Dr. Kathryn Halloran plans to retire at the end of this school year after 33 years at Bolles. She serves as Honors and AP Biology teacher, AP Seminar teacher, prom sponsor, and Honor Council advisor.
Halloran first began teaching at a public school in New Jersey. However, she didn’t always want to be a teacher. “I wanted to be a researcher, and then I discovered that teaching was a lot more fun,” Halloran said.
She mainly researched population biology, which she got her doctorate in. Halloran became a teacher’s assistant, where she discovered her love for teaching. Now, Halloran is “certified to teach all levels of math, chemistry, and biology. I’ve taught all of those things.”
When Halloran’s family moved to Jacksonville for her husband’s job, she looked for a school to enroll her children. She discovered Bolles and thought it would be a great community for not only her children, but also her. “I applied to work here. It was the only place I applied to.”
Halloran’s main goal as a teacher is to teach students to “question things, rely on evidence, and look beyond emotions to actually what’s actually there, and to end up with students who don’t just learn the subject, but learn how to think about things in general.” Halloran also hopes to teach her students to be kind to one another.
Of all the classes Halloran teaches, biology is her favorite. She enjoys teaching all grade levels in different ways. “Freshmen are fun because they believe everything you tell them. But the upper levels are more fun because they actually talk to you.”
Halloran’s students especially enjoy her teaching bits, including Malibu Barbie, the purple crayon, and the forklift. “I include them because sometimes biology can be a dry subject,” she said.“I’m a storyteller. I love to tell stories, and the more you can integrate a story into it, the easier it is to remember it as opposed to a string of facts.”
Many of Halloran’s students also value her teaching style and efficient curriculum. “Unless it serves a purpose, it isn’t worthwhile to do. Very often in education, we are pushed to give a certain amount of homework, whether it serves a benefit or not. And the older I get, the less willing I am to listen to that.”
In addition to teaching Biology and AP Seminar, Halloran also advises the Honor Council. She took up the position just after she began teaching at Bolles when the last advisor was looking for a partner. Wanting to be more involved with Honor Council, Halloran took up the role.
Halloran acts as Grand Jury for the Honor Council and meets with students to evaluate the evidence if they plead innocent. “We always meet with the advisor because we want the student to feel supported… and feel free to talk to us about what’s happening,” Halloran said.
When she first got involved, Honor Council gave a Saturday suspension to each person who violated the Honor Code. Wanting the Honor Council to teach the students instead of punishing them, Halloran worked with administration and students to modify the system. “We talked about how to minimize second offenses and to make it more of a learning experience because our purpose is to teach kids to follow the Honor Code, not to punish them.”
Now, if students are found guilty of violating the Honor Code, they are required to write an essay reflecting on the experience and what they learned. Also, if students go to Honor Court a second time, they have the option to plead innocent. Since starting this, Honor Council receives less second offenses. “We are doing a better job of training them overall. And I think that’s helped a lot.”
While no advisor is lined up to take on Honor Council Advisor next year, Halloran looks for someone who is empathetic and strict when needed.
Halloran is also the sponsor of prom. She began as junior prom sponsor but soon assumed the role of sponsor for the entire event. “I figured this is my punishment, because I didn’t go to my senior prom,” she said. “I worked at the hospital in respiratory therapy.”
When Halloran first came to Bolles, prom took place hours after graduation. Many students and parents requested prom be moved earlier in the spring to spend more time with family after graduation, and one of Halloran’s first moves as prom sponsor was to move prom to a more convenient date.
Halloran’s favorite part of sponsoring prom is seeing the dresses students wear. “I love to see the dresses. It used to be when we sold tickets. I’m a nosy child, and I liked seeing who was going with whom. But now that they just sign up online, you don’t see that anymore.”
Next year, Halloran hopes to find someone who is willing to get involved with prom and listen to the students. “It’s their prom, not our prom.”
Halloran’s plans for next year include moving to Charleston, SC to be with her grandchildren. She has seven in total— 2 who live in Charleston. Her plans include “playing with my grandchildren all the time.”
Halloran will miss the students most when she leaves. “I’m really going to miss the kids and notknowing what the day is going to bring. When you’re a teacher, you never know. Even if you have it planned, you never know how it’s going to actually go… the children know when I get bored, they’re in trouble.”
