Month: January 2021

Kathy Durst has been a pillar at Mitchell Elementary for over 20 years.  Her influence with students, her Kinder team, and the entire Mitchell family has left a lasting impression that will transcend generations.  Her unassuming demeanor might fool you, but she is a powerhouse!

Upon entering her classroom, one might sense something akin to an orchestra.  Between the movement of discovery and the hum of learning, there’s a beautiful symphony of academics occurring.  Students are cutting, sorting, writing, counting, illustrating, forming, decoding, and expressing.  They are working independently, in stations, and at her teacher table.  Students experience this unique learning with the structure of routine and procedure.  Ms. Durst’s gentle voice is reinforced with an underlying level of expectation that joyfully propels students to engage.  She can shift from whole group, to an individualized behavior need, to a small group, to a visitor walking in to observe…all without missing a beat.  Her students, after a year in her classroom, are well-prepared to tackled the arduous tasks in first grade.  

Kathy also plays a strong role on her Kinder team.  Three of the teachers have been working together for 20 years, causing this grade level to be one of the strongest and most stalwart teams at Mitchell.  They complement each other well, but Kathy’s gentle leadership on the team illustrates what it means to be a servant leader.  She is not pushy, but she always has something to offer.  She is not meek, but her words are always delivered in a gentle and kind manner.  She is not set in her ways, but she is confident in her skills.  She is a seasoned educator, but she is not too proud to admit mistakes.  She has great responsibilities in her personal life, but she is always willing to meet the needs of her team.  She has lived through several administrators at Mitchell, but she is alway open to new and different ideas. Her quiet leadership provides such a high level of security for her team.

As a member of our Mitchell faculty, Kathy is always positive and in a great mood…even on those challenging days.  If you go to her with a problem, she stops and tries to help you with the problem in a realistic and encouraging manner.  She is everyone’s cheerleader – students and staff alike. She has also stepped in to lead our PBIS team and has taken the role to heart.  As if she wasn’t a blessing already, she led the campus to re-envision our matrix from BARK to BEST.  As we worked as a team to transform our expectations, she helped us make them a part of our daily language.  Today, you can hear students and staff talking about our goals to Believe in yourself, Encourage others, Show ownership, and Take part in the team.  She keeps the needs of our students and staff at the forefront of her mind.  She manages the Applause board for our staff and regularly adds specific words of encouragement for individual teachers and staff members.  

Having someone like Kathy on our team gives a sense of stability and pride.  Because she is here, many others have made it through another day.  As a result, Mitchell Elementary is pleased to recognize Kathy Durst as our January Teacher of the Month.