Katherine Ryan

Katherine Ryan, a paraprofessional at the high school has enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere at the high school. She has taught at several schools across the country throughout her seven years as a teacher, four of which were in Massachusetts. Other than teaching, she loves to read and coach diving teams.

How do you like teaching high school compared to middle school?

I actually like high school more because I like the reading and the reading content. I feel like I can make the most difference at a high school. They really need help with reading and writing, like the big picture thinking and motivating kids to find their strengths and their outside interests.  I just feel like it’s more well rounded whereas middle school is more stressful, and everyone’s judgemental.

Have you always taught high school?

I have a really good, crazy past. No, I’ve taught every single grade. In Indiana, I was an ESL teacher, and then I moved home to Connecticut, and I was subbing. Then I moved to Boston, and I started teaching in Lawrence. I was an assistant teacher in Lawrence, and that was tough because it was my first job in Massachusetts, and that was a middle school. Then I moved to Medford, and I was a sub there for just about a year, and I was doing English. After that I moved to Wellesley. I was in Wellesley Middle School. This is my first time back in a high school in Massachusetts.

How was your experience as a student in high school?

I still experience a lot of the same things. I think I have always had a lot of anxiety growing up in terms of school. I wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to do well, so I was always compared to my siblings. There was a lot of pressure for me in high school to do well. I went to Purdue, and I think when I was there and when I was away from my parents I got more confidence. Then when I was student teaching I got more confidence too because I was leading a classroom.

Do you have any hobbies?

I read for fun, and I used to be a diving coach for six years. I am looking to get back into that eventually. I’m in graduate school to get my master’s in education because I already have my teaching license, so it’s the next step. I’m really busy right now, but when I’m done with that I’ll probably want to coach swimming and diving again because that’s just really fun.