Katie Gardner
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER
About Katie Gardner
Katie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Secondary Education at St. Cloud State University and also minored in Special Education and Geography.
Before joining Athlos, she had her own Daycare and Preschool at home for 16 years. She was also a dance coach specializing in High Kick, Ballet, Hip Hop, and Jazz, and worked with schools and community theaters as a choreographer and movement coach.
What drew Katie to Athlos was the approach to educating the whole child. “I love that we address the needs of the whole person who walks into our school,” she said. “That is the type of school I wanted to be a part of.”
As an educator at Athlos, Katie’s goal is to help her students become the best versions of themselves. “I want to make sure that all students feel valued, wanted, worthy, accepted, and accomplished in my (class)room.” She wants her students to know that she cares about them as a person, including their hopes and dreams. “At my core, my philosophy of education is that a teacher can do nothing without building relationships with students and this is my goal every day in the classroom.”
Katie’s best qualities include her patience, communication skills, and her ability to connect with her students. She looks forward to making the middle school a great place for students to learn, grow, and prepare for high school and beyond.
“Students will not remember ever lesson I teach them,” Katie said, “but they will remember how they were treated and how they felt about themselves in my classroom.”
Favorite Performance Character Trait:
Integrity, Optimism, Humility & Curiosity
Katie truly values several of Athlos’ Performance Character Traits, but there are 4 that really stand out to her.
One of them is Integrity. Katie firmly believes that honesty is indeed the best policy. “I always strive to be honest with those around me, and that’s exactly what I expect in return,” she emphasized.
Then there’s Curiosity. Katie finds it vital, especially when studying social studies. “Instead of being judgmental, we should approach learning about people with curiosity,” she explained. She hopes to instill this quality in her students, as she believes that being curious opens up a world of possibilities for learning.
Humility also holds a special place in Katie’s heart. She thinks that a humble attitude allows for continuous growth and learning. She says that being humble helps us recognize that we never have all the answers and that there’s always room for improvement. Katie strongly believes that being humble goes hand in hand with being open-minded and free from judgment.
Fun Facts about Katie Gardner
- I am married and have 6 children, as well as 1 dog and 3 cats.
- I grew up in the military, moving around the world. I went to 13 schools before I graduated high school, and I have been to 14 countries.
- I lived in a Castle in England.
- I love to read! I try to read 100 books each year. My favorite genre is Fantasy and my favorite book is The Hobbit.
- My favorite TV show is Ted Lasso.
