Q&A with KATHERINE MORLOG
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG…
Q: Start with the simple. Tell us a bit about your family, hometown, childhood.
KM: I was born and raised in Dundas, Ontario, a beautiful small town just outside Hamilton. My brother David is three years older than me, and we spent all of our time playing and competing in anything and everything. My Dad, Barry, is a retired elementary school principal, and my Mom, Elizabeth, is also a retired teacher – so I guess it's safe to say I got the education gene! Although so much of my childhood was dedicated to sports, we always had important family time skiing and at the cottage.
Q: Children are always asked what they want to be when they grow up. What did you want to be?
KM: I loved rearranging my bedroom furniture and dreaming of different ideas for my room, so for a long time I wanted to be children’s room decorator. That's a thing, right?
Q: At Creekford Academy you want children to answer that question differently. How do you hope they will answer and why?
KM: Having spent almost a decade working with and teaching children, I have seen the result of this question and our fixation, as adults, on their “future”. Many children are far too worried about their career and the perfect educational path to achieve it. I think it’s essential that they know there is no such thing as a perfect path; that having a wealth of experiences that take you “off the path” is important, and that they are encouraged to “live in the now of childhood”. I would love to hear kids say, “I want to be creative, I want to be artistic, I want to be adventurous” – a focus on traits and characteristics they see as important to who they are.
Q: While you’re thinking about childhood and school, how would you describe yourself as a student?
KM: Well my Mom worked in my elementary school, and my dad was a principal in the local school board, so I bet you can guess! Neat, organized, attentive, and thorough! I would say those traits carried me through all of my schooling, but I also really enjoyed the fun of friends and the social aspects of school and school sports teams.
Q: Your best and worst elementary school memory?
KM: My best memory was my grade1/2 split class where we had all kinds of class pets. We hatched two ducks (Fluffy and Duffy), two chickens, and had a hamster named Butterscotch (and my suggestion for the name won!)
My worst memory might have been the “Thinking Chair” in kindergarten. It had question marks painted all over it, and if you misbehaved you were to sit and “think about what you did”. Rather unnecessary for curious, excitable 4 and 5 year olds.
Q: Your favourite childhood book or a book all children should read?
KM: I loved the Corduroy books, but I think everyone should spend time with Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends.
A BIT ABOUT YOU NOW…
Q: Finish this sentence. When I’m not working, you can usually find me…
KM: At the gym or at the range – working out, boxing, or trying to improve my golf game
Q: If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? (Don’t overthink it!)
KM: Can I stay here and move my family closer? I love my life in Kingston, but when your family lives a few hours away you end up really missing the ability to pop over for coffee, a meal, or a quick visit.
Q: 3 words that best describe you?
KM: Ambitious, loyal, passionate
Q: 3 pet peeves?
KM: People being late, people who get dropped off at the grocery store door, and items not stacked appropriately by size (yes, I really like things organized)
Q: 3 favourite outdoor activities?
KM: Golf, skiing, swimming/water sports at the cottage
ON EDUCATION, LEARNING & CREEKFORD ACADEMY
Q: Teachers are always described as life-long-learners; what is something you still want to learn or are currently learning?
KM: I don’t think I’ll ever be done learning golf or boxing, but I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano and guitar. I’ve also taken surfing lessons and would love to return to that again. – I think it’s the hardest and most challenging activity I’ve ever done.
Q: What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job?
KM: I have a wealth of experience in outdoor programming for children that began at my cottage and as a summer camper/tripper in Muskoka, and were further developed as counsellor and later as a director of an outdoor, nature-based day camp. In addition, my vast experience in public elementary schools has given me a very clear understanding of the current educational system and its condition. Being immersed in this system has allowed me to see what is truly needed in education in order to have happier, healthier, and truly engaged learners.
Q: How do you think your colleagues would describe you?
KM: Organized, conscientious, diligent, creative, and fun!
Q: The best quote to share with children or students?
KM: “If plan A didn’t work out, the alphabet has 25 other letters”
Q: And one for their parents?
KM: “It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves”
Q: And the toughest question for last. Why Creekford Academy?
KM: You know all those lines and quotes that people brush off about following your dream and making a difference? The ones that seem great in theory? Creekford Academy makes them a reality for me.
Our world is so vastly different from when we were kids. Whether it be the school system itself, where and how children play, or the over use of technology for social media and gaming, the impact on children is vast and the time for change has come. Creekford Academy is making that change; a change that children will not only benefit from, but one that they deserve.
Children deserve the very best from the world that sits before them. And they deserve the best from what we adults have learned so far. So they deserve to be immersed in an environment that nurtures creativity, exploration, curiosity and wonder. They deserve to be free to play, and play deeply. I want nothing more than to be a part of this change, and to be a part of shaping the lives of children who are happy and healthy, who love learning, and who love all that the outdoors has to offer. There is no greater dream as an educator than being a part of that. That dream is Creekford Academy.