Katie Stratman

Ms. Stratman works to incorporate technology in a meaningful way into her teaching, adding innovation into lessons whenever possible. Students especially like when she uses math games to supplement instruction!Impacting Students

Since second graders sing the 12 Days of Christmas for the Holiday Festival of Light, I started doing an open ended math lesson where the students are challenged to figure out the total number of gifts during the 12 Days of Christmas. Students had just learned the skills necessary to multiply, however, that is not the only way to solve the problem. They could work independently or together, and I loved asking them what their strategies were. It helps me practice my questioning techniques to guide them to a good system for solving the problem. I am always amazed at how engaged the students are, how persistent they are, and the level of excitement they have about this lesson. Many ask if they can work on it at recess or at home!Lifelong Learner

The Diversity Cohort made a huge impact not only on my teaching, but also on my personal life. I made a goal to learn about different picture books and to make sure to include books that have diverse main characters and themes. Increasing the variety of books impacts not only my students, but also the students of the teachers who ask me for book advice.