University Teaching Initiative Award
Katherine Peeples, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor in Special Education
- Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2019
What is the core of your teaching philosophy in one sentence?
All students have the right to learn to read, and all teachers have the right to learn how to help them do it.
My motivation to become a college professor comes from …
Wanting to work with preservice special education teachers, and wanting to make sure that they can support students who struggle with reading with evidence-based interventions and support.
The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is … (and why)
My father, who is also a university professor. He taught at Wake Forest University School of Law for 39 years, and always cared about teaching his courses well and doing right by his students and their future careers. When he retired, I was still in my Ph.D. program, and talking to so many of his former students at the retirement celebration showed me the kind of positive impact he had. I had begun feeling nervous about graduating and teaching at the university level, but talking to his former students was when I realized that if I put energy and empathy towards having that kind of impact, like my dad did, I'd be just fine.
Regarding my teaching accomplishments, I am proudest about …
Starting the PULSE program. It was truly a labor of love and dedication to the teaching profession. My colleague, Dr. Allison Kroesch, and I saw a problem and worked hard to find a way to help solve it. It was the kind of leadership opportunity I hope my preservice teachers get to have someday - put your expertise to work and see what happens!
Best compliment that I’ve received from a student was …
That I showed them how much I cared about students as human beings first.
“All students have the right to learn to read, and all teachers have the right to learn how to help them do it.”