Bridging the Distance
By Aaron C.
There is a great difference between high schoolers and elementary schoolers. Speaking as a high schooler, I know that elementary kids seem so young to me. When I was an elementary schooler, I know that high schoolers seemed so much older and bigger. So much happens in between those times. One of NSA’s teachers, Mrs. Katie Dunlap, experiences this every day. Mrs. Dunlap teaches both high school and elementary classes.
Mrs. Dunlap is from Southaven, Mississippi. You might recognize that as the same city where NSA has its home office. She came to NSA in December of 2017 and now teaches a wide variety of classes. This variety includes Social Studies 4 & 5, Science 4 & 5, Criminology, and World History EVP. Mrs. Dunalp also taught 2nd grade at a local elementary school for four years. “Before that, I worked for the local Board of Education for almost nine years,” she said. Mrs. Dunlap is married, with three sons.
Mrs. Dunlap always knew that she was cut from the teacher’s cloth. This became even clearer when she was in 5th grade. “I lost my grandmother (a vital person in my life) to cancer. My mom was having to care for her before her passing and my 5th-grade teacher, Ms. Meredith, really cared for me that year,” said Mrs. Dunlap. “She invested in me by showing up to my church plays, checking in on those hard days, and just being that additional support person I needed.”
Ms. Meredith continued to be an influence on Mrs. Dunlap’s life throughout college. “I ended up attending Ole Miss (the same school Ms. Meredith attended) where I tried to ignore my calling for teaching and started with nursing,” Mrs. Dunlap said. However, she ended up returning to teaching and education. After having her third child, Mrs. Dunlap began to look for a way to continue teaching while being able to spend time with her family. This led her to NSA, and she applied for an opening while on a bus back to her hotel at Disney World. It worked out perfectly, and Mrs. Dunlap can balance her time between teaching and her family.
Teaching such a large range of students can have its challenges. “I think the biggest challenge for me is the mindset switch when grading and keeping in mind that this student is elementary or this student is high school,” said Mrs. Dunlap. “I can be teaching about World War II for both elementary and high school but need to cover them in two totally different ways. So switching that mindset from elementary to high school can take a minute or two!”
However, whether high school or elementary school students, students can still reach out to Mrs. Dunlap the same way. “Younger students need more supports whereas high schoolers are more independent or are becoming completely independent and self-sufficient,” says Mrs. Dunlap. “My high schoolers for the most part are also EVP students so their supports are often given during our time together in a live session each week.”
Mrs. Dunlpa has been at NSA long enough to have a student in both elementary and high school, but she has taught siblings every year. This year was the first year that she had siblings in both of her high school courses. “I could pick up immediately that they were brothers based on their mannerisms,” she said.
The gap between high schoolers and elementary schoolers is a large one. Elementary and high school represent the beginning and the end of your childhood schooling. The growth and learning that happens during and between these times are crucial. Mrs. Dunlap is one example of how someone could bridge the distance between the two groups.
Columns: 👤NSA People
Aaron C. is a senior at North Star. He has attended NSA for six years and has written for the Navigator for three of those years. Journalism is one of his passions, and he hopes to continue with it after graduation.