Meet the KIPP NYC Team and Family
Hear from some of our teachers
Rachel Chait
6th Grade Writing, KIPP Infinity
With KIPP NYC since 2006
Why did you join KIPP?
I was a New York City Teaching Fellow in East Harlem for three years, where I had to figure out most things on my own. I sought out anyone who I thought was doing something right and asked them how they did it. I knew that if I wanted to be a successful teacher, I needed to emulate the best. I started looking around, and when I met Joe Negron [KIPP Infinity Principal], I was blown away. I had felt relatively successful in my classroom, but I recognized that good was not good enough, and that there was so much more I wanted to learn. I also worried that my kids would fall apart when they walked out of the room. There was no systemic movement towards academic achievement. That was the hands-down selling point of joining KIPP. Within the school, we all have the same goal. KIPP is national and proven successful. I like being part of something that’s working.
What keeps you at KIPP?
I am learning so much about good instruction, thoughtful assessment, and effective management. Whatever training I didn’t get before, I am getting at KIPP. I have tremendous respect for my colleagues, and we build on each other’s strengths. We’re reflective about our instruction and how it’s impacting kids from nuts to bolts. It is an intense environment, both because of the hours and because of the incredibly high standards we set for ourselves and our students. However, our work is always framed within a positive and encouraging context. Our focus is clear: how we can better educate our students?
How is teaching at a KIPP school different from teaching at your previous school?
I’m challenged to be a better teacher on a daily basis. There’s a pervasive sense of purposefulness and drive, and the kids pick up on it. The kids aren’t different; it’s the way that adults organize themselves differently that makes it work.
Why should teachers consider teaching at a KIPP school?
The resources and opportunities for KIPP students and KIPP teachers (like supplies, professional development, and compensation) allow us to focus on instruction. The chaos, uncertainty, and inefficiency were more frustrating than the long hours at KIPP. The students and teachers here are happy and feel successful. I can’t imagine a better environment for teaching and learning.
