At Central Kitsap School District, there is one teacher who has been a long time advocate for the students when it comes to the subject of math. Catherine Pitcher has been teaching or assisting both teachers and students in the Central Kitsap School District for over 20 years. But she doesn’t stop at just teaching the subject of math.

In Ms. Pitcher’s time at Central Kitsap she has worked at Esquire Hills Elementary, from there she moved on to become a math coach for the district helping teachers further specialize in math. This led to her becoming the math specialist for the district which she did for several years, followed by teaching 6th grade at Clear Creek. She then returned to the district office as a math specialist followed by teaching at CK Middle School for six years. She was extremely proficient at teaching math and was well versed in the math curriculum and the inner workings of the district office.

This experience influenced Ms.Pitcher’s teaching style which involved many group projects and activities. She had a seating chart with group tables and encouraged conversation. 

While sometimes this group centered idea can backfire on a teacher in bad ways like to much talking or not enough she made it work to the point where students succeeded in hard classes.

“… seventh grade, was a even struggle but I had a lot more friends and they were a lot more helpful.” Mathew Wallen says.“The group system helps in every way, just how humans work.” continues Mr.Wallen.

Ms.Pitcher further cements her ideas and why she uses them.

As Ms.Pitcher puts it, “Always making sure kids don’t feel like they are basically stupid, because they’re asking a question.”

Students say that Ms.Pitcher not only cares about the students success in class but in overall life.

“She’s really the only teacher that’s helped me fully out of school with any assignment even years after I’d never even talked to her,” said Mathew Wallen. 

She describes it this way, “That ability to stay in a kids life path that I think is really important to me because I know that having an adult in life that really believes in you is incredibly important and the more adults you have in your life that believe in you, the better your life outcome is going to be.” Through her dedication of both time and money, Ms. Pitcher has helped many students throughout her career. 

It’s true, Ms.Pitcher had been known to call students during this time of the COVID Pandemic and wish them a happy birthday, or ask how they are doing and if they need help with anything they may be struggling with. She is also known to give her number to all her students and tell them they can call her anytime before nine P.M. if they have questions, even after they’re no longer a student in her class.

Part of her reasoning for what she does is because of her mother. Her mother was a teacher and that is in part what inspired her as a teacher. 

Ms.Pitcher says, “So my mother was an amazing teacher. And she always let me know that the most important thing was to love the students, just love them for who they are.”

And Ms Anderson, her 8th grade teacher, also played a role in making Ms.Pitcher into the teacher she is today. she “pushed me to be the best student I could be.” She said when asked about who has influenced her most. 

“I think my best accomplishment is making strong relationships with kids. And having kids be happy about where they are and letting kids know that I really care about them.”  Explains Ms.Pitcher

She even has been helping kids that just need to talk to an adult. She is someone who can listen when there is something big on a student’s mind. Her reputation as a good teacher is well known among those students that have been in her classes. For some, she is a person whose respect and caring relationship will be there should they need her and whose influence can help propel them to a positive future.

“I think part of it is because I really think of them as my kids. That I get very, very attached to them. Not as I think I’m their mother. That’s not what I mean. I mean that they’re my people. Like I need to take care of these people. I need to you know, make them excited about things I need to make them comfortable with things.