Teacher Tuesday: Katie Phillips Edition

Katie Phillips is one of a kind. I have always known that she was an amazing teacher. I would hear from parents, other teachers, and staff that she was just a rockstar. I knew that must be true, but when I was down in my little first grade bubble, I just had to take everyone's word for it. My mom was always a big fan of the 4th grade team when she worked at Beverly and would rave about Katie. My mama has pretty high standards for teachers, so that is a huge compliment. Actually, my mom was friends with Katie first. When I became the school counselor, she asked fourth grade to "take care of me" and they sure did.

Becoming the school counselor gave me the opportunity to see Katie's amazingness in action very frequently.  There is literally not anything she wouldn't do to make sure her students are successful and know they are loved. And boy does she love them. It's evident in everything she does. The way she interacts with them, jokes with them, and the way they know her. Walking into her classroom is like walking into someone's home. You can actually feel the love, the community, and the passion for teaching and learning. 

Katie also happens to be an exceptional friend. I can't tell you the number of times she was a lifesaver for me last year. During spring testing time when I was on the verge of a breakdown almost every day, Katie would pop in just to make sure I was ok. She made sure I took the time to eat my lunch and she always made sure to share funny stories with me. She also came up to school over the summer to do some filing for me. When I returned to school and told the office staff that they could find me stowed away in the records room for the next 6 hours, they said, "Katie came up and did that last week." She never said a word about it. She didn't do it for the credit or recognition. She just did it because she knew how much it would help me. 

I am forever grateful that Katie is in my life. As a coworker, and most importantly a friend.

Also, I try my hardest to call her by her newly married name, but excuse me if any time during this blog, "Katie Bohannon" is  written instead of Katie Phillips. And didn't she make the most GORGEOUS bride! 

How long have you been teaching? 

9 years: My first group of students are seniors in high school. 
Fun fact- Katie and I both have the same first group of kiddos. I think there will be some major tears at the senior reunion this spring.

Check out some of her former students who are now all taller than her! 

What is your classroom decor? 

My classroom is more of a color scheme. It's yellow, teal, and gray.

What is your favorite story about a student? 

My class a few years ago was preparing for an "Open Book" science test. They were allowed to use their notes and book to complete the test. The same week we were all preparing for Open House activities. At the end of the day, I was reminding them that tomorrow they had a test, and said, "But don't forget, your test is Open ......" and expected them to respond "BOOK!", but they responded "HOUSE!" I think I screamed into my stack of papers in my hand. "How do you have an open house test?!" We all laughed and realized that we were all overwhelmed from an extremely busy week!
My favorite part of this story is that I can hear Katie's infectious laugh and imagine her and her class just getting a huge kick out of this.

What is your favorite lesson to teach?

I enjoy teaching the stories behind Texas History. In any other subject, most kids have been exposed to a similar math concept, have already learned the basics of nouns, or have explored the scientific process. But Texas History is something they've never learned before. I love to get into the storytelling behind it and watch their faces. I incorporate reading skills into history, and they don't even realize it!

What inspires you? What is your strong?

My mom is my strong. She's the reason I've become a teacher. She teaches first grade at Prince of Peace Catholic School. When I was little, she and my dad created my very own classroom in our basement in Michigan. It was complete with tile floor, a chalkboard, student chairs, and an alphabet. When my friends came over, we always played school! When my mom went back to teaching, her school started later than mine. I'd go to school with her every morning before I headed to middle school and watch her teach. I saw her love and passion for teaching, and it became mine to

Here is the whole Bohannon Clan! Such a fun family.

What is your favorite Techy Tool?

4th grade has had fun implementing review games for tests. Some of our favorites are Kahoot, Plickers, and Socrative. The kids love it! 

What is your favorite Caffeinated Beverage?

Coffee with hazelnut creamer in the morning and Diet Coke at lunch. Must have both! 
When I snuck into Katie's room to take pictures after school, I found this right in the entryway to her room. I hear ya girl, much needed.

What is your favorite school celebration?

4th Grade S'More Success Writing Camp!

Ok yall! This is literally the coolest thing ever. The entire 4th grade gets totally decked out like a camp site. Tents, mountains, rivers, lanterns, fires, and the best part is that at the end, they get to eat S'Mores. I always make sure I'm near the 4th grade hall on Writing Camp day...you never know when they will have an extra S'More lying around.

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

I love to watch sports (not play them!) My favorite teams are the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys...and of course the Baylor Bears!
Fun Fact: Her hubby Rob works for the Cowboys, and you can see him on the sidelines during games. He is pictured below on the right. #famous 

Also, her love for the Mavs runs deep. Check out this entire collection of Mavs memorabilia and bobbleheads.

 Look at this awesome gift her class gave her one year! I told you they know her well.

Tell us your best classroom management trick.

I stole this one from my mom - Crack the Code! It's like a hangman game. If the entire class is doing something well, we earn a letter toward our code. After we fill in all the letters, we do whatever activity the code says. Our first one this year was "Let's Have a Popcorn Party!" It creates a "team" atmosphere as they work together to reach a goal.

Who is the favorite teacher you've ever had?

Ms. Garrett was my 6th and 7th grade math teacher. She wasn't only my teacher, she became a friend of mine throughout high school and beyond! Even though I hated math, she made me love it because of her. She taught me to form relationships with my students because that's what really matters to the kiddos.
Bravo, Mrs. Garrett. Katie is excellent at forming lasting relationships with students. Thank you for being a wonderful role model along with so many other influential teachers in Katie's life.

It was hard to pick just two of Mrs. Phillips' sweet kiddos. I knew they would all give great answers because they love her and know her so well. Taylor and Peyton both have a great sense of humor. I only wish I could convey their comedic timing through my writing. We laughed the entire time they were in my office for the interview. Mrs. Phillips was probably wondering what was taking so long, but I promise it was important work.

1. How old is your teacher?

T- 31

P-32

2. What does your teacher do for fun?

T- Have dance parties by herself and dance on the tables. Hmmm, let's hear more about that KP.

P- Play with her dog all weekend.

I'm thinking Peyton might be right. Look at this precious puppy, Madison.

3. What would your teacher do with $1,000,000?

T- Buy as many dogs as she can.

P-Buy another Madison, or dog treats, or a new car.

There is no shortage of Madison pictures with this girl! It was hard to just pick a few! 

4. If your teacher wasn't a teacher, what would she be?

T- A Vet!

P- The President

5. If your teacher was a fruit, which one would she be?

T- a Kiwi because she is so sweet! 

P- An apple or pear because her favorite color is green.

6. What scares your teacher?

T- Wasps

P- Beetles- I have to be the beetle picker-upper in our class.

Funny story, Katie once drove to work with a bee on. her. leg. and had no idea. Until it stung her the minute she got out of her car. Seriously, my worst nightmare. 

7. What is something your teacher doesn't like?

T- Ants! This morning she was banging her hands all over her desk to kill the ants because they were everywhere.

P- When we are checking homework and people aren't paying attention.

8. If your teacher could teleport, where would she go?

T- Madison Wonderland

P- Home to play with Madison and veg out on the couch.

9. What makes your teacher so special?

T- She is so nice and lets us have dance parties.

P- She makes learning fun. Even if it is something that should be kind of boring.

And we are out! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!