Summary: Kaitlyn Davis — a Karns City alumna — talks about her experience coming back to the district as a teacher.

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Kaitlyn Davis said she is proud to be a teacher at her alma mater, Karns City Area School District. Growing up in this community has given her a unique perspective on students’ needs, she said.

However, her colleagues say this is not the only thing that makes her unique.

“(Davis) is an extremely dedicated teacher, who goes above and beyond on a daily basis to provide for her students,” Karns City Area High School principal Michael Stimac said. “She comes to work with a positive attitude every single day, and she treats students, parents and colleagues with the utmost dignity and respect.”

Davis, 34, of Slippery Rock, holds a position as a junior high emotional support teacher. Her days are filled with tutoring sessions, classroom visits and support work for students with emotional or behavioral needs. She also ensures accommodations are made for students who have individualized education programs.

She said the challenge in the role is having so few hours in the day.

“Finding the time to do it all can be challenging,” she said. “I want to make sure I’m meeting all the kids’ needs within the school day.”

Aside from providing behavioral and academic help, Davis teaches several classes.

One is a small learning-support English class where students can develop literary skills at a pace reasonable for them.

Another is a rotating six-week public speaking course for seventh graders.

“I like that because then I get to know all the seventh graders, not just the students in special ed,” Davis said.

She said teaching these courses allows her to draw from her own education. Davis received her undergraduate degree in middle-level and secondary English education from Clarion University. She went on to teach English at St. Wendelin, a Catholic school in Butler.

Davis was compelled to pursue a master's degree in special education from Slippery Rock University.

“I knew I wanted to work in that (field),” she said.

She worked at Summit Academy for a short time before returning to the area of her own K-12 education.

She has now been with Karns City Area School District since 2017. In eight years, she has watched many students grow and change, which she said is her favorite part of being a teacher.

“I get to know so many kids, and I have them for a couple years in a row, unlike traditional high school teachers,” Davis said. “Some of those kids who had quite a few challenges through high school, when they get to that graduation day it's a big deal.”

Davis later said another thing she loves about her job is the caring environment at Karns City. She says she feels connected with her coworkers and the families in the area.

When she’s not supporting students, Davis can be found spending time with her family, gardening or dreaming about her favorite National Parks.

She nurtures vegetables and flowers much like she nurtures her students, as well as her 2- and 4-year-old children.

All of this keeps her busy, she said, but fulfilled.

“Teaching where I grew up, it allows me to give back to my community,” she said. “I think we're all proud of what we do and our students, and I think the community, hopefully, is proud of Karns City high school teachers, too.”