Katie was an exceptional 4th-grade teacher. Honestly, she was the single best classroom teacher whom I’ve ever witnessed. As she taught, she seemed to be tapping into multiple brains simultaneously, quickly analyzing what different students needed and responding in the moment to meet those needs. Add to that her warmth and humor, and her classroom was alive with learning.
I visited her classroom more than 20 years ago after multiple people recommended her to me. Her principal was effusive in his praise for her work and, as I arrived, he said one of his hardest jobs every fall was explaining to dozens of parents why their children would not be in Katie’s classroom that year.
As I was leaving Katie’s classroom, the other two 4th-grade teachers were in the hallway and summoned me over. At first, I thought they just wanted to say good-bye. We chatted briefly, then one of them asked me, kind of shyly:
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