As a person whose top strength is Empathy, this is the area of my practice that I find the most rewarding.
Collegial Dynamics
While I feel generally positive about the entire EPS community, my relationships with my colleagues are far and away the best part of working at EPS.
I was impressed right from the start by what a welcoming place I found this to be, and over my years working here I have been fortunate to be able to build strong relationships and deep friendships with many colleagues.
Being able to offer and receive that kind of support has made me feel deeply connected with the community. I have laughed and cried with coworkers countless times and I’m so grateful for these relationships.
I also think that our students benefit from seeing these positive and respectful interactions among adult members in the community–it feels like it helps “trickle down” to shape student interactions in a positive way.
(1) develops mutually respectful and productive relationships with colleagues
My relationships with my colleagues are one of the most important and most valuable parts of my entire experience at EPS. I feel really lucky to count so many of my colleagues as friends, and I can say without hesitation that my friends here at work are the reason that I look forward to coming to work each day.
The degree to which I feel known and supported within this community is unlike anything I have experienced in my previous professional life. I hope that I am able to serve other members of the community in this way as well.
One thing that I’ve been thinking about recently in this respect is the fact that as one of the faculty who’s been here for a while (which still blows my mind–how is this year 13 already?), I believe it’s important to try to model and share some vulnerability. Our job is incredibly rewarding, but it’s also very hard. It’s my hope that by being open about some of my struggles I might make it feel a little bit safer for someone who’s newer to the community to express these kinds of thoughts as well, and ultimately to find some support in their challenges.
Colleagues have been incredibly generous in their feedback on this indicator (all excerpts below from survey responses):
“My main professional interactions with Katie have been regarding her advisees whom I teach or my advisees whom she teaches. Katie responds in a very timely and detailed manner to any issues regarding advisees and she offers thoughtful and detailed feedback. On a personal level, Katie has always been an excellent listener, willing to share helpful insights and her infectious and irreverent, self-deprecating sense of humor are very endearing.”
–Adrienne Behrmann
“Katie and I have been working alongside each other in totally different parts of EPS ever since we onboarded together and began sharing an office in 2009. One thing that Katie did, early on in our relationship, was sign on to be the Assistant Coach of the MS Volleyball team when I was coaching. She was explicit (with the AD and with me) that she was doing this as a way to stay connected with me since I think by then we were no longer sharing an office. I was touched not only by the fact that she was willing to step into this role as an opportunity to team with me, but especially by the fact that she was willing to make herself vulnerable by stating that’s what she was doing.”
–Kelly Violette
“Katie listens to others’ opinions and engages in respectful discourse. This develops trust in her relationships with her colleagues. Katie is genuine and honest, and this keeps her coworkers wanting to further engage with her both professionally and socially.”
–Elin Kuffner
“Katie loves collaboration and intentional work with colleagues. I’ve taken many a Dodd suggestion on my own work and would feel safe and comfortable bringing lessons to Katie to have her provide input not only on the lesson itself but on student behavior as well.”
–Lisa Frystak
“Outside of a professional setting, Katie has always been there for me and other colleagues. Personally, she is a rock for me and has been for countless others throughout the time I have known her. She is a wonderful friend and colleague and we love her!”
–Mike Anderson
“Katie … develops genuine friendships with colleagues because she genuinely cares about their well-being and is interested in their lives.”
–Malcolm Yates
(2) partners consistently with colleagues on projects (i.e., integration, service learning)
In my time here at EPS I think that I’ve partnered with colleagues in a variety of ways. A very early example was the collaboration between 6th grade Science and History, where the students created a Materials Timeline. I inherited this project from Adam Waltzer but by working on it over the years with Paul Hagen, and later with Ryan Winkelmann and Sarah Hollingshead, this project grew in its complexity and rigor. As the school increased in size, however, it became harder to do this project well with 54 students and I believe in recent years it has been replaced with other work.
Learning Support is another area where I feel that I have successfully collaborated. Over the years I have worked to bring projects to members of our our Learning Support Team in order to get their perspectives. I have utilized many of their suggestions for how my assignments could be more effective for our students with learning differences, whether that’s a small change in phrasing or an overhaul of a rubric.
EBC Week comes to mind as another great example of successful collaboration, whether as a leader of an experience or as a contributing team member. I’ve partnered with Amis Balcomb (EPS Movie and Screen-printing EBC weeks), Mike Anderson (Santa Fe), Anne Duffy (World of Warcraft) and Randy Reina (Washington, D.C.), as well as many others.
One again, my colleagues have said this more kindly and eloquently than I can:
“Leads by example on class service projects. Jumps right in and participates. Offers caring encouragement to students and faculty…. Kind, funny, super hard-working teacher and a fun office mate (despite the diet coke habit). Love to see her grow and grow our institution with the marine biology. Keep it coming!!”
–David Kelly-Hedrick
“Katie is an incredibly detailed-oriented person and that attention to detail is a help to everyone in her professional orbit. … To give a specific example, partway through this fall trimester, Katie mentioned to me some changes she was considering making to the sequence of major assignments in winter tri of ST7. I mentioned that I was planning on altering a couple things around the same time in 7th grade Spanish, which would impact the exact same group of students. Katie immediately began to consider the view from the overall student perspective and started listing–off the top of her head, I should add–dates that she could move things around so as not to overburden the students. While her extemporaneous knowledge of the calendar was impressive, we decided to meet with Outlook in front of us to coordinate dates–her idea.”
–Malcolm Yates
“I observed Katie coordinating the EBC trip to Washington DC which she led with Randy a few years ago. It was a quite a bit of logistical coordination as I believe they were trying new activities. I’ve seen Katie participate in service learning, most recently with the 7th graders at Watershed Park in the fall of 2021. Katie is also co-teaching Marine Biology this year with Adam.”
–Krissy Russell
“One thing I loved about partnering with Katie was that she was totally willing to jump into whatever role needed to be filled. In our pairing, that meant she really had to step up and provide the behavioral guidelines for excited middle schoolers, because my behavior management skills were really lacking. It also meant that she often had to jump in to run the practice, wait with a kid whose parents were late, and – during the season when I broke my foot immediately before our first practice – she had to suit up and demonstrate the skills. Katie is willing to jump in and do the work to make stuff happen – she’s a really valuable partner/teammate as a result.”
–Kelly Violette
“Katie will go on any field trip, go to any service day, take kids to waste treatment plants, encourage outside, and field work. She focuses on the learning and education aspect of EBC trips. I wish I had the chance to work with Katie more. Her presence is always known all around campus before school, during school, and after. Sometimes just as a friend, sometimes a thoughtful colleague, and sometimes as someone with a critical eye looking to make EPS a better place.”
–Lisa Frystak
(3) engages in collegial activities hosted by the school
My ability to attend events outside of the school day has been impacted on occasion by my responsibilities as a parent.
Despite often having to leave early to pick up my son at his after care, I have always made a point of attending many faculty/staff functions.
These have included the occasional Mariners game, online “Sip and Paint” socials during the pandemic, and various social outings with colleagues and members of my discipline.
Among my favorites are the Holiday and Year-End parties, as those are opportunities where people tend to “let their hair down” and we’re able to socialize and discuss non-work-related topics.
I can think of many situations where I have laughed myself sick with friends at these parties, and this has further strengthened my connections in the community.
Community Membership & Support
When people ask me what I like best about working at Eastside Prep, my answer always boils down to the community. I feel fortunate to be part of a place that truly prioritizes relationships and recognizes that they are the foundation of a successful school.
We often describe EPS as a “high trust environment,” and I have seen this manifested again and again over the years. Colleagues exist to support one another rather than tear each other down. Our parent community works in partnership with the school, and as a result the students benefit from coordinated support. And our students are just a delight–funny, kind, curious. Seeing the various ways that students care for one another is incredibly rewarding.
(1) acts as a strong and positive ambassador for EPS
The idea of serving as an ambassador for EPS is one of those “other duties as assigned” pieces of the appointment–it’s not something that I typically think specifically about, and yet there are many things that I do that fall into this category. One thing that I became aware of very quickly after starting to work at EPS was the fact that if I were out and about on the Eastside it was quite likely that I’d run into EPS families.
Nearly every time that I’ve gone to Bellevue Square I’ve encountered parents and students in our community. This made me mindful of the fact that I’m often “on display” as an EPS representative, even at times that I’m unaware that I’ve been spotted.
In more intentional ways, I have served as an EPS ambassador through a variety of Admissions events, ranging from participating in Open Houses (usually by teaching mini-classes) to observing applicants in mock classes and joining virtual evening panels.
Having worked with her not only as a colleague but as a parent, I can say that Katie is an excellent ambassador for EPS”
–Adam Waltzer
Several other colleagues have offered their thoughts on these topics:
“I remember being a science faculty host with Katie during a fall 2019 open house. Katie greeted each prospective family with enthusiasm and answered questions knowledgeably and with confidence. What I appreciated most about Katie during that time was her ability to balance honesty with positivity. For example, I recall Katie very honestly answering a question from a parent about EPS participation in science fairs, something like this: ‘No, we don’t do science fair at EPS because we find that science fair projects are often more parent-driven than student-driven and at EPS we focus on the students’”
–Krissy Russell
“Just last week, we were on a community admissions panel in which Katie spoke about our program and her experience at EPS in a way that really helped our audience understand the culture of the place”
–Sam Uzwack
I have frequently participated in the 7/8 Parent Series events, helping to offer insights into some of the specific joys and challenges for families with students moving on to this phase of their middle school experience.
I have also filmed segments of videos for Vickie Baldwin’s office, often without knowing where they’ll end up–I think some of them have been used for admissions events. And every year I give speeches for some of our 8th graders at Continuation.
Below are quotes from several colleagues (all given in the context of the Relational Cultivation survey) who were kind enough to provide additional examples beyond those listed above:
“Most of my observation of Katie as a strong and positive ambassador for EPS has been in the realm of EICL. In those spaces, she’s been impressive–curious, incredibly prepared when necessary and open to critique. I am specifically thinking of my time spent with Katie in a pre-PoCC session about whiteness that was intense. Katie was so ready to learn and engage while also maintaining a level of professionalism that I admire. That’s what I think most impresses me about Katie–her ability to be curious AND consummately prepared.”
–Bess McKinney
“When I think of the EPS Middle School, I think of Katie Dodd. She exemplifies the warm-demander teacher type I’ve always held up as the ideal in a middle school setting–actually, in any setting where students are involved. She is her students’ best advocate, but she also holds them accountable. Likewise, she applauds the work EPS does, and she holds our school accountable as well. If we say we’re making MS Lunch E-free, Katie follows through–and encourages the rest of us to do the same. If we say we value equity and inclusivity, Katie’s not afraid to question situations that don’t appear equitable or inclusive. In my mind, making sure we are being consistent in our approach to students and values is part of being a strong and positive ambassador for EPS. The acts of serving on hiring committees (MS Head, for example) and just generally being a friendly face on campus don’t hurt, either.”
–Allison Luhrs
(2) attends school events and student performances (i.e., arts, athletics, social)
While my childcare situation (mentioned in a previous indicator) has to some degree impacted my ability to participate in events outside of the school day, I have made a point of attending the Middle School Fall Play performances for many years now, and in fact brought my son with me to see A Wrinkle in Time (Fall 2019), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2018) as well as the all-school musical James and the Giant Peach (Spring 2019). We also watched The Hobbit radio play together as a remote performance in Fall 2020 and saw Spamalot in 2022.
I have also attended most of the all-school musicals as well as many of the Upper School plays that take place in the winter trimester.
In the past couple of years a group of EPS students has put together a Community Book Club. Since these clubs have met remotely, I have been able to participate pretty consistently. I’ve been impressed with the preparation the students have done to lead these conversations and I always walk away from these sessions with an increased understanding of the texts discussed. It’s also fun to interact with students (and alumni!) in this setting.
As a former assistant coach of the MS Volleyball team, I have made an effort in the years since to attend games for my former players after they had moved on to join the US Volleyball teams. It has been so incredible to get to see them shine and to remember then as 5th or 6th graders on the court.
I regularly attend the holiday party and end-of-year celebrations, and have enjoyed some of the Mariners games that Adrienne puts together for us year after year (more on these in the Collegial Activities section).
(3) participates visibly in the daily life of the school
This is kind of a funny indicator to me, as this seems like something that would be nearly impossible NOT to do. I am on campus most mornings by about 7:15, and typically spend time (not including morning meetings) in my office or in the classroom, getting ready for the day. I attend assemblies with my advisory and I’m not afraid to “pitch in” when asked to help.
Many years I participate in the faculty Halloween themes.
In non-pandemic times I regularly ate lunch at the long faculty table in the cafeteria, enjoying the opportunity to talk with friends and colleagues. This year I have been eating outside with a smaller group, but I hope to be able to return to being comfortable in that indoor setting.
In meetings I am often someone who speaks up (sometimes to excess, which is something I’m working on, driven partly by something I learned at the PoCC conference in 2019, that as a white person I don’t always need to be the first voice in the room). It’s a work in progress, to be sure.
With students, I am able to interact with both Upper School and Middle School students as a result of my appointment, although I am definitely more frequently in the company of middle schoolers since I advise in that division.
I have sponsored the “Homework Club” for many years now during the middle band, and I regularly chaperone Middle School events (in recent years, these have primarily been 7/8 events as that’s the group that I teach/advise).
(4) recognizes and supports diversity in all its forms
Although this is an area where I have invested a lot of thought, I continue to view it as one that always has room for improvement. In my time at EPS I have been working to raise my awareness and understanding of my privilege as a white person, and to learn ways to make true progress in this area. To that end, I have participated in the EICL Faculty/Staff group for many years (possibly since its first or second year at EPS, although I have lost track). As mentioned in the Curricular Design section, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the NAIS People of Color Conference in December 2019, and to participate in a workshop the day before the conference specifically focused on my presence at that conference as a white person.
Outside of school hours, in recent years I have been working to increase my knowledge of this topic (particularly with regard to racial/ethnic diversity) by reading books on this topic as well as choosing fictional works by authors of color. It’s my hope that this will broaden my perspective for different voices and different viewpoints, and that this is a way of my doing so that requires me to put in the work rather than asking people of color to spend their time teaching me (see list of books by authors of color). I participated in most of the virtual book clubs that were put on by Upper School students the past two school years. I also attended numerous sessions of the Virtual Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series in 2020-2021.
Gender diversity has been on my mind for many years now at EPS, and I’ve worked to shift my language in the classroom to avoid using binary language (e.g., no longer saying “Ladies and gentlemen” or “Boys and girls”). I have ended the practice of having students buy supplemental books for the sex ed portion of ST2 as those are divided into “boys” and “girls” books and I no longer have students split into different groups to answer some anonymous questions. We’ve also increased our time spent in the curriculum on defining and discussion gender/biological sex/sexual and romantic attraction to better reflect the diversity present in our student body as well as in the world at large. Since spring 2021 we have worked to share additional resources to help support our trans and non-binary students as we knew that there were some students in our community who were not feeling supported at home.
One of the things that I value greatly about EPS is our commitment to a neurodiverse population. This is an area that I did not know much about prior to starting my work here, but through direct instruction and collaboration with the Learning Support team here I have greatly improved my understanding and support of students with learning differences.
“I have observed Katie strive to serve our neurodiverse population and accommodate their needs continuously over the 11 years I have worked with her. Katie is constantly meeting kids where they are at while also stretching them to find their greatest potential.”
–Mike Anderson
I’ve served as a scribe or reader for students in separate testing for tests other than my own. I’ve also made a point of talking with my students who have accommodations about what those accommodations mean and how it is in fact their right to utilize these different strategies to communicate their learning (e.g., no one is doing them a “favor” by letting them use accommodations).
“She’s always looked for ways to help students of different learning strengths demonstrate their knowledge and is ALWAYS willing to meet with students individually to help them in their learning.”
–Allison Luhrs
Below are some additional comments from colleagues:
“Katie’s strength of empathy is a vital force in her life and work. She has an intense ability to feel as others feel, and she harnesses that power to dig into their lives and motivations. On numerous occasions, I have used Katie as a “voice of reason” when I need to work out a challenge with a colleague, a student, a personal friend. She sees the trees and the forest in most situations.”
–Karen Mills
“You are a strong & supportive member of the EICL community on campus. You reach out to students and support them in their identity journeys – I remember an instance in my 1st year at EPS where you circled back with Maya Henry as an 8th grader because you had remembered that she had some questions/concerns about using different pronouns – this was 6 years ago and we were not so far along as a community in this arena, but there you were seeking her out and supporting her. I have seen you do this many times with many students for many reasons, encouraging and supportive of all, especially those that are marginalized. You are also supportive of your friends and faculty…you have helped me many times as I try to understand different view points and concepts, patiently listening, explaining, and encouraging me to practice things such as using different pronouns in a sentence so it comes naturally…and most recently teaching me about ‘punching up.’ You make me feel safe and listened to and thus are the person I seek first when I need to learn about such things and it is much appreciated!”
–Burton Barrager
“Attendance and participation in the EICL faculty group. Embrace and engagement with EICL activities in advisory and class meetings. A strong voice and strong example for women in STEM!”
–David Kelly-Hedrick
