TEACHING… you really have to love it to do it; especially for as long as I have. Many teachers do not remain in the profession for a variety of reasons. Teaching is challenging and I have been reflecting on why I stayed for so many years. Am I a glutton for punishment, or is there some other source of motivation? If you are a teacher, why don’t you ponder this matter with me today? Parents and caregivers, have you ever thought about what life is like for teachers? Thanks to the global pandemic and the drastic shifts that we had to make to the structure of our education systems around the world, I’m quite sure you have. This week, the focus is on how we feel about teaching.
Last week, I wrote about my mission as an educator; that is, to facilitate “the joy of learning” for my students. This was not something that was deliberately taught to me in school; but I realized it was important to include in my practice.
When I went to teacher training college in Jamaica in the early 90s, I felt like I was being prepared to make a difference in the world. In year 1, we had to do a week or two of observations in public school classrooms. In year two, we had a short stint of teaching practice; followed by a more extensive period in our third and final year. Teaching Practice (affectionately called TP … I say “affectionately” because it became a persona - like a character in the story of becoming a teacher) was often seen as the benchmark to prove or determine if you should really become a teacher. This experience gave me a glimpse into what teacher life was going to be. I spent many nights sharing my bed with books after staying up late to complete coursework; moving them off to the side to get under the covers for a few hours of sleep before going to class. My friends and family members knew that their trash was valuable and they would save empty containers, bottle tops and icicle sticks for me to use on one project or another. I had to make items for many displays, create kits with improvised instruments and resources, learn how to write on a chalkboard and develop the skill of chart making. Professional attire was required for our teaching practice experience. We wore uniforms to class every day, and we would add a jacket that matched our skirts along with stockings and heels for a more professional look.
After surviving the grueling months of TP, we culminated this milestone with a “funeral”. This may seem morbid for those of you outside of the culture, so let me briefly explain. The mock funeral was for the late Theophilus Preston (TP) aka Teaching Practice. It was a gathering for our class to celebrate and take a moment to enjoy the relief from that stressful period. A casket was constructed (using cardboard and construction paper) in which to lay all of our burdens. A final will and testament was prepared and read that provided much comic relief. In it we left the sleepless nights, lesson plan books, and making instructional resources for the second year group that would be facing what we just endured the following year. Amidst the challenges, I still hold fond memories of that time.
The journey was still not over after teaching practice, because we still had to complete our research projects and other assignments in order to complete our course of study and be conferred with a diploma in teaching. Looking back on those years, I feel that our work should have earned us at least a first degree. Even my grad school work was not as demanding in my opinion. I am grateful for the training I received at teachers’ college because it certainly prepared me to be resilient.
When I went to teacher training college in Jamaica in the early 90s, I felt like I was being prepared to make a difference in the world. In year 1, we had to do a week or two of observations in public school classrooms. In year two, we had a short stint of teaching practice; followed by a more extensive period in our third and final year. Teaching Practice (affectionately called TP … I say “affectionately” because it became a persona - like a character in the story of becoming a teacher) was often seen as the benchmark to prove or determine if you should really become a teacher. This experience gave me a glimpse into what teacher life was going to be. I spent many nights sharing my bed with books after staying up late to complete coursework; moving them off to the side to get under the covers for a few hours of sleep before going to class. My friends and family members knew that their trash was valuable and they would save empty containers, bottle tops and icicle sticks for me to use on one project or another. I had to make items for many displays, create kits with improvised instruments and resources, learn how to write on a chalkboard and develop the skill of chart making. Professional attire was required for our teaching practice experience. We wore uniforms to class every day, and we would add a jacket that matched our skirts along with stockings and heels for a more professional look.
After surviving the grueling months of TP, we culminated this milestone with a “funeral”. This may seem morbid for those of you outside of the culture, so let me briefly explain. The mock funeral was for the late Theophilus Preston (TP) aka Teaching Practice. It was a gathering for our class to celebrate and take a moment to enjoy the relief from that stressful period. A casket was constructed (using cardboard and construction paper) in which to lay all of our burdens. A final will and testament was prepared and read that provided much comic relief. In it we left the sleepless nights, lesson plan books, and making instructional resources for the second year group that would be facing what we just endured the following year. Amidst the challenges, I still hold fond memories of that time.
The journey was still not over after teaching practice, because we still had to complete our research projects and other assignments in order to complete our course of study and be conferred with a diploma in teaching. Looking back on those years, I feel that our work should have earned us at least a first degree. Even my grad school work was not as demanding in my opinion. I am grateful for the training I received at teachers’ college because it certainly prepared me to be resilient.
Fast forward to 1995 when I had my very first class. As mentioned in the previous episode, there were 49 students in my grade 1 class that year. That was also the year I completely lost my voice. I learned from experience that I should not try to speak above 6-year-olds. I also learned that application of what I was taught in college was not quite like what was in the textbooks. It was difficult, I must admit. However, by the end of that year, something ignited in my heart that confirmed that my desire to work with primary level students was definitely an avenue through which I could make a difference in this world. I had discovered what I call “the joy of teaching”.
Allow me to explain why this first year was so significant and a contributing factor to this feeling. Hopefully, by providing the background information, you will better understand why the experiences of my first year were so meaningful. My school had 5 grade one classes that year due to higher enrollment. Classes were organized through a process called “streaming” in which students were grouped homogeneously by ability. As the newbie on the team that year, I did not have the privilege of choice, so I was assigned to the group that was placed in the fifth stream. In hindsight, as a teacher with years of experience now, I believe that in situations like the one I described, the strongest and possibly the teacher with the most experience should work with those students. Anyway, that is water under the bridge and I gained so much from that experience. Seeing the significant growth that my students experienced was very rewarding. Many of them couldn’t read or write their names at the beginning of the year, but were able to be promoted to a higher stream in grade two. I am still amazed by how much those students and I were able to accomplish with our 49:1 ratio.
I’m not quite sure if the incident that I am about to relate happened in my first year; however, it was very early in my teaching career. With my exuberance as a new teacher, I tried to fully engage in activities with my students and do things that were not usually done. Remember, I had the students who were sometimes classified as “slow learners” and some had learning challenges. Our school had one overhead projector that was kept in the office. The only time I can recall it being used was occasionally during professional development sessions. In college, we had to learn how to use available devices in our classroom; and the overhead projector was one of them. Well, I decided that I would apply what I learned in college and bring some excitement and create new experiences for my students.
Data and Graphing was one of the areas that I had to teach in Mathematics and I really wanted to make it meaningful for my students. I divided up my class into eight groups and assigned each group to a section or grade level. Their assignment was to interview each teacher and find out how many years they had been teaching at our school. I must note that teacher retention was very high at that school and most teachers would stay there until retirement. With notebooks and pencils in hand, the students were sent to Kindergarten, grades 1-6 and our Special Education unit. We collated the data, made observations and each group created graphs to represent their data. I also created graphs in Excel, printed them and then copied them onto transparencies. The grand finale came and I borrowed the extremely heavy overhead projector and lugged it all the way down to my classroom. On my way down to my classroom, a colleague asked what I was up to. Another teacher (a lot more experienced than me) remarked sarcastically, “Don’t you know that she has a little university down there?”. I was momentarily disheartened because my goal was really to add something special for my students, and now her remark made me feel like I was doing too much. I am so grateful for youthful exuberance and encouragement from others because I was not deterred. My students and I closed the windows and door and this simple act was a moment of excitement. It was a time of facilitating the “joy of learning” and that was more important than what my colleague thought.
I sometimes feel that those experiences were significantly more rewarding because those students had a hunger for knowledge and didn’t take their educational opportunities for granted. Even with a smaller class size, more resources, environments that are more conducive to learning, and more experience, I must admit that the challenging years had a greater impact.
Allow me to explain why this first year was so significant and a contributing factor to this feeling. Hopefully, by providing the background information, you will better understand why the experiences of my first year were so meaningful. My school had 5 grade one classes that year due to higher enrollment. Classes were organized through a process called “streaming” in which students were grouped homogeneously by ability. As the newbie on the team that year, I did not have the privilege of choice, so I was assigned to the group that was placed in the fifth stream. In hindsight, as a teacher with years of experience now, I believe that in situations like the one I described, the strongest and possibly the teacher with the most experience should work with those students. Anyway, that is water under the bridge and I gained so much from that experience. Seeing the significant growth that my students experienced was very rewarding. Many of them couldn’t read or write their names at the beginning of the year, but were able to be promoted to a higher stream in grade two. I am still amazed by how much those students and I were able to accomplish with our 49:1 ratio.
I’m not quite sure if the incident that I am about to relate happened in my first year; however, it was very early in my teaching career. With my exuberance as a new teacher, I tried to fully engage in activities with my students and do things that were not usually done. Remember, I had the students who were sometimes classified as “slow learners” and some had learning challenges. Our school had one overhead projector that was kept in the office. The only time I can recall it being used was occasionally during professional development sessions. In college, we had to learn how to use available devices in our classroom; and the overhead projector was one of them. Well, I decided that I would apply what I learned in college and bring some excitement and create new experiences for my students.
Data and Graphing was one of the areas that I had to teach in Mathematics and I really wanted to make it meaningful for my students. I divided up my class into eight groups and assigned each group to a section or grade level. Their assignment was to interview each teacher and find out how many years they had been teaching at our school. I must note that teacher retention was very high at that school and most teachers would stay there until retirement. With notebooks and pencils in hand, the students were sent to Kindergarten, grades 1-6 and our Special Education unit. We collated the data, made observations and each group created graphs to represent their data. I also created graphs in Excel, printed them and then copied them onto transparencies. The grand finale came and I borrowed the extremely heavy overhead projector and lugged it all the way down to my classroom. On my way down to my classroom, a colleague asked what I was up to. Another teacher (a lot more experienced than me) remarked sarcastically, “Don’t you know that she has a little university down there?”. I was momentarily disheartened because my goal was really to add something special for my students, and now her remark made me feel like I was doing too much. I am so grateful for youthful exuberance and encouragement from others because I was not deterred. My students and I closed the windows and door and this simple act was a moment of excitement. It was a time of facilitating the “joy of learning” and that was more important than what my colleague thought.
I sometimes feel that those experiences were significantly more rewarding because those students had a hunger for knowledge and didn’t take their educational opportunities for granted. Even with a smaller class size, more resources, environments that are more conducive to learning, and more experience, I must admit that the challenging years had a greater impact.
Like me, do you find joy in teaching? Everyone knows that teaching is not a profession for the faint of heart or someone hoping to earn significant remuneration. Therefore, a logical question to pose is, “Why would you choose teaching as a profession and remain in it for an extended period of time?” For me, the answer is simple: I have found the joy in it; and that is what I want to explore and hopefully find for yourself.
I recently read a publication posted on the National Education Association website which highlighted the startling statistics related to teacher turnover among new teachers.
“Some 20 percent of all new hires leave the classroom within three years. In urban districts, the numbers are worse. Close to 50 percent of newcomers leave the profession during their first five years of teaching.”
SOURCE: http://www.nea.org/tools/17054.htm Extracted on 7/28/2020
Now, while it is unfortunate that the turnover rate is so high; I respect the choices that those teachers make. I’m sure there are a variety of reasons for their departure. Among them is the realization that it’s not fulfilling for them or they simply cannot cope with the demands. Teacher burnout is real. I agree with Margaret E. Sangster who said, “No one should teach who is not in love with teaching”. I clearly remember resolving during my first year of teaching that I would quit and apply for a job at a bank if/when I shared the sentiments that one of my colleagues expressed. She said, “Mi nuh biznizz; if dem waan learn, dem learn.”. Translation: I don’t care. It’s up to the students if they want to learn. Teaching in a Jamaican primary school classroom is by no means glamorous and the conditions are not always ideal. My reference to working in a bank was simply a way to contrast the physical environment of a hot classroom in the tropics with an air-conditioned banking institution. I decided that I would do it whole-heartedly, or not at all. If I lost my passion, I would leave.
I have already established that my main reason for remaining in the profession is because I have found “the joy of teaching”. Similar to the “joy of learning” for my students that I described in the previous episode, I have used that energy from my students experiences, as well as the thrill of making a difference, to create somewhat of a replica for myself. There is something almost magical to behold when a student grasps a concept, acquire a skill, or solve a problem with your support. This idea makes me think of that scene in the movie Akeelah and the Bee when Laurence Fishburne’s character gave KeKe Palmer’s character a jump rope to help her keep a steady rhythm and maintain focus while she practiced to spell words. He helped her to recognize and develop her mnemonic device. Being immersed in instructional experiences with students and utilizing creativity, knowledge from your own education and training and differentiating to meet the needs of individual learners which culminates in their mastery of what is taught and academic growth, is priceless.
I am even more excited when I am able to provide social-emotional support and see the behavioral transformations that occur. It is my practice to help my students recognize the greatness that they bring to the world and to the space that we share. In episode 5 (Tips for Making Morning Meeting Meaningful), I mentioned how I use “Greatness Notes” with my students. They become meaningful to my students because throughout the year they get filled up with positive recognition from me and their peers. The beautiful thing about such interactions is that, over time, the students come to recognize their own greatness and they change internally. The effectiveness of this aspect of my role as an educator is credited to the Nurtured Heart Approach® which was created by Howard Glasser. Visit the Children's Success Foundation website for more information. I will talk about that some more in a future episode. You can find more information about this on the Children Success Foundation website. I also have another blog post that focuses on this matter of greatness.
I have already established that my main reason for remaining in the profession is because I have found “the joy of teaching”. Similar to the “joy of learning” for my students that I described in the previous episode, I have used that energy from my students experiences, as well as the thrill of making a difference, to create somewhat of a replica for myself. There is something almost magical to behold when a student grasps a concept, acquire a skill, or solve a problem with your support. This idea makes me think of that scene in the movie Akeelah and the Bee when Laurence Fishburne’s character gave KeKe Palmer’s character a jump rope to help her keep a steady rhythm and maintain focus while she practiced to spell words. He helped her to recognize and develop her mnemonic device. Being immersed in instructional experiences with students and utilizing creativity, knowledge from your own education and training and differentiating to meet the needs of individual learners which culminates in their mastery of what is taught and academic growth, is priceless.
I am even more excited when I am able to provide social-emotional support and see the behavioral transformations that occur. It is my practice to help my students recognize the greatness that they bring to the world and to the space that we share. In episode 5 (Tips for Making Morning Meeting Meaningful), I mentioned how I use “Greatness Notes” with my students. They become meaningful to my students because throughout the year they get filled up with positive recognition from me and their peers. The beautiful thing about such interactions is that, over time, the students come to recognize their own greatness and they change internally. The effectiveness of this aspect of my role as an educator is credited to the Nurtured Heart Approach® which was created by Howard Glasser. Visit the Children's Success Foundation website for more information. I will talk about that some more in a future episode. You can find more information about this on the Children Success Foundation website. I also have another blog post that focuses on this matter of greatness.
Another way in which I have tapped into the joy of teaching is by simply recognizing that I am making a difference in the lives of the little people entrusted to my care. I can’t think of anything more rewarding. Here is another appropriate quote.
As I give this gift to my students, I also receive a gift in return - the joy of teaching.
Whether you are a trained teacher getting ready to provide instruction and so much more in the upcoming school year, or a parent or caregiver helping your child at home, focus on the difference you are making and find the joy in that. Recently, I was reminiscing on the years when I would engage my sons in summer school and I am so glad that I did. Those years have flown by and they are now in high school and college, but I can still hold those joyful memories in my heart.
I think most parents can relate to the idea that our children tend to hold fast to what we say up to their preschool years. They will quickly rebut to explain what their mother or father said. When they are of school age, however, what their teacher says is the gospel. I have had many parents tell me about conflicts at home when they try to explain how to complete a homework assignment in a different manner than was taught at school. “That’s not what my teacher said.” is a common retort. Being a teacher did not exempt me from that experience. I had similar battles with my sons even when I reminded them that I am also a teacher and have taught what they are learning. That did not matter. I urge every teacher to use this power for good. This is life-changing work and while we engage in it, our students will benefit so much more if we also allow them to see how much we care.
At the beginning of the school year, and many times throughout, I like to listen to Dr. Rita Pierson’s TED Talk entitled, “Every Kid Needs a Champion”. I will link it in the show notes for your inspiration. She does a wonderful job highlighting the value of the work that we do and how important it is for our students.
Things are shaping up to be challenging in new ways for the 2020-2021 school year. I would strongly suggest that this needs to be the year when we find and focus on the joy of teaching as we facilitate the joy of learning for our children and students.
Whether you are a trained teacher getting ready to provide instruction and so much more in the upcoming school year, or a parent or caregiver helping your child at home, focus on the difference you are making and find the joy in that. Recently, I was reminiscing on the years when I would engage my sons in summer school and I am so glad that I did. Those years have flown by and they are now in high school and college, but I can still hold those joyful memories in my heart.
I think most parents can relate to the idea that our children tend to hold fast to what we say up to their preschool years. They will quickly rebut to explain what their mother or father said. When they are of school age, however, what their teacher says is the gospel. I have had many parents tell me about conflicts at home when they try to explain how to complete a homework assignment in a different manner than was taught at school. “That’s not what my teacher said.” is a common retort. Being a teacher did not exempt me from that experience. I had similar battles with my sons even when I reminded them that I am also a teacher and have taught what they are learning. That did not matter. I urge every teacher to use this power for good. This is life-changing work and while we engage in it, our students will benefit so much more if we also allow them to see how much we care.
At the beginning of the school year, and many times throughout, I like to listen to Dr. Rita Pierson’s TED Talk entitled, “Every Kid Needs a Champion”. I will link it in the show notes for your inspiration. She does a wonderful job highlighting the value of the work that we do and how important it is for our students.
Things are shaping up to be challenging in new ways for the 2020-2021 school year. I would strongly suggest that this needs to be the year when we find and focus on the joy of teaching as we facilitate the joy of learning for our children and students.