Catherine Wagner has been teaching for 23 years in the Brighton Area School district. Throughout her career she’s taught self contained classrooms in grades 1, 6, and 7, with 2009 to 2017 including the Gifted and Talented cluster. She’s also served in the roles of Magnet Math instructor for five years and various Curriculum Coordinator positions in mathematics and STEAM.
Her interest and participation in Michigan Design Prize developed through her role as Academic Enrichment coach, when she was charged with identifying high capable students and creating and facilitating enrichment programming. This programming was focused on engineering and STEM. Michigan Design Prize creates a gateway to problem and project based learning, and partners nicely with the Engineering Design Process.
Her most recent role is STEAM Encore teacher for the past two years, bringing STEAM and the Engineering Design Process, project based learning, and twenty first century learning skills to all fifth and sixth graders in the district!
Catherine graduated from Michigan State University with a degree with Elementary Education and minors in mathematics and earth science. She then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Teaching, and has continued with graduate level courses throughout her career.
When not teaching, she enjoys exercise, time with her family and friends, travel, occasional volunteer work at the “I Heart Dogs Animal Rescue and Haven,” and reading. Most of her spare time is spent as an enthusiastic spectator at her three teens’ sporting events! She has one son at Michigan State University’s Honors College and two teens in high school.