Meet Ms. Kaylan Lemon / 1st grade Lead Teacher / KIPP DC Heights Academy
“Parents are ready and willing to do what they need to help the child and the class. The trust between the community and the school makes my job easier.”
Before attending Baldwin Wallace University as a music major, Kaylan Lemon worked in daycares and babysat growing up. She had always been a big fan of school. “I enjoyed it from kindergarten all the way through high school and college. I connected with teachers that took the time to get to know me.” After realizing that she too wanted to be a teacher who provided connection and academic success for students, she switched to an early childhood education major and began her path to teaching.
Kaylan came to KIPP DC after three years teaching first grade in Cleveland, Ohio. “I wanted to find a place where the whole network was on the same page in terms of rigor. After my ten minute tour, I knew this was the place I wanted to be if I was going to grow as a teacher.”
At KIPP DC, Kaylan has continued to grow and develop as a first grade teacher. Her first grade team meets once a week to collaborate and share ideas for the coming week. When asked about the most important lesson she has learned, and she shared, “I’ve learned to think more deeply about how to present information to six and seven-year-olds so that they are not only able to do something themselves, but also explain it to others. There’s a lot of rigor in that.”
Another thing that Kaylan values about working at KIPP DC Heights Academy are the relationships formed between students, staff, and families. She explains, “Families have a huge amount of trust with Heights staff. Parents are ready and willing to do what they need to help the child and the class. The trust between the community and the school makes my job easier.”
It is clear when speaking to Kaylan that above all else, she loves her students. Her classroom is a place of smiles, joy, and teamwork. When a student in her class who has struggled with difficult behaviors was selected as the student of the week—the rest of her class went above and beyond to heap compliments on this student. “At the end, they all moved from their carpet squares to give him a hug, even without me even asking. It was just such a great moment. They had learned that we still love all of our friends, even when they make mistakes.”
See great educators like Ms. Lemon in action – visit a campus today!
