Staff Spotlight: Meet Kolbe Gray – Jr./Sr. High School Teacher

Join us in shining a spotlight on Jr./Sr. High School Social Studies Teacher Kolbe Gray.

“Kolbe Gray’s commitment to Fort Plain and our students is clearly visible any time you walk past her classroom,” said Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Principal Katrina Canallatos. “Whether she is leading engaging instruction or welcoming students before school, during lunch, after school and throughout the day, her room is consistently filled with energy, conversation and connection. It reflects the trust she builds, the care she shows, and the sense of belonging she creates for our students.”

“Kolbe is known for the relationships she builds, and relationships are the foundation of learning,” added Interim Superintendent Karen Geelan. “When students feel seen, heard and valued, they thrive — academically and personally. The connections our staff build each day truly make the difference in Fort Plain.” 

Making history come alive for students—and making sure their school days are filled with enrichment and excitement—is what inspires Kolbe Gray and her approach to teaching.

While she always knew she wanted to be a teacher, what and where to teach became crystal clear after student teaching as a SUNY Oneonta undergraduate in the classrooms of veteran Fort Plain educators Will Ryan and Katie Sacco.

“They both have a way of making history come alive for their students and I knew that was something I wanted to do for students, too,” said Gray. “I’m a big proponent of project-based learning that helps the students make connections between what happened in the past and their own lives. It’s great when the kids are enjoying the topic and really immersed in history. When this happens, it’s when I love history most.”

Now in her eighteenth year of teaching, Kolbe Gray has spent her entire career with the Fort Plain district.

Along with leading both junior and senior high school social studies and college-in-the-high school coursework, Gray serves as the junior class advisor, advisor for the school’s Junior and Senior National Honor Societies and graduation coordinator.

“I’ve had so many conversations about what they hope to do beyond these four walls,” said Gray. “It’s heartwarming when they ask for advice on their careers and college plans, and even more so when recent graduates return to observe my classroom as they begin their own journeys into teaching. This is truly a full circle moment.”

Gray says a true benefit of living and teaching in Fort Plain is the ability to really get to know the students and impact their growth and learning in meaningful ways.

“The Fort Plain community and our students mean so much to me. I wouldn’t want to be—or to teach—anywhere else,” said Gray.