Teacher of the Month
The Alabama Public Television Excellence in Education Award is a monthly recognition program for kindergarten through 12th Grade educators across the state of Alabama.
Katie Thompson has spent the past 12 years in elementary special education, currently serving 3rd–5th grade students in a resource classroom setting. Although teaching is her second career, her path became clear after volunteering at The Bell Center for Early Intervention in Birmingham, where she discovered a passion for supporting children with diverse learning needs.
“I love understanding how children learn differently, breaking skills down creatively, and celebrating progress that isn’t always visible on a test score,” Katie says. “Helping a child believe in themselves as a learner is incredibly powerful.”
Katie believes empathy is the most important quality a teacher can have. She strives to see the whole child, not just academic performance, but emotions and experiences, too. By listening first and reacting second, she builds trust and creates a classroom where mistakes are part of learning and effort is celebrated just as much as achievement.
Her structured yet nurturing classroom supports both academic and social-emotional growth. She currently serves 18 students a day at Greystone Elementary School, with a wide range of needs, providing small-group instruction throughout the day in all subject areas, along with behavior, social, and executive functioning skills.
Differentiation is at the core of Katie’s teaching. She uses visuals, modeling, hands-on learning, and verbal instruction, along with scaffolds like graphic organizers and checklists. Trained in multi-sensory reading instruction, she tailors lessons to help students close learning gaps and build confidence.
Strong relationships are also key. Katie makes it a priority to know each student’s strengths, challenges, and interests, creating a classroom culture built on respect, consistency, and patience.
Balancing a wide range of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs is one of Katie’s biggest challenges. In addition to instruction, she manages IEP implementation, progress monitoring, and collaboration with multiple service providers.
Additional funding would allow her to expand literacy and math intervention tools, hands-on manipulatives, adaptive writing supports, social-skills curriculum, flexible seating, and calming corner resources, all designed to help students access learning and regulate emotions more effectively.
Above her classroom door hangs her favorite reminder: “Progress, not perfection.” It’s a message she wants every student to carry with them. Growth happens through effort, small steps, and learning from mistakes.
When asked about being recognized as Alabama Public Television's Teacher of the Month, Katie responds with humility. But to her students and families, the honor is no surprise. Every day, she leads with empathy, advocates fiercely, and helps children see themselves as capable, confident learners.
To learn more about how you can nominate someone for APT's Teacher Of The Month, click here.
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