Caroline Weikel
Media and Library Specialist
I have a Master of Arts in teaching for 5-12th grade English from Spalding University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Centre College, with minors in Creative Writing and History. For the past four years, I taught middle school English, but I also have experience as a Reggio-informed preschool teacher. During this time, I was selected as a fellow for the Louisville Writing Project, where I researched and presented on the benefits of Progressive Education in my classroom, focusing on student choice and project-based learning assessments.
In both my graduate studies and professional experience, the crux of my educational philosophy has been applying tenets of progressive education in my classroom, namely through reimagining traditional literary canons and developing cultural responsiveness through classroom libraries. I am so grateful for Chance's commitment to progressive learning and the whole child approach to education.
Just as Chance emphasizes self-motivation and inquiry-based learning, fostering student agency and interaction is the pinnacle of my educational practice. Cultural competency and global awareness also play huge roles in my philosophy of education. I find educational success rooted in the foundation of an inclusive and loving classroom and the metacognitive abilities of students to work together and individually to create their own conclusions and grow their knowledge about topics. These topics often culminate in various PBL assignments, as I find these projects often create a stronger real-world application.
As a teacher, I believe it is my role to assist them as they become global citizens through diversified literary canons and curriculum, experience outside of the classroom through field trips and outdoor exploration, and discussions about the literary contexts, devices, and traditions of the works we read.
Outside of the classroom, I love reading, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with my friends and family.