Katie Xie 5th Grade, Upper Division
Katie earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Binghamton University. During the senior year of her studies, she decided to add a minor in Education to her degree after taking great joy in teaching and volunteering for a few years at various summer camps in NYC and Texas. This move later prompted her career switch as, soon after, she followed her interests to pursue a Masters degree in Elementary Inclusive Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
The course of study for her graduate program emphasizes curriculum development for heterogeneous classrooms, critical multiculturalism, teaching for equity and social justice, and an inquiry approach to teaching and learning. In keeping with the program’s pluralistic approach to education, the emphasis of her studies was on leadership, inquiry, and practice-based/responsible decision making. This degree program prompted Katie to rethink the way she approaches and perceives education and further prepared her to teach diverse and multicultural populations.
Katie feels a sense of twoness when defining her identity. She is Chinese American and is also a Texan who grew up in Brooklyn. She feels a deep connection to her cultural roots and takes great pride and joy in keeping her family traditions alive. She hopes for the classroom to be a place where culture can enrich our learning through multiple facets.
