This week we caught up with Katie Elster, a M.Ed. student and candidate for a multiple subject teaching credential in the Teacher Education Program. In 2014, she received two Associate Arts degrees in Liberal Studies (Arts and Humanities & Social/Behavioral Sciences) from Santa Barbara City College. From there she transferred to Loyola Marymount University to attend their prestigious School of Film and Television, where she graduated in 2016, Cum Laude, with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Screenwriting, with an emphasis in Feature Film Writing, and a minor in Theatre Arts. After graduating from LMU, she spent a year interning and living the “struggling artist life” in Los Angeles, CA. During this time she worked as a Trainee at Columbia Pictures, within Sony Pictures Entertainment, in their Creative Production/Development Department. While she still loves the world of film and television, Katie elected to move back to her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA to pursue her career in teaching. She worked as a Lead Teacher and Dance Instructor at My Gym Children’s Fitness Center for two years, where she was also the Assistant Director and Choreographer for the My Gym Dance Program’s annual showcase. For the 2018-2019 school year, Katie held the position of the Dance/Music Specialist at El Camino Elementary School, where she simultaneously worked closely with Kindergarten, 3rd grade and 4th grade students in Learning Teams, Language Teams and Math Intervention groups.
GGSE: You made an interesting shift, giving up, as you put it, "the struggling artist life," working at Columbia and Sony, to enter TEP. How/why did you make that change?
Elster: Much like I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to be a teacher, I’ve also always known that I wanted to work in the film and television industry as a screenwriter/actor. My parents were huge advocates of my sister and I following our dreams, no matter how big and crazy they were. They always told us to go where our hearts lead us, even if it was down multiple paths. So that’s exactly what I did. After graduating from SBCC I transferred to LMU, where I majored in one of my passions (screenwriting) and minored in my other passion (theatre arts/acting). I always knew teaching was going to be there for me and was absolutely a major option as a career, so I elected to pursue some other choices for the time being. I simply wanted to explore my horizons in a new city, living that “struggling artist” life that I had heard about from other creative friends who were living in cities like LA and New York. While it was incredibly exciting and humbling to work in a major film studio and be part of the development process of well-known films at the very beginning stages of their creation, the job took a major toll on my mental and physical health. Due to my long hours at the studio, reading many scripts and doing countless tasks for other people, it didn’t allow me time to focus on my own scripts, or take care of myself.
So I moved back home to Santa Barbara. While initially I thought of the move back home as a “failure” for myself, the change was absolutely necessary in order for my to get better, mentally, physically and emotionally and was far from a failure. It was a success and a huge step in my adult life, realizing that, above all, my own health and happiness was more precious and valuable than anything else. All in all, though, I truly believe the move back to Santa Barbara happened because my teaching career was calling. Even when I was at Sony I remembered telling co-workers that I ultimately wanted to go to graduate school and get my teaching credentials for elementary school. Teaching was forever a little voice that whispered in my ear, nagging at me until I finally listened. Ultimately, I feel as though I definitely made the right decision with my career. I don’t regret my time in Los Angeles at all. It shaped me into a much stronger, protective, versatile young woman and really allowed me to master my craft in many aspects. Due to that experience, I now get to bring in an entirely new and unique creative aspect into my future classroom, as I definitely plan on continuing to share my love for screenwriting, theater and films with my students.
GGSE: How has TEP been so far--what have you most enjoyed?
Elster: TEP has been an absolute dream! I heard from many individuals who have done the program that it is the most intense year of your life, but that it is completely worth it in the end… And they are not wrong. It is challenging and hectic, but I truly wouldn’t have it any other way! We are learning so much in so little time and everything that we absorb in our classes with our UCSB instructors we immediately put into action within the classrooms we are student teaching in. I have most enjoyed spending so much quality time with my cohort. Summer session was the best because MST, SST and ESC candidates got to all experience classes together, which allowed us to really get to know EVERYONE within our close-knit program.
One of my favorite memories in this program so far has been when I invited everyone in our program to come take a free dance class that I was teaching in town. About 30 people showed up and we all got to dance and sweat together in a Cardio/Hip Hop class, taught by yours truly! I was beyond surprised with the turn out and I was so humbled and excited people wanted to be involved in one of my passions, no matter their own dance level, background and experience. It was such a remarkable and fun night!
My fellow MST candidates have easily become my second family. I actually find myself missing them on the weekends and during some of those rare evenings when we don’t have UCSB classes! We have shared so many magical moments together already; Lots of laughter, endless support and continuous excitement about what is going to happen next. No matter what kind of day I am having, I know that I can always come to UCSB and know that I’m going to see a familiar face in TEP somewhere around Gevirtz; someone who is always there to provide a giant hug, words of support, guidance and laughter when I need it most. Whether it is the instructors (who are ALL incredible and beyond helpful) or my fellow candidates, this program and these people allow me to be unapologetically, authentically myself, and know that I am loved because of that.
GGSE: Where do you see yourself five years down the line?
Elster: Oh, goodness. That’s such a tough question. The general answer is that I will (hopefully) be well into my 4th year of teaching as an elementary school educator, within a school here in Santa Barbara or Goleta. My student loans will be paid off (a girl can dream), and I will be beyond proud doing a career I have wanted to do since I was 14-years-old, and worked hard to achieve. Within my classroom, I will be incorporating my love for screenwriting, film, theater, and dance and sharing those passions with my students on a regular basis. Ultimately, in 5 years, I want to leave behind a legacy, even if it’s small. I want to be seen as someone to watch; Someone that students can look up to and come to for anything, and someone who fellow teachers can collaborate with and trust will get the job done, even if it’s in my own unique way. (Rules are more like guidelines to me).
I DEFINITELY still want to be in contact with my fellow TEP friends! Whether that be in the same school district, a city away or states away, I would love to partner teach with them in some capacity and stay in touch and up to date on what they are all doing in their lives, no matter where they are. They’re my family now and it really matters to me what they are experiencing in life. I hope they know that. When it comes to marriage and kids and stuff I don’t want to jinx it… it’ll happen when it happens! I’ll have plenty of my own kids to look after in my own classroom! (Although a husband and 2 kids of my own one day would be lovely!)
GGSE: What are you managing to do in the tiny amount of time that isn't taken up with student teaching and your classes? How do you relax?
Elster: Spare time? What spare time? Haha! Between student teaching and our UCSB TEP classes, spare time is something that doesn’t really exist. However, when it does pop up during my weekends, I usually spend it doing things that other people might find boring. What I mean by that is, my spare time is so valuable to me, so when it appears, I bask in it. I sleep in, as sleep is something that am definitely deprived of right now. I love to be a cozy couch potato and catch up on any Netflix shows that I am severely behind on (and I’m behind on A LOT of them). I’m also a dancer, but finding time to take a dance class during the week is a task, because of the intensity of the program. However, even if I find time to dance alone in my room, that still counts as something!
I also like to spend my spare time simply writing. I continue to write screenplays and submit to film festivals and fellowships whenever I get the chance. A professor at LMU once told me to never stop mastering my craft, and I take that to heart, even in my journey toward becoming a teacher. I continuously strive to find ANY amount of time, even if it’s just 10 minutes, to write something every day. Whether it is one page of a screenplay, or a paragraph in my journal, or even just a sentence… Writing is something that keeps me centered and keeps me sane. It’s my escape from reality. Sleep, music, bubble baths, scented candles, coffee, writing and cozy blankets. That’s my recipe for relaxation during those rare moments of “spare time."