Our next installment of Feature-A-Teacher brings us to the Middle School! Teaching at RCS for 20 years, Ms. Kristi Kemmer likes to think creatively about how to encourage students to participate in class and their greater middle school community, always trying to keep things fresh and interesting!
Today’s Q&A delves into her philosophy around teaching and some of the great things she has experienced at RCS. Thank you, Ms. Kemmer, for all your support and dedication to RCS students!
Can you tell RCS a little bit about yourself?
A little about myself… hmmm… I have been teaching here at RCS for 20 years now. I have always been a social studies teacher spending most of my time at the Middle School. Outside of school, I coach (A LOT) of volleyball! I am currently coaching travel volleyball for Northeast Thunder. This is really fun for me because, not only do I get to be surrounded by volleyball and those that love to play it, but I also get to go to some amazing places where a lot of volleyball happens simultaneously. My husband of 17+ years and I even met playing volleyball!
When I’m not teaching or coaching, I love to run (which helps relieve stress), travel, and hang out with my family (usually binge-watching shows). I have two children, ages 15 and 12, who are involved in many things and keep me playing the role of “Taxi Driver.” While we are insanely busy between school, sports, family, and friends, we secretly love every minute of it. But we’re not completely absurd, we also love our downtime at the beach whenever we can get there!
What is your favorite topic to teach in the Social Studies Curriculum? Why?
Hmmm… I think my favorite topic to teach in the social studies curriculum is GEOGRAPHY. I know that sounds weird because it isn’t necessarily a specific topic, but it really is the backbone of every civilization, modern or ancient. Geography impacts every aspect of life for people throughout time all over the world. In order to really understand how a group of people lived, thought, and interacted with others, you need to understand WHERE they live.
In addition, understanding where things are located in the world helps bring a greater understanding of both current events and history in general. If you can close your eyes and picture the world on both a big and small scale, you are likely to be way more successful in any history-class-related thing you do.
How do you keep students interested and engaged in social studies class?
This is a funny question to me because I am constantly asking myself this very same thing! I work really hard to make sure the activities we do are fresh and up-to-date. I don’t want to repeat activities many other teachers are doing because my students will lose interest. I also don’t want to repeat the same project year to year for the same reason. If students are not interested, they are less likely to be invested in the topic at hand. If they are not invested in the topic, then it is likely they may be unsuccessful.
I aim to make class as independent as possible so students can monitor their own learning. I usually give students choices as to how to demonstrate their learning, and I also value discussions. I love what may come across as “unstructured” conversations in class. These discussions have starting and ending points for sure, but the paths they take between point A and point B are different from class to class. It all depends on what students want to focus on, what questions they ask, and how much they participate. In these discussions, I can create what I call, “dramatizations” which I use to connect real historical facts to current-day situations to make information relatable and memorable. It’s sometimes the best way to learn!
What have your students taught you?
My students have definitely taught me (again and again) to slow down and enjoy the little moments. Sometimes as a teacher, it is very easy to get lost in what I need to teach, who I have to email, what I have to grade, etc, and it gets easy to miss the joy. Without trying to, my students are always reminding me to stay in the moment and appreciate the day.
I got into the profession to experience something different every day, and boy, do my students make sure I do! But that is what I love so much about it. I love working with students who keep me on my toes and watching them realize they DO know how to do something. Laughing with them for various reasons, connecting with them over shared interests, and seeing the lightbulb in their brains go off are the best parts of my day, every day.
Finally, what’s your favorite memory at RCS?
This is a tough question! There have been so many! In my 17 years coaching volleyball at RCS, it was definitely watching my JV girls move to the Varsity level and finding great success, especially during the three years we made appearances at the State tournament.
But I think my favorite memory at RCS was all those years when our 6th graders would make informational video skits about transitioning to middle school for the incoming 6th graders. It was a great way to work with our team of students outside of the classroom while documenting our journey through the year. I will also always cherish our Team Days. These are days when our team of teachers and students get to be together in non-traditional ways and enjoy each other’s company. We watch movies, play games, and celebrate our individuality while maintaining a family atmosphere. It is one of the best parts of teaching on a team in the Middle School!
