Made by Teachers: Small Classrooms and Personalized Learning

In many ways, teaching is the single, most important profession. GPSEd instructors are no different, working hard to teach core subjects alongside career skills and life lessons. We want you to get to know these important individuals who put so much time and dedication into their classrooms and into their students. Meet one of our teachers who is making students that succeed in their education and in their technical careers.

Kate Bohlin, Instructor at Generac Education Center in Eagle, WI

Katie always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her grandmother was a teacher. Her mother was a teacher.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to have a career helping people. You could say that it’s in me… I always went back to teaching because that’s the only thing I could see myself doing,” she explained.

She started her journey through Teach for America, helping students and families living rural northeastern North Carolina. After serving the corps, she returned to the Midwest and taught in public schools here in Wisconsin before finding GPS Education Partners.

“I had been a teacher in traditional schools for 10 years and I just wanted to make a change. I was ready to develop relationships and I wanted to have a lasting impact,” Katie said.

For Katie, teaching is all about relationships but it can be hard to connect with students in a traditional school setting.

“I think the most noticeable and immediate difference is the small class size. Right now, I have a total of 20 kids versus when I was with the district, where I was responsible for hundreds of kids every semester. It allows you to work so much more on your connection, on your relationship with them – and you can tailor the experience to make sure each student succeeds,” she said.

That small class size and consistent cohort group of students allows Katie to connect with her students and build a meaningful relationship. It leads to a rewarding, individualized learning experience.

“Teaching is all about relationships. If you get to know the student, know what makes them tick, then it’s easier to help them. You have to build that relationship and care about them as real people. It sounds simple but when you start treating them as real people, who have real emotions and real needs, then you can connect with them. It’s easier to help them, to understand them – because you’ve become an important person to them, too.”

With your help, teachers like Katie can build better relationships with their students and help each youth find success. Click here to support GPS Education Partners.