Open to Unanticipated Opportunities
Janie reached out to me just before I launched the new version of the website, and I’m so glad she did. Her reflections on her journey as an educator and her decision to leave the classroom ring true for many of us. I’m so glad she is able to continue her work in education and reach many children around the world.
Opening Christmas gifts brings back fond childhood memories and reminds me of how my teaching journey started. For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. Our basement furnace and storage room became my makeshift classroom where I would replay my school day, but rather than being the student, I got to be the teacher. My parents poured into my love for school and my ‘classroom’, so much so, that in second grade I wished for an overhead projector for Christmas, and my parents gifted me one. Still to this day I hold on to that clunky, ancient piece of technology to remind myself of my child-like awe of school and learning and becoming a teacher. Isn’t it odd, some of the things that stake such claim on our hearts and minds?! I share this flashback with you because, for me, I believe my teaching journey began in front of my imaginary students. I can still hear the hum of my overhead projector. And that makes me smile.
Now, a licensed teacher and reading specialist, I find great joy and purpose in real classrooms, teaching real students. Since embarking on my classroom teaching experiences, I’ve returned to the classroom myself, as a student, to hone in on my craft of literacy teaching. You see, I feel that the ability to read and write and speak effectively holds great power. And I’m on a mission to teach as many students - far and wide - to read, write, and speak well so that they, too, can tap into the power of being a literate individual.
My first teaching job out of college was in a diverse public school district teaching first grade. In four short years, I learned so much about how to impactfully teach, but even more, I learned how to ignite the love for literacy within my students. To complete my master’s degree in literacy, I chose to do an action research project within my own classroom, focusing on reading and writing conferences. I will never forget sitting down with one of my students - we will call him Miles - and conferring about A Color of His Own by Leo Leoni. Miles so confidently explained all the ways he is so similar to the chameleon. It was as though reading about the chameleon helped Miles learn more about himself. The high number of EL students in my classroom made conferring a pivotal component of our literacy block. It was a privilege to be a part of their journeys learning the English language and celebrating the small successes - like correctly identifying letter names and sounds. I remember one particular EL student congratulating himself in a letter name/sound matching game by whispering “Hot dog, I did it!” Isn’t it those moments that keep us going as educators? For me, each one finds a special place in my heart.
My fifth year teaching I pursued a new role in a new setting. In a K-12 private Christian school, I taught 9th and 12th grade English, and I served as the K-2 reading specialist. Most memorable to me was coaching the twelfth graders through writing a thorough research paper. Twelve years into their educational journeys, each student - whether consciously or subconsciously - had labeled him/herself as a certain writer: strong, poor, mediocre. What was so evident to me was no matter the label, each student wanted ‘to get it right.’ I wrestled for weeks about how to take the focus off of ‘getting it right’ and instead, help each student capitalize on his/her writing strengths and improve his/her writing weaknesses. In a conversation about the worthiness of taking the time to improve writing skills, one of the twelfth graders declared: “I won’t need to write. I’m not going to college. I’m going to a trade school and then working.” Many of the twelfth graders’ perspectives were such a stark contrast to those of my former first graders. I remember driving home, wondering when the joy and value of literacy diminish for so many students. All honesty, I also felt agitated, knowing that not everyone in our world has the opportunity to learn how to read and write and speak.
Which brings me to today. My sixth year of teaching looks a little different than in my previous years. My husband and I welcomed our first baby in October. I made the decision to step away from the classroom this year so that I can be present, caring for our daughter each day. Knowing that I didn’t want to be completely disconnected from teaching, I began pursuing remote work opportunities, specifically within the realm of literacy education. Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege to write literacy curriculum for new schools planted in Africa. I never thought my work as a teacher would be so far-reaching. It is my hope that the materials I am providing for the teachers and students in Africa can help ignite the love for literacy in their hearts and that they, too, can tap into the power of being able to read and write and speak well.
As I write this from our kitchen table, with the coos of my three-month-old daughter in the background, I’m reminded of the dream that was planted in my heart twenty-some years ago. In my pretend classroom, I was always a fourth-grade teacher. Truth be told, I thought I would always be physically in the classroom. But, what I’m finding is that in this remote work my impact is stretching beyond the scope of U.S. educational systems. To my fellow educators, I hope my journey serves as a reminder to stay open to teaching opportunities that prompt you to say: “I never would’ve thought I would be doing this!”
