The fall is bringing change to nature and to the Providence community. This year, young Lions meet many new faces and greet some returning ones. Among them is Mrs. Katie Brenny, fifth grade teacher, who rejoins the PA staff after a year at home. “I had missed PA and when Mrs. Galgano called me about this fifth grade opening, I just couldn’t refuse,” Brenny reflects. “It was God answering my question of where I should be this year.”
Brenny didn’t always know she was destined to teach. Her mother, however, who was also a teacher, knew someday she would make a great one. Brenny recalls, after years of not wanting to pursue classroom teaching, ”One day in college, I just had a feeling that I was meant to be a teacher.”
Brenny first came to Providence as a fourth grade teacher and is happy to be in the classroom again. She now teaches fifth grade, which she admits has always been one of her favorites. Her colorful classroom showcases her thoughtfulness and creativity. In addition to her creativity, Brenny also brings her love of singing into the classroom as much as she can. For example, to grow in concept mastery, her students recently learned an order of operations song in math class.
Teaching the fifth graders and watching them learn is a source of great joy for Brenny, but, she admits, teaching at this time presents many challenges. The confined nature of the classroom and the fact that she is unable to give the students high-fives after a job well done are two restrictions that Brenny notices daily. She is grateful, nonetheless, to be teaching on campus rather than online and is eager to see what this year brings.