Cecilia: Tell me one interesting aspect of your summer.

Mr. Katz: I took a group of students to Trinidad and Tobago. It was so cool. We went stand up paddle-boarding and looked at bio-luminescent dinoflagellates (plankton) at night. It was like looking at a billion stars in the water. We went snorkeling, hiked in the rain-forest, rescued turtles and watching the egg laying process of a giant leather-back sea turtle. Maddy Flisk, ‘17, who  was on the trip, noted,“Mr. Katz is such a great teacher in and out of school. I went to Trinidad and Tobago with him and the experience was like none other. A highlight of the trip was, if any, seeing the plankton glow in the water at night.”

Richard: Any details on the upcoming trip to Iceland next summer?

Katz: Yes! We are going to Iceland in July. There are scholarship opportunities available! There are more scholarship opportunities that I’ve had this year than I’ve had ever before. But no one can go if no one comes to the meetings. (So students, please let me know if you would like to go pronto so I can give you all the necessary information!)

Richard: What does “Mycelia” mean? What’s the purpose and the goal?

Katz: Mycelia is a vegetative root structure of fungus and it helps to provide nutrients to all the plants and creatures. If students are like the Mycelia, we are going to be helping the entire community and ecosystem from the ground up. It’s like a giant grassroots’ organization. The students have to help improve the environment within their communities. However they define that environment and their communities. It is up to them to determine what they’re passionate about and use that to create their projects. I want it to be an all inclusive class where it ties in everything from all the different subjects into this one classroom and project.

Cecilia: Is there a “Mycelia Part 2” this year in APES?

Katz: Yes! I am doing a “Mycelia Part 2” this year! So actually it’s funny because I was in Trinidad, and I’m having dinner with some great students of mine and we were talking about APES and the discussion went to because I’m not teaching Biology, I have to do something about Mycelia because it’s pretty powerful. I cannot be more thrilled about where we are going with Mycelia this year. I think this will help to change APES and it’s going to be extremely empowering for Juniors and Seniors. It will also look really great on college applications.

Cecilia: What’s changed after you won the Golden Apple Award? What is the Golden Apple Award?

Katz: The Golden Apple is an award given to teachers who demonstrate exemplary excellence in their education. They give out 10 awards a year but every three years they give awards to high school teachers. It’s unique to be able to get it. To be even nominated is amazing because someone else in our community thought that I had done a great job. And it’s even more rewarding because there have been many more teachers from this school that have gotten the same nomination which I think is a huge testament. Once they have gotten the award, it is up to the teacher to decide whether or not they want to pursue this or not. I’ve been dreaming of the Golden Apple since I graduated from ISU 17 years ago. So it’s really awesome to have achieved it. In some ways, it’s boosted my confidence. I recognize and understand that what I am doing is really impactful. Not only that, it works for me and my students. I’m not perfect either, I know there are things about me that irritate students, especially my APES students that have never had me before. They thought they got away from Mycelia but no, no, no!! But I truly think students will benefit from this. I have been invited to be a part of larger groups that have a bigger influence on the state and city. I am one of the 12 cohort of teachers that advise the mayor about educational policies that should be happening, not from a political standpoint just strictly educational. I’m working with Illinois State Science teachers to design a curriculum and lessons that are excellent for the state that are free for any teachers to utilize.

Richard: What did you become president of?

Katz: I became the president of the Illinois Science Teachers Association in which I can also work to engage and empower science teachers so that way they can do great things and inspire their students.

Cecilia: How many animals do you have in your classroom?

Katz: We definitely have over 30 animals. Eco Club has done a phenomenal job of taking care of critters even over the summer. My goal is to have more living creatures in my room than I do students. I would also like to turn that into a species not just a criter. I already have 16 turtles that are all endangered. They’re alligator snapping turtles. In operation endangered species we are working to get them into other schools and allow teachers and students to appreciate why it’s important to save and protect these animals.

Mr. Katz is clearly beloved and respected by the students here at WY.  Patricia Calderon ‘17 sums it up best when she says, “Mr. Katz allowed me to realize that I could pursue a career in STEM and he gave me the tools to find my passion in STEM. He has pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone in the classroom and afterwards, in my academics and extracurricular pursuits. He is such a special teacher in that he is so supportive and genuinely happy for his students accomplishments.”

Interviewing Mr. Katz was just a small insight into his life but the care he has for the education and overall well being of his students can’t be portrayed in just one interview. He is more than the APES teacher or the owner of the school python. He is a teacher that inspires students as well as teachers to better themselves. Abraham Cornejo ‘17: “He’s a very involved teacher who motivates his students to become the best they can be.” The prestigious awards he has received is just a small part of the recognition he deserves but the awards are nothing compared to the love he gets from teaching.

Additional PSA:

• Mr. Katz and EcoClub are now printing out decals and designs for people’s shirts for clubs. The money would stay within our community and our school because EcoClub would be in charge. So if you need a club shirt, they are more than willing to print shirts for you.
• If anyone is interested in coding or making stuff/ 3D printing we are looking for people who have an idea of what they want to do and would like to use the maker space in Room 321. This can be for Senior experience and or art project. The goal is to ultimately design a class around that.