by Nicole Dobrzanski
Special to the Gazette

Since East Hartford High School biology teacher Cathryn Tuttle was recognized as a Knowles Teacher Initiative 2024 Teaching Fellow by her alma mater, UConn’s Neag School of Education, she has been bringing innovative teaching methods and ideas to her classroom and to the school.

Established by Harry and Janet Knowles, lifelong philanthropists and STEM educators, the Knowles Teacher Initiative at Neag at UConn is a five-year fellowship program for early-career math and science teachers. Knowles Teaching Fellows join an exclusive cadre of just over 500 educators nationwide, gaining access to personalized coaching, mentoring and financial support.

Tuttle completed her Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences from UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the pandemic year of 2020, then obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in biology education in 2021 from its Neag School. She then obtained her Master of Arts degree in curriculum and instruction in 2022.

She completed student teaching at East Hartford High School, and a master’s internship at Windsor High School which, she says, allowed her to see how school climate and professional communities can influence the way classrooms function – and how teachers feel about the work that they do.

Now in her third year at East Hartford High, Tuttle teaches general biology and elective courses, such as marine biology and zoology. She says she’ll also be teaching her first botany course at EHHS this spring.

“One of my favorite parts about my job is the people. I have an amazing group of colleagues in the biology department,” Tuttle related in an interview in the Neag School online magazine. “It was their collaboration and success as a department that made me choose EHHS.”

Tuttle has always been drawn to teaching because of her love of kids and learning.

She says she chose biology “because life science fascinated me as a kid, and I felt like it was a field that students could resonate with on a more personal level, especially in learning about their own bodies and the world around them.”

The application process for the Knowles Fellowship took several months, with multiple rounds of interviews to narrow down the most deserving. Those selected for the 2024 Knowles Teacher Initiative were repeatedly reminded that they were ‘there for a reason’. All with a passion and potential for personal and professional growth within the Knowles community and their respective schools.

“Being a Knowles Fellow inspires me to be more reflective in my teaching practices, be intentional about my decision-making in the classroom, and constantly seek opportunities for professional learning,” Tuttle related. She says she enjoyed her time at UConn’s Neag School, especially her science-focused courses and learning from instructors Victoria Schilling, John Settlage, and Todd Campbell. Additionally, she credits the Neag community with inspiring her to apply to the Knowles Fellowship.

“I encourage all Neag School teacher preparation program graduates to apply for the Knowles Fellowship,” Tuttle says. “Knowles is an incredible initiative supporting early-career math and science teachers through some of the most difficult years of the profession and beyond. Not only is Knowles influential for the first five years of one’s teaching career, but the community reaches far beyond the initial fellowship.”

Her goals include integrating more health and wellness education into the biology curriculum at EHHS, which could include teaching a neuroscience elective so students can learn how physical and mental health can affect them.

She also hopes to build a school/community garden to teach students about sustainable agriculture, and possibly pilot a cessation/rehabilitation program in place of disciplinary action for students struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.

“My main goal is to use my position in the Knowles community to start making some improvements at my school with the hopes of reaching beyond our district,” Tuttle says. “I also hope to increase my involvement in our local and state teacher’s union, the Connecticut Education Association, to lobby for systemic change on the district, state, and maybe even federal level.”