Kourtney Brumfield
“I’m usually shy” is what 5th-grade English teacher Kourtney Brumfield said about herself. But it didn’t take long to peel back the layers to reveal her personality. She likes numbers and spreadsheets, baking and painting, desserts, and once hated writing.
She’s in her second year at University View Academy but has taught for five-years. What drew her to UVA, she says, is “Being flexible and teaching each child in a different way.” Brumfield says she challenges her students to be the best they can be, so they “…don’t have to worry about comparing themselves to someone else. Everyone brings something to the table. As a class, we can all support each other,” she adds. The one-on-one time she has with students also excites her, especially if it’s with one struggling. “If a student messages me, I can open up a live session, and I can reach out to them. It’s really awesome to help the learning coaches and guide them, too,” she said excitedly. “I just love being here at UVA. I love the people and what we can accomplish with students,” Brumfield said with conviction.
Brumfield is known as the creative one and the go-to person in her circle of teachers. Someone else may come up with the vision, but she takes pride in saying, “I’m the one who carries it out.” She designed team Tee-shirts with a Pac-Man design for Halloween. She also shared a photo of one of her crawfish creations.
Crawfish Design
Brumfield became an educator in a roundabout way. While working on her master’s degree in business, she began to substitute teaching. “I fell in love with children,” Brumfield said and abandoned her goal of working in the corporate world. She admits to struggling with writing, and she had to overcome that weakness. It’s an irony not lost on an English teacher. Now Brumfield says it’s her passion. That weakness means she can better relate to students with the same issue. “What caused me so much turmoil allows me to help,” she explained.