Katie Berner wears many hats at Baker Intermediate School—librarian, co-director of the theatre program with her husband, Collin, and a friend to those who need one.
The recipient of the Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year award for 2027, Katie said that every day is a new day in her space. At the heart of it is creating an environment that empowers kids.
“Sometimes teachers get a negative perspective because there are hard days in teaching,” she said. “But I think if it’s truly your passion, you still approach it with excitement.”
Katie has always had a passion for reading, started by her kindergarten librarian. She still has the original copy of her favorite book, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, given to her by that librarian. Since then, she has woven ideas from other language arts teachers and librarians into her teaching approaches.
“Clark County is blessed to have them,” said Misty Strain, current Head of Youth Services at the Clark County Public Library. Misty has interacted with both Katie and Collin through not only the library, but also through her collaborations with the pair’s theatre camps.
The theatre program is something Katie said she holds dear to her heart, running it for the past 12 years at Baker Intermediate, and now with her husband Collin for the third year. The couple has worked to foster an environment that helps students feel comfortable and expressive. Katie said she gets to connect with these students on a deeper level.
“I wish I could clone the Berners,” said Josh Mounts, principal of Baker Intermediate. He has seen firsthand how developing the arts through the school and district has allowed for Katie to shine within her roles, he said.
In the library, Katie said she tries to include collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to help prepare students for the real world. She also does this through her unit that she calls “digital citizenship skills.” There, she teaches proper internet practices like spotting misinformation or disinformation online, including the new age of AI.
In nine-week blocks, Katie gets to work every day with four different classes. After that block, she sees each class every two weeks with their language arts teachers for a book checkout time. She said she works this schedule to her advantage, as it gets kids intrigued for the library and wondering when they have it again.
“It builds that excitement, because then the library becomes a spot where you want to go,” she said.
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