Mrs. Kathy Fife knows how to break through stereotypes. She has elicited moving poetry from a teenaged “bruiser of an athlete” and inspired an appreciation of a romantic classic in junior high boys. About the newfound sensitivity of the 8th grade football player, she says, “The depth of what he wrote was incredible.” The eagerness of her Shakespeare students was also a pleasant surprise. “It was a easy dramatic unit and the boys liked it so much that the asked to perform it at an end of the school year talent show,” she shares. “They drew the line at playing Juliet though, we had to find a female for that part.” Mrs. Fife is an experienced proponent of multiage learning. “I’ve been doing it even when it wasn’t part of the curriculum. Grouping grade levels together is natural, as is integrating history, language, writing and Bible. Math and science need a little more separation, but I’m going to enjoy having a lab,” she confesses. Speaking of enjoyment -- Mrs. Fife truly enjoys being a grandmother. “I LOVE being a grandma,” she enthuses. “There’s noting like it. It’s better than having kids!” Her kids are grown: Kristy lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and three children; Susan’s family of four is based in Champaign, Illinois; David is married and active in ministry at the Vineyard in Oak Park, where Kathy’s husband Wayne is pastor. Mrs. Fife is a gardener, scrapbooker and a fan of non-fiction books, especially science and history. “1776 (by David McCullough) was good and so was the biography of Einstein’s equation, e=mc2.” She also enjoyed Miss Potter, the film about the beloved British children's author Beatrix Potter. Christian contemporary music is her sound, and Vineyard Music is her favorite -- especially since her son has been a featured performer. Mrs. Fife finds inspiration in the Golden Rule from Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” She has an MA from Concordia University plus 25 years of classroom experience in the Oak Park public schools and more recently the Oak Park Christian Academy. Mrs. Fife has also worked with the basketball team and science club. “I’ve learned to be flexible,” she shares. “Never expect things to be what you think they are going to be! Be willing to adjust. Be patient and
understanding.” |
