Joy A. Kots

Father Judge High School

Joy Kots dreamed of becoming an environmental or biological patent lawyer, but the faculty and students at Father Judge High School are sure glad she discovered teaching was her calling.

Of her seven years in education, Ms. Kots has spent the past six years teaching chemistry and biology to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders at Father Judge High School. “My passion for science is what drives my teaching philosophy,” said Kots. “I attempt to instill the same enthusiasm in my students through diverse and challenging learning experiences.” She does this through interactive labs, creative writing assignments, building real-life models, and field trips. Ms. Kots hopes her students will be able to apply this knowledge to real world issues and applications.

Above all else, she believes a true education is one that involves educating the whole person. For that reason, Ms. Kots is very involved in many activities outside the classroom such as Kairos Retreats, Homeless Night Out, and Easter Baskets for St. Francis Inn, which is a community center that meets the daily needs of the poor and homeless in Philadelphia. She serves on various committees including the school’s grant writing team and advisory board. In addition to all this, she is the intramural volleyball moderator, as well as a member of the faculty team, and has just recently taken on the job of moderator of the yearbook.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling. Having traveled all over the United States visiting different cities, parks and historical sites, Ms. Kots insists a trip is not complete without a stop at the local zoo, aquarium or museum because there is always time for learning.