KIPP Kirkpatrick serves students in kindergarten and 1st grade, and will continue to add one grade per year until 2018, when it will enroll students through the 4th grade. Dayna, who began her career as an Associate Teacher at another KIPP school, is in her 6th year of teaching.
7:45 Good Morning!: Our families are the foundation of why we do this work. I love taking time in the morning to build these relationships.
8:05 Morning Meeting: Each morning, we set the tone for the day by coming together to share, develop community and introduce an instructional message.
8:45 Word Study & Reading: Our ELA curriculum focuses on building background knowledge and vocabulary, which is shown to build reading comprehension in young learners.
9:35 Writer's Workshop: My Associate Teacher, a first-year teacher, leads writer's workshop with students while I observe and support.
10:05 Prep Time: While my students are at recess, I regroup and get ready for the afternoon, usually making a Keurig run in the work room.
11:55 Nap Time: Young KIPPsters need their rest during the day! By the winter we will add a conferencing rotation into this time.
12:50 Co-planning: My Associate Teacher, Joseph, and I use this time to touch base and plan while students are at Fine Arts. Joseph also receives specialized PD from our School Leaders to prepare him for a Lead Teaching role in the future.
1:30 Math: We use Eureka math and cognitively guided instruction school-wide to encourage problem-solving in our students.
3:55 Grade Level Meetings: As grade level chair, I lead two grade-level meetings each week, one on math and one for literacy. We norm and troubleshoot as a team.
5:00 See ya! After a full day, I am ready to embrace my out-of-work life, enjoying the Nashville sunshine with my dog, Wally.
A Day at a KIPP Nashville Middle School
Chelsea Goodly, 6th grade ELA at KIPP Academy Nashville
After graduating from Vanderbilt, Chelsea chose to give back to Nashville through teaching. KIPP Nashville has two middle schools — KIPP Academy Nashville and KIPP Nashville College Prep.
7:15 Whole-School Meeting: Each morning our team comes together for 10 minutes before students arrive. We share shout outs, updates and ensure that we all have the information we need for a successful day.
8:00 Planning: Throughout the day I have 2 hours of planning time. I split this time between prep time, co-planning with the other 6th grade ELA teacher and my weekly check in with my coach.
8:40 ELA Block 1: I teach two 165 minute blocks of ELA each day. These extended blocks let me tie all components of literacy into our text-based curriculum.
10:15 ELA Block 1: After a 15 minute bathroom and snack break, we dive back in. Our school focuses on student interaction — ensuring KIPPsters are engaging, challenging and celebrating one another.
11:40 Co-planning: This is my 2nd year working with the same ELA teacher — we make a great team. We carve time out during the day to fine-tune our lessons and look at data.
1:00 ELA Block 2: My afternoon block is a smaller intervention group. Our grade level's Learning Specialist often pushes in and, together, we provide students more direct support.
Wednesday afternoons: On Wednesdays, we dismiss at 1:30 in order to meet on grade-level and content teams. We grow our craft and our relationships.
4:30 See Ya!: I make a point to complete my copies and prep work after students dismiss so that I can leave school with a clear mind. 'Til tomorrow!
A Day at KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School
Nelson Graham, 10th Grade, Algebra II
Part of Collegiate’s founding team, Nelson is entering his 4th year in the classroom and also supports a teacher new to KIPP through direct coaching.
7:05 Whole-School Meeting: Each morning our team comes together for 10 minutes before students arrive. We share shout outs, updates and ensure that we all have the information we need for a successful day.
7:33 Planning: This is my first of 4 planning blocks each day. This time is used for personal planning, my weekly check-ins with my coach and to observe and coach a new teacher in the STEM department.
8:40 - 9:44 Algebra II Block (1 of 3): Students have done "prep work" (not "homework"!) the night before so that we can dive deeply into the material in class through discussion and student-driven work.
11:40 Peer observation: As an Instructional Leader, I have monthly training to coach a teacher new to our school. Twice a month, our School Leader co-observes with me.
1:35-2:30 Peer coaching: Hands down one of my favorite parts of the week. Myself and my mentee meet to review lesson plans, debrief observations and troubleshoot together.
2:35 Algebra II Block 3: Our goal as teachers is to play the role of facilitator while students drive the discussion, supporting and pushing one another through our toughest work.
3:55 Content teams: Weekly, after students dismiss, our STEM department comes together to align our work and hone our craft.
5:00 See ya! This year I'm making some me-time a priority and make a commitment to exercise and do some home cooking so that I come back renewed for another day.
At KIPP Nashville, we’re constantly learning, evolving, and refining skills, for the betterment of our KIPPsters and their families, our colleagues, and ourselves. With a high emphasis on professional development, we provide the resources you need to ensure you’re always growing.
