Some teachers inspire you with their passion for what they do, and you know that the children in their classrooms are in great hands. Kara Pippin is one of those teachers. I had a great time talking to Kara, learning about what makes her tick, and seeing how she uses her passion to inspire other teachers.
How did you get into teaching?
I’ve been teaching at Duffield 2 Scott County Public School Head Start for 12 years. But my interest in teaching started when I was just a kid. I had a little school set up in my basement. I would “teach” the neighborhood kids. I had them finish their worksheets before they could go out and play. Sometimes my students were stuffed animals. My first grade teacher even gave me old worksheets when she was retiring. I remember needing my dad’s help to carry them out to the car because there were so many.
I feel like I always wanted to be a teacher. During field service in college, I had the opportunity to go into a variety of class settings and was drawn to the younger children. I was fascinated by how these children interacted with each other, with their teachers and materials. I worked as a TA in a public school, then got a job as a Head Start teacher and have been here ever since.
What do you love most about teaching?
I love seeing the children grow throughout the year. It’s my job to scaffold their learning and help them get ready for kindergarten.
What do you think is the most challenging part about teaching?
Having a group of 20 students and trying to individualize and meet everyone’s needs. You don’t have enough time to fit everything in.
How do you meet that challenge?
We are lucky enough to have an extra adult in the classroom three days a week (usually a Head Start staffer). That definitely helps. I can pull out children and work with them one-on-one and give them more personalized attention. My dream would be to have smaller classrooms.
How were you introduced to the CLASS tool?
Several years ago, our Child Development Coordinator introduced the tool as a way to help us all become better teachers. She told us that Head Start would be using the tool to observe and assess centers. Our administrators sent three of us [teachers] to Observation Training to learn the tool better, so I became a Certified CLASS Observer. I use the tool not only to help me in my teaching but to observe and assess other teachers.
I think the tool helped me (and all the teachers!) in the program promote children’s cognitive development, understand higher order thinking skills, and have better interactions in our classrooms.
How has your CLASS Certification helped you personally?
I’m constantly thinking about how to improve. I like to learn more about how children think and how I can help them think. I work with the children to brainstorm and build their thinking with how and why questions.
Your nominator mentioned that you do some coaching and mentoring. Tell me about that process.
The coaching works two ways. Some of our teachers will come in and observe me. We sit down and discuss some of the strategies I use and talk about things that work for me. I also observe other teachers in their classrooms. We talk about where they are finding challenges and brainstorm ways to help think through those challenges.
I even coach teachers outside of my program through a new Head Start Coaching program. We set goals based on what the teacher wants to work on and then work together on that goal. I come in and observe the classroom, then we connect over phone or email to give feedback and talk about the interactions. I’ve gotten some great feedback from people saying that these sessions are really helping them.
That’s on top of your other teaching responsibilities. That’s a lot!
It is. But I try to work with everyone I can. I don’t mind staying late or driving 30 miles down the road to help others.
I think it’s great to have coworkers help each other. Sometimes being observed or coached by a supervisor can be intimidating, but I think people feel comfortable with me. I know what they are going through.
What do you think is your strongest dimension?
Quality of Feedback. I seem to be able to talk to children naturally. I can keep feedback loops going to help children get a better understanding of a concept. I ask how and why questions to prompt thought processes and get children responding. My supervisors have told me I’m strong in this dimension too. It’s all about helping children learn the concepts —interacting and helping them get there.
What do you think is your most challenging dimension?
It’s actually one of the indicators under Language Modeling. I think Self-Talk is hard. It feels a little unnatural to me. I’m getting better at it, but it’s hard to remember to do sometimes.
Is there a classroom interaction that you’re particularly proud of?
We had a student who showed some developmental delays during her developmental screenings but her parents didn’t want her in any special services. Throughout the year, I worked with her and by the end of the year, the child could write her name and recognize letters. It was amazing, and it was all because of how we were able to individualize her time in the classroom. Head Start gave her that opportunity.
This happens a lot—students come in and haven’t been exposed to letters, colors, or numbers. Head Start makes a huge difference; my teaching assistants and I can make a huge difference impacting these children’s lives and giving them the opportunities they deserve.
Early childhood development is so important. I’ve observed in different settings, and by far, I feel that Head Start is on top in terms of meeting children’s needs. I love what I do!
