Meet the Fourth-Grade Teacher Leading With Kindness

Popsugar; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

Meet the Fourth-Grade Teacher Leading With Kindness

Ahead of the 2024 school year, PS's The Educators is spotlighting 24 public school teachers around the country who are making a difference.

Natalie Ringold is a fourth-grade teacher at a public school in Minneapolis with eight years of teaching experience. She's also a teacher influencer who shares tips, tricks, and resources for educators on her Instagram . She recently went viral for reminding her students of an important lesson in kindness — that you shouldn't comment on something that a person can't change about themselves in 30 seconds or less. Keep reading to get to know her.

What inspired you to be a teacher?
In third grade, I transformed my childhood bedroom into a classroom because I wanted to play school with my family and friends whenever I had the chance. I created seating charts, made lesson plans, graded worksheets, built a science corner, taught lessons on my whiteboard, and organized supplies. One year, I even received an overhead projector as a present from my parents and I was absolutely ecstatic. It was one of the best gifts of my entire life.

When I was in fourth and fifth grade, I went back to my first-grade teacher's classroom and helped her correct worksheets, simply because I loved correcting papers so much. I have always wanted to be a teacher! I have also always felt a pull within me to make a positive impact on young people's lives and help others around me. When I was 15 years old, I started my first job teaching swimming lessons, which is when I officially decided I wanted to make teaching my career.

What's the most rewarding part of your job?
The kids. The lightbulb moments. The progress and growth. The hugs. The "I love yous." The laughter. The heart-to-heart conversations. The relationships. The connections we make together as a class. All of the learning. There are so many rewarding aspects of teaching.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?
I had a lot of amazing teachers throughout my school years, but if I had to choose two, they would be Mr. Christiansen and Mrs. Lutgen.

Blake Christiansen was my fifth-grade teacher and he helped me fall in love with school. He is hilarious, incredibly creative, very engaging, and all about love. I have so many memories from fifth grade because of him and his dedication to this profession. I cannot thank him enough.

Karen Lutgen was my choir teacher and director in high school. I was in multiple different choirs that Mrs. Lutgen directed, so we clocked a lot of hours together throughout my entire high school career. Mrs. Lutgen not only transformed my whole high school experience, but she also changed the trajectory of my life. She saw potential in me, believed in me, and never gave up on me. She very gently nudged me out of my comfort zone, helped me gain more confidence, gave me advice, and provided me with leadership roles that propelled me forward. Mrs. Lutgen quite literally changed my life, and I am endlessly grateful for her.

What's your morning routine on a school day?
I wish I was a morning person, but I am not. I used to wake up at the last possible second, but now I have drastically changed my routine so that I can have calm mornings.

Every day, I wake up 15 minutes earlier than necessary to have some buffer time. That way, I can relax and know that I won't be late or rushed if something unexpected happens. As I am getting ready for the day, I watch the news because I really value staying informed and it keeps me distracted from how tired I am. On my drive into work, I drink a huge tumbler of water — because I know I won't get any later; life of a teacher! — and I listen to music as I pray. This morning routine centers me before I start my teaching day with students.

Yerin Kim is the features editor at PS, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

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