Kathryn Louderback is the 8th grade WAVE science teacher. She has been teaching for 12 years. Parts of the job that she enjoys include doing complex labs in chemistry and teaching different topics like geological time. She was also involved in the Environmental Club click here for more information. Louderback got her education from Teachers for Tomorrow club in Topeka West High School, then later on went to Emporia State University for her Bachelor’s degree, and at Baker University for her Master’s Degree.

In Mrs. Louderback’s classroom, there’s always something fun and different to do each day. 8th grader Katelyn Schneider’s favorite thing to do in her class is “Going outside and picking up trash cause you don’t have to do homework and in labs, we got to use fire.” Just like Schneider, Louderback also had some of her favorite memories happen this year, they include: the field trip to Kansas University, the slime day, and rover drop. But she didn’t always aspire to be a teacher. “As a little kid we would watch Wheel of Fortune and I thought it would be so cool to be like Vanna White. To wear fancy dresses, be on TV, travel the world,” said Louderback. She says there are pros to teaching which include her working with her coworkers, coaching and watching her students grow and develop. But the cons include having to solve difficult problems with students and funding, and having to find time to help the students the most she can. Mrs. Louderback has many qualities that 8th grader Haleigh Morrow would describe as “Silly, Hard-Working, Competitive, and funny.”

Mrs. Louderback had fun connecting with all her students. She wants all the 8th graders to know “Look up from your screen and go out and explore your world. Be the change you want to see and make your world a better place.”