Ms. Gadsden’s Dream Classroom
Growing up, LaTia “Tia” Gadsden always dreamed of having her own classroom, and while her path took a few turns, every experience brought her closer to that dream. Before joining KIPP DC, Ms. Gadsden spent eight years as a childcare provider, caring for young children and learning the rhythms of their curiosity and growth. It was those families who encouraged her to finish her degree and take the next step. “They kept saying, ‘You need to go back to school,’” she recalls. “As I was nearing my graduation with my Bachelor’s, that’s when I started at KIPP DC as an assistant, but the ultimate goal was always to teach. It was always a goal of mine to be a teacher.”
Nine years later, Ms. Gadsden has become a familiar face within the KIPP DC community. She began her journey as an assistant at KIPP DC Discover Academy, where her potential was quickly recognized. “My school leader at the time, told me, ‘Tia, I see something in you. I want you to do the CTR Program.’” At first, she hesitated, unsure if she was ready. But by the summer, she decided to take the leap and join the 2018 cohort. “I met some of the greatest people through the CTR program,” she says. “It helped me figure out what I wanted my classroom to look and sound like, how I wanted it to feel for the kids.” Today Ms. Gadsden serves as the Resident Development Lead for Capital Teaching Residents at the Douglass campus
After completing the Capital Teacher Residency program, Ms. Gadsden transitioned into a lead teaching role in Pre-K4, where she stayed for four years before moving to Kindergarten and now, 1st grade at KIPP DC Heights Academy. Though the grade levels have changed, her philosophy, which she’s picked up from various coaches at KIPP DC hasn’t: build an environment where kids feel supported and they can grow. “The most important thing is letting them know that they are safe,” she explains. “You’re safe to make mistakes. You’re safe to cry. You are safe to feel your feelings. I feel like once we get to that point, they trust me… and I want kids to know it’s okay to make a mistake because I sure will make one, but what is important is how you overcome that mistake. Where you come out on the other end of it.”
That trust extends far beyond the classroom walls. One memory that still moves her comes from a parent who shared that their child prays for her every night. “[My students] love me wholeheartedly. Whether I’m in a bad mood, whether I’m sick, whether I’m in a good mood, whether I mess up a lesson, they pour into me and they let me know, ‘it’s okay, we still love you and we’re going to try it again.’”
In her current classroom, teaching reading is where Ms. Gadsden’s passion truly shines. “Literacy has always been my thing,” she says with a smile. Her students’ excitement for books and stories is palpable. “Shared reading is their favorite! When I read the story that they’re going to read, I read it with emotion and feeling. When it’s their turn, I can just hear them [mimicking] me. They’re asking a question and remembering to make their voice higher and demanding things when they see the exclamation mark.” Seeing their progress fills her with pride. “I enjoy manipulating sounds and just seeing how they’ve grown as we learn to read bigger words, how we learn to pick apart stories… don’t underestimate the growth that kids can make in a short amount of time.”
Throughout her time at KIPP DC, Ms. Gadsden has not only watched her students grow but has experienced her own professional evolution as well. “KIPP has poured into me as an educator and as a person,” she reflects. “I started as a CTR but shortly after that I got my Master’s [endorsed by KIPP DC] and then I also did the SPED Fellowship. So, I feel like all the things that I’ve wanted to do, I’ve been able to do within the network.”
For anyone thinking about joining KIPP DC, her thoughts are: “I would say do it. For me, coming to KIPP DC was one of the best things that I could have done. In my adult life, all of the growth that I have made professionally has been here at KIPP DC, [they’ve] poured into me… and have allowed me to grow to be the educator that I am now. So, do it because you don’t know just how far you can go.
During the reading block, it’s easy to see why Ms. Gadsden’s students adore her. There’s laughter, warmth, and a genuine love of reading in the air. In her classroom at KIPP DC Heights Academy, Ms. Gadsden has built exactly what she once dreamt of: a classroom where every child feels safe, loved, and ready to read the world.
See photos from our visit to Ms. Gadsden’s classroom.
