Judith Norris

When Educated, We Think of Things Differently, Sometimes Even Create a New Environment.

“Think out-of-the-box!”

That’s what we often hear, while being educated. So, we try doing just that. Sometimes it works, and a new product’s invented. However, mostly it fails, and we’re left feeling embarrased that we even tried.

“Never give up!”

This one happens being my favorite, for its meaning has nothing to do with passing or failing.

Try, try, again and again. And we’re just practicing all the time. Never failing. We never have to feel like a failure. We’re just being educated.

Studying

“I have to study, and can’t go out or do anything else.”

This can be heard on any campus, or from any student around the world. They would rather do anything else. But leaving the studying to later, means perhaps it won’t be done at all. Or, it’ll be done poorly, because of lack of time.

Students who manage their study, work, and play times effectively get the best grades. There are a few students, with high intelligence, who might get by. But, those students realize their need to work at keeping their standards high.

The high achievers usually are the ones who manage to “think out of the box.” That’s how the next invention or innovation becomes born.

Educators rarely see a student like this. Because they’re rare. Statistics say about one fourth to one third of the population is considered gifted or above average. Therefore, a large majority of people are average or below. Of the gifted people, an even smaller percentage are even more blessed intellectually.

Becoming an educator seemed right for me, though it wasn’t what I really wanted then. Now it’s a different story. I’m very happy to teach young and old a subject I know and love. Helping people learn makes me a better person. The education profession suits and fits me perfectly.

My choice of profession would’ve been anything else. Alas, in my generation, college educated women became a nurses or teachers. Blood made me squirm, so teaching became my only alternative.

My teaching experiences varied in student age, subject, and locale. Some locations happened by choice. Others, to follow husband’s job transfers.

Both sides of my family have education as their profession.

Dad’s Family:

Earl Kipp

Superintendent/ Public Schools Orange County, Florida

Dr. Robbie Kipp Earl’s son, English Professor, Brevard College in Orlando, Florida

Dr. Orval Kipp

Art Department Chair, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Who’s Who of Pittsburgh Artists

Marion Johnson Kipp, Orval’s Wife, English Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Kathy Kipp McKelvey, Daughter of Orval & Marion, Math Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Dr. ______ McKelvey, Kathy’s husband, Math Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Wade Kipp

Principal of Hyndman High School in Pennsylvania

Mirium Johnson Kipp, Wade’s Wife, English Teacher, Hyndman High School

Carol Kipp Clulee

Speech Pathology/ Started a small business after teaching, sold it many years later for $1 million dollars. Died at 67 from Cerebral Palsy.

Nicole Clulee Cutter

Educational Consultant, Akron, Ohio

Mom’s Family:

Jane Zimmerman Lloyd

Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher

Barb Kearney Callahan

Second Grade Teacher

Judith Kipp Norris (Me)

Music, Reading, English Teacher

Education’s a family tradition. So, I guess there wasn’t any choice for me. I’m glad it worked out that way.

Education’s Thrill

Helping. That’s the thrill of education. Education, teaching, and helping fit, hand-in-a-glove knowing how to help others discover what I know excites me. I love watching others learn a subject that fascinates me.

Education’s appeal goes way beyond me loving to help or teach something to someone. It transcends space, time, and logic.

Education facilitates learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research.Wikipedia

Education is an important part of our beings. It helps us live with happiness and prosperity by empowering our minds to discover excellent ideas and thoughts. The personal, social, and economic development of our nation depends on educating young people.

Teachers of our young are underpaid. As former President of a local Education Association, I became painfully aware of how political that process is. Not only political, but seemingly impossible. Perhaps it’s improved in recent years. Hope reigns supreme!

There’ll always be the element of society that chooses to exploit givers. Educators are givers. They give themselves, their resources, sometimes it seems their very souls to help children entrusted to their care.

Teaching, a noble calling, is as old as time itself. Some people always want to help others learn. Educators need to be paid more.Teachers’ unions helped bridge the monetary gap. That’s a good thing.

Teaching’s a wonderful profession. It’s highly regarded by many. Though the money game has improved, though teachers remain underpaid. Their worth to society, difficult to measure accurately, improves as teaching’s structure becomes more like a business.

Education Has More Ways to Learn

Bill Gates, famous multi-billionaire college drop-out would say that there are other ways to be educated. And he would be correct.

Some choose a trade school, wanting to work with their hands rather than spend countless hours sitting in a chair listening to what some would call a “boring lecture.”