Katie Bunger joined Oyster-Adams through the DC Teaching Fellows program, and has continued to work there for the past six years. She is particularly appreciative of her students’ families, who provide her whole team with unlimited support and encouragement. As a Flamboyan Fellow, Ms. Bunger helped to develop a school-wide family engagement plan to include more stakeholders into their educational program. She also coaches the track and cross-country teams, is a member of the Local School Advisory Team, co-directed the school’s first musical production, and developed middle school workshops for families. Her principal, Monica Liang-Aguirre, explains, “She is a teacher who I know will make a difference with all of her students. She is an advocate for her kids and tireless in her efforts to meet their needs.”

Ms. Bunger strives to hold herself to the same high standards that she has for her students, to constantly improve her craft, and to do everything in her power to support them both in the classroom and beyond. “Teaching is a job where I can come in having the worst morning and leave having had the best day ever,” Ms. Bunger enthuses, crediting her student’s unending energy, creativity, and confidence. “Teaching has changed my life.” In particular, Ms. Bunger expresses amazement at her students’ ability to rise to any challenge. “They push themselves to work harder, think more deeply, and surpass expectations,” she says. “Having these relationships pushes me as a teacher in the exact same way.”