At 22, I officially became a paid teacher--thought I had the formula for making kids learn. At 22, I was confronted with my first English class--little did I know that several of those students could barely read and write coherent sentences as high school juniors. At 22, I began my journey into education--lessons began being taught, oftentimes the hard way.
Today I look on those early years with a smile; I had the great fortune to be "taken under the wings" of many peers who cemented my foundation by teaching me to have fun, to be a professional, and to retain my sense of humor. Much to their credit, I was free to share my experiences--enriching and humbling--without the feeling of being unfairly judged. Those teachers at Newcomerstown High School shaped me, and, to this day, I am certainly grateful for their unofficial mentoring. They "adopted" me because they cared about me, their students, and, most importantly, their profession--they evidently saw me as a link to the future, one who could carry on what they were fostering in me. About fifteen years after my start, I began to understand that point.
After five years, I moved to Strasburg High School where my development continued. There, I was so fortunate to work with peers who were "hungry," who were aspiring to greater heights, who wanted to be successful, and who were willing to "pay the price" to achieve. In short, I was part of a staff that truly had a genuine respect for one another and a collegiality second to none. We liked each other, we laughed together, and we succeeded in excelling at a high level. Our administration was outstanding--no secrets were held. Our principal and superintendent kept us informed, and when we needed corrected or reigned in, it was done face to face with no hidden agendas--trust was the glue. In time, though, many of us aspired for new challenges--I was one of those. Before leaving for my next spot at Dover High School, though, I knew I was departing a special place--that is why even today I laugh when people ridicule small schools. Yes, disadvantages are present, but the intimate atmosphere of small class sizes allowed so much quality teaching. My teaching span at Strasburg was ten years, years I cherish even today. Fifteen years after my start, I began to understand this teaching game.
My superintendent at Strasburg had often told me that "you never really grow in your profession until you're in your third job." Truthfully, I never caught the true message of that logic . . . until I began my third job. From there I began to grow in so many ways: I had experience, I had confidence, I had an understanding of how kids learned, and I had established my own comfort zone for how I wanted to teach. Fifteen years it had taken me to get past my sometimes overzealous approach to teaching and learning, my occasional too-quick-to-draw-conclusions mentality, and my periodic mentality of teaching material instead of kids. After fifteen years, I began to get the picture.
What I learned is that if I were going to be effective I had to demonstrate a command of my material; yes, I know that is so obvious, but if I wanted kids to become quality writers I had to do more than say, "You need to proofread better . . . to read more frequently . . . to learn your grammar . . . to practice your skills." My challenge became how do I do that? Oh, I read a bunch, but, in truth, none of the strategies seemed to fit my personality. Thus, my challenge became to find my own way, adapt teaching methods that most kids could relate to, yet still allow my personality to shine through. You see, I could not have done that early in my career simply because I was not that comfortable with me. To state it bluntly, I had to fail before I could succeed. When I finally had hit that sweet spot, my love of teaching truly blossomed.
I make no secrets of the fact that I loved teaching high school. The daily interaction with kids who have their adult lives before them certainly was challenging but, boy, was it rewarding. Part of teaching is pushing students to achieve, oftentimes in ways they do not want perhaps because they do not see the long-term benefits. However, a larger part of teaching is developing relationships with kids; I made a point of telling them that when they were my students we were not friends--friendly, yes, but not friends. When they graduated, we could become friends, but that gap always had to be present when they were students. Nonetheless, watching kids smile and interact, watching their personalities unfold, and watching their drive and determination surface were the rewards I received. So many students, of course, have been misguided by the environments they were raised or the friends they acquired, but occasionally I would see a few of those kids escape their trappings. Again, the rewards of teaching cannot be measured like a business's success--teaching's rewards are in human accomplishment, sometimes small and insignificant to an outsider but to teachers who know their kids those rewards are what we seek.
It took me about fifteen years, but for the next twenty years that I was fortunate enough to teach, I grew as a teacher. From watching intelligent and unique peers to discovering more about myself, I found my niche. Dover High School allowed me to practice my craft in an environment where excellence was expected, where standards were high, and where a professional environment was nurtured. When I retired after thirty-five years in education, I knew my high school journey was complete. Finishing my third job, I understood what Al Osler (Strasburg superintendent when I was there) had told me--I had become what I had hoped for . . . and I had an abundance of influence from peers who had shaped me. To conclude in a rather blunt way, my message can be interpreted in this way and is specifically designed for young teachers: Pay your dues, and learn!
Well said.
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