ETUDE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Middle & High School Dean of Learning, MS Math Teacher, MS Lead Advisor
"Once I started looking into education as a career path, I began to realize I had been training to become an educator for most of my life," shared Courtney Kooistra, who will teach math at Mosaic this fall.
"I was consistently involved in volunteer programs at church, where I would plan activities and work with children," she said. "I had also babysat since I was 12 and worked with children through Rec Department programs. At that point, I took the idea and ran with it to college, where I completed the program for a major in elementary education and dual minors in mathematics and adaptive education in four years. They say time flies when you're having fun, and I agree, but it definitely helps to stay busy!"
That hasn't been a problem for Courtney, who graduated from South in 2007 and from Carroll University in May. This summer, she participated in curriculum training at the College of William and Mary's Center for Gifted Education and - along with other staff members - has spent considerable time on curriculum development.
"Throughout these training sessions, I have been able to develop curriculum, become fully acquainted with the iPads and all that they have to offer, as well as collaborate with the rest of the staff on important school concepts," she explained. "Training is definitely a lot of work when coming in as a new teacher to a new school, but it will all be worth it come September!"
Courtney, 22, is a native of Sheboygan and her parents still live in the house where she grew up as the youngest of four children. Her dad, Mark, is plant manager at Scandia Plastics and her mom, Jerilyn, is a homemaker. Two of Courtney's siblings are also teachers in Sheboygan. Her brother, Aubrey, taught seventh-grade math at Urban Middle School last year and will be teaching 8th-grade math at Farnsworth Middle School this year. Courtney's sister, Meghan, taught at Head Start last year and will be a kindergarten teacher at Sheridan Elementary School this fall. Aubrey's wife, Kendra, is a teacher as well. She teaches special education at James Madison Elementary School.
"It is nice that my siblings are also teachers, and especially that my brother teaches the same subject as I do," she said.
Courtney has another sister, Heather Bingham, who does finance work at TWH Collectibles in Manitowoc. She and husband, Justin, have a 2-month-old daughter, Leighton. "She is the first grandchild on both sides, so she gets plenty of attention!" Courtney related.
Student teaching last school year helped Courtney prepare for her role at Mosaic. She taught during third quarter in a second-grade classroom at Bethesda Elementary in Waukesha. "This is an open concept school where I was able to appreciate the importance of collaboration," she said.
During the fourth quarter, she student-taught in a seventh-grade math class at Wisconsin Hills Middle School, located in the Elmbrook School District in Brookfield. "Here I was able to work with a SMART Board daily and create many interactive lessons that helped the students experience math content through a hands-on approach."
"My passion for teaching mathematics definitely plays into the different innovative ideas I will bring to The Mosaic School," she said. "Currently I am preparing different application projects where the students will utilize their math skills through technology and engineering in order to solve real-world problems."
In addition to math, Courtney loves to sing and dance. She was in choir throughout high school and college and continues to sing whenever she has a chance. She danced a few years at South before moving on to cheerleading, which she did all four years at Carroll.
Job Titles:
- Physical Education Teacher
Job Titles:
- Middle School Special Education
Job Titles:
- Elementary Special Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Étude Group Director Selected to Participate in WAB Creative Industries Committee
Job Titles:
- Language Arts Teacher
- Writing Workshop Teacher
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Drama Teacher
- Middle & High School Dean of Culture, Theater and Film Teacher, HS Advisor, Founder
Mike has been in a few other local television ads and has performed with the Theatre for Young Audiences and the Sheboygan Theater Company.
"I did act in one feature-length film," he said, "but fortunately it never saw the light of day!"
The Wisconsin native roamed around the country - Minnesota, New York and California - after high school. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a bachelor's degree in theater education. While at UW-M, he was in productions of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Welcome to the Moon."
"I spent more of my time cultivating my own theater troupe, Alamo Basement," Mike recalled. "Our troupe started performing in coffee shops around Sheboygan, but gradually grew to legitimate venues in Milwaukee and Madison. We were also the first group from Wisconsin to perform at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. We ended up performing there for three years."
Mike's mom is the driving force behind his interest in performing. When the Theater for Young Audiences started in Sheboygan, she encouraged him to audition for its first production, "Mr. Popper's Penguins."
"I immediately felt a confidence in what I was doing, and I was cast as the ‘lead penguin,'" Mike remembered.
These days he spends most of his time sharing his love of theater with students.
"Dance is natural to the human body," observed Molly King, who is starting her ninth year of teaching dance in the district.
"Anyone can dance,'' she shared. "When you really think about it, you are constantly dancing every day. Your daily routine and schedule lay out the dance steps you take."
As a teacher, Molly helps students "find their inner dancer."
"Different techniques speak to different people," she explained. "Those that like to feel grounded will enjoy a style like modern or African dance. Others who enjoy leaping and taking risks might find ballet more enjoyable. And those who like to feel good and have a healthy mind, body and soul will enjoy yoga."
Molly has been dancing since she was 4 years old. "I was a part of William Reilly's Academy of Ballet studio, located in downtown Milwaukee," she said. "My mother always told me that as soon as I could walk, I danced. I was a constant mover and enjoyed waltzing down the aisle during church. Dance made me happy, and I always felt comfortable in my steps."
Job Titles:
- Middle & High School Secretary
Job Titles:
- Member of the Étude Group Director Selected to Participate in WAB Creative Industries Committee
Job Titles:
- Social Studies and Movement Teacher
Job Titles:
- Spanish Teacher / College of William and Mary Training
Job Titles:
- Elementary School Secretary
Job Titles:
- Elementary Physical Education