KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's Katy Kenyon's ninth year at University Academy.
She teaches pre-calculus, college algebra and AP Physics, and navigating the pandemic as a math teacher hasn't been easy.
"As a math teacher, where everything is building on itself - every single day, we're learning a skill and then the next day, we're using the skill and then the next day, we're putting two skills together," Kenyon said. "It's been really hard, so it seems like I'm teaching one and a half years of class in just one school year this year."
She says it's the students who keep her in the classroom.
"I really believe in them and I want to help them and invest in their futures," Kenyon said.
And it's her students who are the real beneficiaries of her hard work.
"My favorite moments in the classrooms are always those 'oh' when you're really doing something," Kenyon said. "And you really hear the kid make the connection themselves."
It's that investment Kenyon's students notice daily.
"Whenever I'm in her class, I always feel like, heard and seen," Kenyon's student, Alesia McFadden said. "Whenever I'm going through troubles, I can always go to her, she's someone I can really count on whenever, in any type of way."
It's the reason why McFadden and her pre-calculus class got together to write a nomination for Kenyon, stating:
"She had always made me, and the other students of my hour (Precalculus) feel heard and seen. When we are having bad days, Ms. Kenyon is always ready to have a class discussion over topics that really interests us. She is one of the few teachers that I know who actually asks her students for feedback and how she can better the curriculum based off of what we think we need to succeed more. She is seriously amazing and my class and I have decided to nominate her collectively for this award to show our love and appreciation over someone so special to us. I can talk about how much I love Ms. Kenyon for days, but one of my favorite moments with her was when after Precalculus had a hard test that everyone knew we didn't do good in, she sat us down and really talked to us about how we felt after the test and what we think we could do to help us understand the material more. She asked for feedback for herself and for us and what we could do better. After that chat, I could definitely tell that the Precalculus class and Ms. Kenyon grew closer together because we all felt a sense of transparency. Her room is also so cool! She definitely has the type of classroom that everyone gravitates towards because it has such a homey vibe to it. Ms. Kenyon has genuinely impacted my life for the better and I want her to know that Precalc loves her and that she is the best teacher that we've ever had. Thank you Ms. Kenyon!"
McFadden shared with Kenyon she was the next winner of One Class at a Time, and Kenyon, with tears in her eyes, said she didn't have the words.
"I don't even know what to say to you guys I am so touched by you guys every single day, and you know that I'm motivated by you," Kenyon said. "And you all are all trying your best and you work really hard and it makes me want to work really hard for you."
For Kenyon, it is all personally rewarding.
"Through all the pandemic, I've dealt with my own depression and dealt with my own counseling and one of the things that I've discovered about myself, is that it's really important for me to feel impactful," Kenyon said. "And I am overwhelmed with a personal feeling of feeling impactful, that I've had that impact on you all... I don't know what else to say other than I love you guys."
"We love you too," Kenyon's class said.
To nominate an educator who is going above and beyond, visit our One Class at a Time page.
