My name is Katie Robertson. I’m a mom of two, Clara (8) and Colton (5), and a wife of one, Mike (37). I graduated with my Bachelor’s (2011) and Master’s (2015) from Peru State College. This is my 14th year as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. I work with children ages birth through five with special needs. I enjoy going into the home, childcare setting, and preschool classrooms to support learners of all abilities.
I have always loved learning; that’s one of the perks of my job. I constantly have the opportunity to learn new ways to help children and families. A bonus is getting to learn from the tiniest humans. Every child and family that I get to work with teaches me something new that I get to carry over into my work with others. I also get to work closely with a team of people who help build my capacity and knowledge as a teacher. I’m so fortunate to be in a position where I get to try new things and have the support to get creative. My husband often gets roped into helping put together adaptive materials or cutting out visual tools.
The absolute best thing about being an ECSE teacher is getting to work with children for so many years. In this role, we sometimes get to be with children and families when the child is only a couple of months old all the way until kindergarten. I’ve had the privilege of celebrating first steps and first words. I’ve also cried during meetings when we talk about the transition to kindergarten and a whole new team. Being at Kramer and having all our preschool classrooms in one space has made it so much easier to see my students more often. Before Kramer our ECSE office was in a separate building away from all of the elementary schools. Now, I can pop into a classroom whenever they need me or just to say “hi” to a kiddo. Last year, I worked with a student who needed a break in his day, so he would push me around the lunch room while I sat on a bike. I've adapted bubble machines so they turn on when a child pushes a button and set up leaf blowers to shoot basketballs. Making the world accessible to children keeps me energized. Preschool is about learning and socializing. We get to be part of a child's first school experience and I have so much fun being a small part of that experience.