The KIPP Curve is Real
The number of hours in a KIPP teacher's workday, which is definitely not what the contract said in your head when you signed it.
What is 24/7?
The number of times per week a coach, director, or KIPP Foundation rep might walk into your classroom.
What is every dog-on day?
KIPP teachers describe the lesson planning process using this one word that also describes a mountain.
What is "Overwhelming/too much/consuming...etc"?
Veteran teachers know to do this before 7:30 AM, because after that, the day owns you
What is "eat, plan, breathe, use the bathroom, be a human being"?
This is what KIPP teachers call the moment a colleague covers for you without being asked by leadership.
What is "teamwork, you owe me one, work bestie"?
The day you realize your planning period is actually a meeting with an instructional coach or parent.
What is a random Tuesday? / What is any given day?
This is what teachers do the moment they see a visitor badge in the hallway.
What is "Get ready to do a monitoring lap for their lesson"?
The pacing guide says you have this many days to reteach a concept students haven't mastered yet.
What is "Zero/nada/no time at all because kids have all the background knowledge and just master everything on the first try lol"?
This is something that changes every year but veteran teachers wish it would just stay the same.
What is "the curriculum, leadership structures, communication and documentation systems, finances, instructional initiatives"?
When a student who's been strugglign for a while finally gets it or shows growth, KIPP teachers do this instead of keeping it to themselves.
What is "Shout out on Teams (used to be Slack), morning annoucnements, call parents with good news.
The district once advertised KIPP as this type of school.
What is an alternative school?
When the regional coach AND the KIPP Foundation director show up on the same day, teachers call this.
What is "Trying to drive me crazy/push me out?"
Teachers use this common sense strategy when the curriculum doesn't align to state standards but the test is coming up.
What is "expose students to the item specifications/how they will see it on the State test"?
Veteran teachers know that when regional leadership changes the structure again, you do this instead of spiraling.
What is "Focus on what you can control and what is best for students"
This is the real reason most KIPP teachers stay, even when they are "over it".
What is "the kids, the mission, the relationships built with collegues, the money"?
This is the comment you make when regional leadership rolls out a brand new structure/initiative in October... of every single year.
Here we go again/This is my last year at KIPP/I'm not doing that/Who is making these decisions/...any comment reflecting aggravation will do
Veteran teachers know that the best response to constant observation is actually this.
What is "just teach your lesson like they're not there"?
This is what we call the skill of making an incomprehensible curriculum guide actually work for kids.
What is "Magic or supernatural powers?" Because that's the only way we will make some of these curricular resources work for our students.
The veteran teacher's secret for surviving a 9-hour day without losing your mind or your joy.
Whatever the vets say...do it! They know the secret.
A way that someone at KIPP has given you the best support.
All answers are acceptable...give your colleagues their flowers now!
The number of pages for a KIPP lesson internalization
What is "Any number in the double digits (because the more I annotate, the more the region will believe I know the content of the lesson)"?
This is the true reason why visitors are always brought to your classroom.
What is "You're doing well and we want to highlight you"?
When the curriculum pacing guide, the state standards, and your students' actual needs are all pointing in different directions, KIPP teachers do this. Hint: it's in our staff credo.
What is "Find a way or make one"?
A veteran teacher will tell you that you'll spend this amout of time grading assignments over the weekend or a holiday break.
You ain't gone grade any of those papers in that large rolling cart you took home. Leave it at the school and enjoy your break.
What you will stay committed to when the teacher burn out creeps in.
All answers are acceptable.