If you keep an eye out at Clarks Creek Elementary, you may see senior Katelyn Pedigo student teaching in a classroom. It is just a natural place for her to be, given her love of children.
“Being around children makes me really happy. They have this pure joy exuding from them and they say the funniest things,” said Pedigo. “Not to mention, children this young are easily influenced by their teachers, and I want to use this power for good by teaching them love and acceptance as early as possible. The children are the future.”
Looking toward that future, Pedigo hopes to help the children she teaches to see past ideas, like stereotypes, which she feels locks a person in one specific role, regardless of their other qualities, interests or talents. A “no-judgement zone” is a good way to describe her goals for her future classroom.
“One of the stereotypes I’m interested in erasing is girls having to be feminine and boys having to be masculine,” she said. “I feel like promoting this ideology contributes to the misogyny in today’s society. In my classroom, I would encourage my students to enjoy whatever they enjoy without being judged.”
Having gone through her own share of being stereotyped as she grew up, Pedigo wants to erase the labels that others seem to easily put on people without really knowing who they are as a person. “Some kids thought I was only smart because I’m Asian,” she explained. “At the time, I did not think much of it. Now, I realize how messed up this is.”
Pedigo believes that children deserve respect and recognition, despite their smaller size and age. “Adults tend to look down on children and neglect the fact that children have real feelings and problems,” she said. “In addition, they are overlooked because it is human nature to avoid dealing with children exhibiting non-typical behavior.”
She believes that this type of treatment may cause a child to become insecure. Pedigo feels that a child should be able to thrive in their learning environment and should always feel comfortable and welcome. While Pedigo was growing up, her learning environment was pretty neutral. “It was not really positive or negative,” she said. “Even though it’s kind of hard to remember, it did not feel super welcoming or anything like that. However, it wasn’t unpleasant. It was just kind of average.” Her goal is to make sure that the kids she’s working with can go to school without having to navigate those negative experiences.
\tIn her experience, Pedigo thinks that adults sometimes forget that children are just little people and have the same needs as every other human. “I feel like children are overlooked because of their maturity level. “Children who are considered abnormal receive less attention than children who are considered normal,” she explained. “This creates a sense of inferiority within the child, and this could cause problems for their self-worth in the future. These children, especially, deserve to be treated like everyone else, despite their quirks.”
Ultimately, Pedigo is excited about her career in teaching and plans to major in elementary education. Believing that “every child is unique,” Pedigo hopes to help each of them who end up in her classroom find that special something that sets them apart.