A Teacher's Struggle
Teaching has its challenges, no doubt. However, the pandemic has impacted the classroom in ways one may not be aware of or understand. It is time we addressed the effects. If not now, then when?
Read on to learn about one teacher’s struggle.
“As I approach my eighteenth year teaching for a district that has more than seventy percent of the students living in the inner-lower-income sections of the city, I thought I had seen it all until this year.
Post-pandemic, we have all noticed that our students’ academics and behaviors were heavily impacted. Last year's experience left me, and many other educators across the country, wondering if I still wanted to continue a career in education, particularly within the public school system.
Nevertheless, I decided not to quit but instead try a new school. Maybe a new environment with different staff members would remind me of my passion for teaching, especially students who come from the same community I grew up in, building relationships that influence and help shape the lives of our future. However, we do know that some things are out of our control as educators.
As I built relationships with my students, they became comfortable enough to share home stories. We begin our day with Morning Meetings. Student X decided that he/she would love to share what they did for Halloween.
He/she began…
‘On Halloween, my mom and I went out. We got mad candy. It was crazy! When we got home, my mom and I started bagging the candies we collected into sandwich bags. Then, the next night, we went around the neighborhood, selling it to different people. My mom recorded it to show how much money we made…like eighty-something bucks.’
As I thought to myself how crazy this was, I will elaborate to the readers who may not understand my thoughts. We come from the inner city, where there’s much trauma, some of which is generational.
One example of trauma is poverty.
As we know, poverty brings much pain and suffering to our people of the brown and black communities. Our young men are then forced; some may say they have decided (can be debatable) to sell drugs in attempts for a “better life.” When I heard the Halloween candy story, this was where my thoughts went. Now, I know it’s highly biased, but it’s also the reality that we live in.
I became a teacher with hopes of helping to influence our future generation; however, recently, I have been struggling with my passion for teaching or just teaching with no passion. I was once told, ‘Girl, you made it out. Get out and stop trying to help those fatherless children!’
However, those fatherless children are my community, and I strongly want to help them. But with stories like these, I continue to wonder why should I want my community to change more than my community wants to change?”
My Reflections
The teacher’s last phrase stood out as impactful.
I know how challenging teaching can be at times, and I commend her for remaining in the field.
Although struggling with her passion for teaching, I know this teacher is making a significant impact on her students and community. She may not be aware of it now, but I’ve seen countless examples of how a teacher influenced the lives of others.
Teachers do make a difference.
Moreover, teachers or not, anyone can make an impact.
Educators like her need to surround themselves with like-minded people. In my next article, I will write about an educator who went on to make a significant mark on children and education.
Something to think about:
What struck you the most about this article? How can you be more supportive of teachers?
Thanks for reading,
Elvira