By Katie Lyford, contributing writer
In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera” opened in London’s West End, captivating audiences, later becoming the longest running show in Broadway history. In another part of the world, Heidi Ringer started teaching at The Warren School, also captivating audiences and having one of the longest running shows in history! As with all greats, Ringer is ready for a new act. She retires this week.
Ringer grew up in Fayetteville, NY. She had undiagnosed dyslexia. In fourth grade, teachers told her mother: “If she’d stop talking so much and apply herself, she’d do better.” Her mother, a teacher, refused to accept this, feeling something was getting in the way and demanded she repeat fourth grade. That’s when she met Miss Dunn, a teacher that made her feel safe and loved; who made learning fun, who taught her not to be afraid when learning, because it can be redone. Ringer flourished.
Her career began teaching theater in private schools, which didn’t require a license. She found Vermont’s LEAP program, aiding her in obtaining licensure, later earning a master’s degree from UVM. Initially she taught middle-school-aged children. Her first year at Warren, Ringer covered Ronnie Donenfeld’s maternity leave in the second- and third-grade classrooms. The next year, Nancy Phillips and Suzanne Dermeir asked her to join them, creating a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade upper unit. She left for three years, returning in 1991, calling Warren “home” ever since.
She continued teaching in the upper unit until 2022. Looking for something new, she found Warren’s unique interventionist position. Interventionists provide students with support for a specific subject matter for a short period of time. Rather than pull them into a different class, they remain with their peers, what she refers to as “double dipping.” At the end of that year, Warren unexpectedly lost its librarian and Ringer was asked to take over. Given her love of literature, especially reading stories aloud, this was a great fit. She filled this role for a year-and-a-half and is closing out her time in Warren as half-time interventionist, half-time librarian. Ringer also worked as co-director for the National Writing Project, helping teachers learn to teach writing to kids and become researchers and writers. She was awarded the Outstanding Vermont Teacher Award in 2002.
Many teachers love and are active in theater. Here’s why, Ringer said: “It's a job where you're in front of an audience daily, and your job is to help them learn. Each student has a unique learning style. There’s a great deal of skill needed to reach each of them. It helps if you're engaging and have different characters within you, to excite people in different ways to meet those individual needs.”
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
Being exceptional in this skill led to many unforgettable experiences, making Ringer as special to students as Dunn was to her. She made learning magical – bringing historical events and stories to life. Once a substitute reported being told the class would rather not have her continue reading aloud because she wasn't doing the voices right. Ringer recreated Shakespeare so well that after taking students to a live play, they exclaimed, “We hated it – it was too short!” Ringer chuckled, recalling how she explained that meant they loved it.
Most teachers might be alarmed to find a teddy bear stabbed through the heart, distorted voicemails, or a ransacked classroom – but for Ringer, it was heartwarming. These were creative expressions of her students' understanding of the Revolutionary War unit, complete with signs reading “No taxation without representation, Down with the King!” The eerie voicemail? Colonists uprising. In another unit, students navigated a giant map from Athens to assigned city-states, earning points through weekly presentations. They fully embraced their roles – donning chariots and armor, with Spartan mothers wailing as the king claimed weak babies.
Ringer once noticed her class acting secretively. Soon after, she was called to a VIP seat in the gym. They surprised her by putting on a play reenacting an entire unit she’d taught, complete with armor and a war scene. It was proof of how deeply she’d empowered them.
Ringer has no regrets, due to the lack of stagnancy, shared by the veteran staff at Warren, who loved learning and trying new things. This is what set the scene for retirement. Her and late husband, Bob had endless adventures and she’s ready for the next act. Recent budget cuts caused the loss of some librarian positions, solidifying her decision to bow out. What she’ll miss most? The feeling of home and the kids.
CHANGE IN EDUCATION
When asked about the most exciting and saddest change in education, Ringer gave the same answer: “technology.” She worries kids are exposed to too much, too soon – leading to disconnection and a loss of social and collaborative skills. Yet technology also helped students thrive. Noting that boys lack the fine motor skills for handwriting, Ringer pushed for laptops. Instead of dreading multiple handwritten drafts, they could copy and revise digitally – unlocking their potential. (Fittingly, the first IBM laptop came out the year Ringer started at Warren.)
Her favorite thing about the job? Feeling she’s a tiny vestibule in the formation of a massive cathedral. Even if she doesn’t see how the cathedral turns out, she likes knowing she had a part in it. She also loves seeing former students, as parents of students, colleagues or just visiting.
Her favorite gift? A student noticed her favorite novel falling apart. She borrowed it, copying all her notes into a new one. That student? Harmony Belle Devoe, Vermont's first Youth Poet Laureate!
What will be her new adventure? “Maybe baking. Following a brain injury, I baked for a senior center. All these 80-year-olds called me ‘the dessert lady.’ I loved it. Or maybe return to teaching writing.” She hopes kids will keep writing, by pen and keyboard, because it’s a direct line to the heart. Above all, she wants every child to know that learning is fun, books and writing are magical, and their voice belongs center stage!
Lyford is a graduate of Ringer’s first class at The Warren School and Harwood Union.
You might also like
