Texas Teachers | Alternative Teacher Certification Program : Success Story by Kristin Hipp

Success Stories

Meet Kristin Hipp

Q&A with Kristin Hipp

Where are you originally from?

Forth Worth, TX
Where did you go to college and what did you study?

UNT - Sociology
Do you have children?

No
Do you remember your favorite teacher? What made them special to you?

I have had several teachers that I have proclaimed as my favorite, but the most recent comes to mind. Her name is Mrs. Freeman, and she taught pre-Calculus and AP Calculus. She was always positive, silly, incredibly intelligent, and she genuinely cared about our well-being and our future.
What did you do before teaching?

I was a substitute teacher for two years and a college student.
Why did you get into teaching?

It was a career that I thought I would enjoy, and I wanted to do something that would give back to my community.
What surprised you the most when you started teaching?

How hard it was. You have to be an amazing multi-tasker. My last class of the day had 30 students, and among them were: eight rambunctious football players, three ESL students, five students with special needs requiring various modifications, one foreign exchange student, and five students that were in pre-AP English the previous year. It was very hard to balance.
What is the biggest challenge for new teachers?

Establishing a routine and sticking to it.
How long do you think it takes for a new teacher to really get their hands around teaching?

I was the most comfortable on the first day of school my second year.
What do the kids teach you?

They teach you compassion. Some of my students have seen and been through situations that I can only imagine. They come from all walks of life, and there is something to learn from every single child—whether it is patience, a new "saying," or a new trend.
What's the funniest thing that's happened to you in the classroom?

There is something funny that occurs every day. There is never a dull moment. I have a bookshelf that becomes "hidden" when I prop open my classroom door (it is behind the door when it's open). When it was time for the students to leave, I propped open the door, went to speak with a teacher next door, and then it was time for class to start. I kicked the door jamb out from underneath the door, and as it closed, I discovered one of my students curled up in the bottom of the bookshelf. I jumped back because I was scared, and the class roared with laughter. I laughed so hard I was crying, and it is now our "inside joke" for 4th period.
Why did you choose the Texas Teachers program?

There are several reasons: it was the cheapest program available, it was the most flexible, the classes related to what I would be doing in the classroom, and I could start and finish all of the training sessions my last semester of my senior year at UNT.
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