Our rockstar teacher for April 2023 is Mrs. Patsy Kvortek,
from Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Students call Patsy Kvortek “Mrs. K” at Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Her students are in grades 10-12. She teaches Personal Finance along with Sports, Arts & Entertainment Management and Marketing.Teaching Inspiration
From as far back as high school, Mrs. K’s Aunt Patty saw the qualities of an educator in Patsy and encouraged her to pursue teaching. Then Patsy’s guidance counselor, Mrs. Mary Alice Brenner, encouraged her to apply to colleges prominent in education. Eventually, she chose Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) as a Business Education major.Make Money Matter to Students
For Mrs. K, making money matter to students means teaching with real-life stories, situations, videos, podcasts, movies, pictures, and curriculum students can relate to. “Making money “real” is what captivates their attention,” said Mrs. K. “I have learned from my students that they have the desire to understand financial literacy. They ask questions and seek advice that relates to their own personal life.”
Making a Difference
“Former students have kept in touch to tell me they saved all the notes from Personal Finance class and that information has been beneficial to them in their adult life.”
Patsy’s Resources
What are your go-to resources for teaching personal finance?
- Take Charge America
- Next Gen Personal Finance
- Fit Money
- EVERFI Financial Literacy
- Dave Ramsey
What do you do when you’re not teaching?
“Since my daughter has been a competitive gymnast for twelve years, plus a track & field athlete, I enjoy attending her competitions and meets. Additionally, I like to travel, having visited France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, and 20 U.S. states.”
Anything else?
“I am extremely grateful to Mr. Gene Natali, author of The Missing Semester and CEO & Co-founder of Troutwood, for his unending support for me and my students over the past 10+ years. Gene was instrumental in helping me develop a proposal where my district now requires Personal Finance as a graduation requirement.”
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