Kristine Vanwisse is that rare Austinite who was actually born here. “My mom, husband DeWitt, and I were actually born in the same original Seton hospital on 38th street!” she shared. “I knew from my own childhood that Eanes was a good district and a safe environment in which to be a student and a teacher, so I wanted that for my two daughters, Claire and Cloey, as well as in a workplace for myself.” Claire is currently a senior at Westlake High School and is deciding where to attend college after receiving a handful of admissions. Cloey is a junior at Westlake.
Kristine is currently a Spanish 3 and 4 grade level teacher at Westlake High School, but she has also taught at Hill Country Middle School and Forest Trail Elementary in different capacities. “I have known for as long as I can remember that I would be a teacher,” said Kristine. “My fourth grade teacher inspired me the most, then each year after that I found something special in each teacher. I still use those little bits of inspiration in my daily teaching.”
Kristine enjoys teaching teenagers. “They are fun and energetic. It keeps me young! I like keeping up my language skills through teaching languages, but mostly I like watching kids find confidence in themselves when working with a difficult topic in class. They’re quick to judge themselves, but then they end up succeeding. I love watching them realize they achieved the impossible!” said Kristine.
The hardest part of teaching for Kristine, and for many teachers, however, is that the profession is always with them. “I feel like I never turn it off. I’m always thinking about what I could have done better or differently and I’m always planning ahead, wanting the next lesson to be better than the one before. I never stop thinking about it.”
When asked what she wished people understood about teaching and her position, Kristine was quick to say that she definitely feels a lot of support from the community already. She believes that many people understand that teaching is not just an 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. position and that a large amount of emotional effort goes into the day. She does hope that people will appreciate and support the fact that “the teacher-student connection is real and necessary for learning. Sometimes our classrooms have days where we plan activities to foster that connection more than just a specific component of a teaching standard.” Those days are important as they allow the students to feel seen as people, not just as students.
When asked to dream big about how the community could better support Kristine and her fellow teachers, she responded, “We have an amazing PTO who gives us incredible support, but if I had to come up with something magical, it would be content area specific enrichment/professional development opportunities. For example, chemistry and biology teachers could learn at a local lab or hospital where they could be in a true setting that reflects what they teach the kids all day. Language teachers could receive a stipend to travel to their language country to improve their language skills and their cultural knowledge.” When all else fails, “Coffee is always great. I’m never one to turn away a cup of coffee,” laughed Kristine.
Our community is an incredibly generous and supportive one. We have seen time and time again that when we come together in support of a cause, there is practically nothing we can’t accomplish. If Kristine’s comments sparked an idea for you, or if you would like to get more involved in supporting staff at the high school, please reach out to Kate Slaughter, kate.slaughter@outlook.com or 512-884-7420. The amazing staff of Eanes ISD, as well as the students thank you.
