Rachel Kennedy, Waterloo Christian School
Position: Middle and High School Science Teacher
Years Teaching: 3 years
Hobbies/Interests: Boating, hiking, camping, music, sports & fitness
What do you enjoy most about teaching? As a science teacher, my greatest joy is helping students see how the various scientific fields, with all of their laws and applications, point us to the fact that there is indeed a Creator who fashioned us on purpose for a purpose.
What do you find the most challenging about teaching? Time management. There is always another class coming, another paper to grade, another student needing academic help or a listening ear. Balancing all of these good things is what challenges me the most.
Best tip for new teachers: Be willing to listen and learn from successful teachers ahead of you. My classroom environment was completely transformed for the better because I implemented strategies that I learned from successful teachers who were willing to offer advice and wisdom.
Best tip for career teachers: Although I haven’t been teaching for very long, the best tip I can think of is don't settle. In most careers, the longer you do something the easier it becomes. However, I have found in my short time as an educator, that each year has become more challenging because I wanted the lessons to be fresh and engaging and not just repeated from the year before. Complacency is such a deadly enemy of excellence.
Favorite piece of advice for students: A teacher who is more concerned with preparing you for your future than they are about being popular with students is your greatest asset in your educational journey. Teachers, like all people, like to be liked. However, sometimes we know that the best thing for our students won't be the thing that makes us most popular with our students. When you see a teacher choose what is best for you over what will make them popular, mark that teacher as someone who cares deeply about you and your development as a person and a student.
What being a Gold Star Teacher means to you: First and foremost, it means that God has blessed me with gifts and abilities for which He should receive the honor! I'm thankful that others recognize these gifts in me, but they are there because of Him. Second, it is an affirmation and encouragement that the long hours and mental strain involved with teaching are in some small way accomplishing one of my greatest desires; impacting the next generation in a positive way. Teaching is one of those fields in which you seldom see the finished product. We have students for a few years, and do our small part to help them grow in their ability to think and explore the world, but then they move on and continue to grow and change. While a "thank you" from a parent or student goes a long way to encourage me that I am making a difference, recognition as a Gold Star Teacher is a tremendous reminder of that fact as well.