Kari Pitstick

I’m not a perfect teacher (who is?), but you can bet I try each and every day to teach my students what it means to be a good human being. A human being who is kind and good to other people. That will always be the ultimate life lesson, my number one objective every single day.

Your @KanelandBBall take home the third place hardware in 2026. 36-1 !! #GoKnights

It’s notes like this that make everything worth it 🤩

At the age where I can start sentences with “back in my day…” But really, back in my day, so many corporations sponsored reading programs for kids. Made my own version for Winter Break & finally got the prizes to award participants today 🥳

Got to meet CJ Reynolds today & he gave me a golden mic with bubbles! 🎤💛 Shared with him how I’ve copied his ideas for using a large hand & remote control for the hallway. And just today I ordered a Magic 8 Ball from an idea he shared in the first session! #KEEPLearning25

I just realized 2 items on my to-do list are to do things on other to-do lists (different categories)…and I’m not sure if that means my mind is super organized or super chaotic? It’s like Inception for to-do lists.

A sign of co-teaching done right: you see a student from years ago out in the wild, and they ask where your co-teacher is and why she isn’t with you. 😂

So thankful! 🤩

I could go on and on about how much I love my job. The teacher I am today is because of the great teachers at Kaneland I had growing up and now as a Kaneland teacher myself, it’s because of the amazing people—staff and students—I get to work with every day 🫶🏼

A great way to start my day ❤️❤️

Everyone: You must have a break between Cross Country & basketball seasons coming up? Me: Well I have the State XC meet this weekend Friday-Saturday, and I start working basketball games next week Monday and Tuesday. So I get Sunday off between seasons? 🤣🤣

Even though she was on maternity leave, my co-teacher and I still managed to twin on Twin Day for Spirit Week. Today, I visited her for her birthday & got to meet her baby daughter 🩷 So grateful for work friendships that transcend work and will last a lifetime.

@daisychick23 I’m all for not always rewarding students for things they should be doing…but this was a battle I was tired of fighting and somehow was a solution that seemed to change things magically overnight 🙌🏼

@MissPitstick Thanks for this. I routinely make brownies for classes or something they like as a surprise. This might just get them all to step up.

Instead of getting mad & issuing consequences when students don’t do as you expect, explain what you expect, why it’s important & make it a competition w/an incentive! My classes used to take 2-4 mins after the tardy bell to get settled w/proper materials out & ready to start.

2 (of many wins) this week: After a 2-day absence, instead of asking if they missed anything (IYKYK), a student got their absent paper, checked the agenda & asked what to prioritize first 🥹 Had lunch with former students & one said, “I’ve been looking forward to this all day!”

Does anyone know of a platform comparable to @Mentimeter? I’ve used it with 2 ELA classes for a “question of the day” for years. They charge over $140 to do this now, which I won’t be paying out of pocket for, so I’m seeking alternatives! I want to keep this fun tradition! 🤞🏼

Each year when I lesson plan introduction to annotating, I laugh when I see what I put on the Canvas page back in 2019. The page has evolved a lot over the years but the picture will never go out of style😂 @DBruno2582 ('1C' is just the place on the Grid where students see this)

The man…the myth…the legend @CarlAzuz 🎉

A student walked over to my classroom library today and I overheard them say to a friend: “Wow! There are so many good books over here!” Let me tell you the joy that brought me 🫶🏻