mrs. Ringo just retired this year," says Spivey. "She was the type of teacher who made her students feel that their opinions counted. I think that is so important for every student to know, and I strive to mirror that in my classroom. I feel it is especially critical for those students who come from displaced homes. Sometimes the only place they feel they can be heard is at school. They often times won't verbalize this, but you can see it in their eyes."

Spivey has been teaching for a total of 13 years, and has been at WMS for 12 and a half of them. She is certified in Social Studies for grades 6th through 12th, and also middle grades integrated 6th through 8th. She has taught all subjects in 8th grade middle school, and is currently teaching history, science, and language arts.

Says Jo Ann Daniels, Principal of Wakulla Middle School, "Katherine Spivey is a 24 hour teacher. She uses every opportunity to teach, improve, or motivate students. She is constantly thinking of new ways to improve our programs so that the students will learn. Katherine is an invaluable faculty member. She mentors new teachers, trains interns, sponsors academic activities, and takes classes to keep up with new techniques and initiatives. Katherine is an expert at teaching to all learning styles and teaching needed skills across the curriculum in interdisciplinary units. It would be difficult to find a more knowledgeable or more hard-working teacher."

Spivey believes that teachers stay compassionate about what they do through their lesson plans. "The kids know if you are not passionate about your subject," says Spivey. "If your lesson plans reflect your compassion about the subject and your students learning styles, then it will all fall into place. I believe that the classroom should reflect the needs of the students, not the needs of the teacher. The instructional method should reflect the learning styles of the students. If you understand their learning styles, then you will stop lecturing and let them go, and do it their own way. That's what motivates them to learn."

Spivey is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, the Florida Social Studies Council, and the International Reading Association. She is also a past member of the School Improvement Team, where she served as Chairperson for two years. She is Chairperson for both the WMS Science Fair and the History Fair, and sponsors the yearbook, as well. She teaches at the WMS after-school remedial program, and also sponsors the WMS Veteran's Day Program and the WMS Science Fair Night.

Another activity Spivey is very proud to be a part of is the TCC College Reach-Out Program. "This program is designed for kids from low income families who will be the first in their family to graduate," says Spivey. "The kids have to maintain a certain GPA, and be an outstanding citizen. They receive a promissory letter at the start of the program, and when they graduate from high school their promissory letter becomes a scholarship. Private sponsors donate funds to the College Reach-Out Program, and the students have to keep in touch with their sponsors and let them know of their progress. We try to keep the sponsors local, and we try to match the students to sponsors with similar interests. The students get their letters at an awards assembly held in March of each year. Eligible students can be in grades 6th through 11th."

You might find the students in Ms. Spivey's classroom building sugarcube pyramids or wrapping themselves up like mummies. "We do a lot of hands on activities in the classroom, technically called 'active experimental labs'," says Spivey. "I also pull some of the materials out of the 'History Alive' program, which includes slides, notebooks, and other product-oriented learning activities. But most of the time, I create my own curriculum."

"I do two major projects with the students each year," says Spivey. "These are the 'Wakulla Campfire' project, where students are required to interview someone in their personal life who has made an impact on them. They do an oral presentation (which includes a Power-Point slide show) as well as a written paper on the person. On the day they are to present to the class, we turn out the lights and have popcorn and drinks while the students deliver their 'stories.' It is always such a great experience for all involved."

"The other project requires each student to interview a Veteran, prepare a Power-Point presentation, and write a paper, as well," continues Spivey. "This is the first time many of these students have talked with someone about being in the service and it is a real eye-opener for them. It think it helps them gain self-confidence in their own selves and in their own abilities."

When asked what her personal goals are, Spivey says she would eventually like to go into educational leadership where she can further the district's vision of excellence in education. "I strongly believe that we are on the right path here in Wakulla County. Our teachers are exciting to be around because of what they are doing in the classroom, and there is wonderful parental involvement in our school system. I think that is the cornerstone of being an effective teacher."

Spivey says her team members, Ruth Ann Glisson and Becky Thomas, are a large part of what makes her job so enjoyable. "We really work well as a team, and we have a common goal," says Spivey. "We want our 8th graders to walk out of Wakulla Middle School feeling confident in themselves and knowing who they are as individuals. We want them to be completely prepared to enter the 9th grade."

When asked what makes Spivey excited about teaching, she responds by saying, "When I see my excitement reflected through my students. I want my students to become leaders, activists, and compassionate citizens; productive members of their communities. These kids hold the future of society in their hands. History is a mirror of the future. We study history so we won't repeat it."

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