Written by MSTA President Lana Moore
The beginning of every school year is a struggle. Facing the prospect of having that alarm, which had been silenced for so long, jarring you awake and actually getting out of bed when it goes off feels like a personal attack. For myself, I hit the snooze like I am swatting a pesky mosquito… five more minutes, two more minutes, anything to delay the moment; then I face reality, and I have to get up. It isn’t a hostage negotiation between myself and my pillow; it’s that obligation has a way of propelling us forward even when motivation has not yet caught up. Hearing the alarm every day eventually falls into its own routine, and the weight of change gently settles into our soul.
Teachers across the nation will be relying on coffee to function, once more polishing the language filter, having to watch what we say and how we say it, and wearing actual presentable clothes and shoes: it's a struggle. We will be preparing bladders for expected overextension, and mourn the ability to leisurely use the restroom when we hear the call of nature. We will forget the joys of eating a relaxed lunch whenever we want, even if it is two in the afternoon after unwillingly sliding out of bed at one. (Insert a big “harrumph!” here.)
The first half of summer is rest and recovery. After all, recuperation takes a while. The second half, we have the energized version, and we begin to tackle long overdue projects. Just when we get a good momentum going, BAM! Here comes the beginning of school.
I recall as a child walking into a magical, sparklingly polished school with walls and floors glistening, the heady smell of mimeograph ink wafting through the halls. The anticipation for the upcoming year was enormously exciting. We would look at the class list taped to doors of our favorite teacher in hopes our name would appear, then either leap for joy when it was spotted, or sink into ourselves if it wasn’t there.
We never wondered how a teacher prepared for their students; it just was. We left in the spring, came back in the fall, and everything was new again. New grade, new teacher, new classmates. Some of us even had a new outfit to wear that first day in order to make a good first impression, as firsts are lasting and permanent.
As a teacher, I sometimes wonder what the first day of school was like for our one-room schoolhouse teacher mother, both as a student, then as a teacher. Was there the obligatory beginning-of-the-year meetings she had to sit through, and did she find them as ”meaningful” as the rest of us? How did she prepare her classroom for her students?
I know she had learning centers, which at the time were called “points of interest,” because she told us. There were maps on the walls. Depending on the schoolhouse, I would imagine there may also have been a picture hanging somewhere of a President of the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited daily, and there was prayer before lunch.
As I was finishing my teaching degree, a piece of advice she shared helped my confidence more than anything. It is a bit of advice I share with other teachers, new and old alike. Her wisdom was, “Those kids may be two steps ahead of you, just don’t let them know that.” The authority of a bluff worked in her classroom, and on her own children as well. She was one to use the power of presentation when it came to ordinary things.
Being a 4-H leader, we were privy to some of our mom’s little tricks. When it was our family’s turn to serve refreshments, our mother would say, “You could have ‘Kool-Aid and cookies,’ or you could have !!!**KOOL-AID AND COOKIES**!!!” The tone, attitude, and presentation made all the difference. It was the WOW factor that made it special, and it tasted very good because of that. Those lessons lived, not told, of times such as this are what come back to us when we need it the most. She had a way of turning the ordinary into something very special and exciting, and the lesson wasn’t only about food. It was about life.
The difference isn’t necessarily what we are given or what we are doing: it is how we approach and present it. Our mother understood that teaching isn’t about knowing everything. It is about projecting enough confidence and authority to keep the classroom moving while you figure things out. She didn’t merely teach us that attitude matters; she demonstrated it with something completely ordinary. She taught us by example that our attitude sets the tone for any encounter we may have. It is our choice for it to be positive or swing in the opposite direction.
Recently, while teaching English as a second language to an online student from a foreign country, I was dreading the encounter. This student has been known to be defiant, ignoring the class, sticking their foot into the camera, anything except being what is expected from a regular student, even with their parents in the room. But as I began the class, I realized this student just needed a voice, a way to express their needs during a lesson that was new to them in a language they were just beginning to understand. My attitude changed, and I pulled out a five-dollar toy microphone. It didn’t matter that it had a princess on it; it was a way for me to give that student a chance to express themselves without judgement. I became an announcer, my student a contestant in a game show.
When this student stuck their foot into the camera, I “tickled” their foot on camera once. The next time the foot was introduced, it was ignored. When they made a face, I made a funny face, then proceeded to go forth with the lesson. The second attempt was ignored. Fun became part of it, but the classwork continued. Not three minutes into the class, this second language learner was engaged; I was having fun, as was the student, and what transpired was a very successful and very interactive class. The student was not “allowed” to derail my class. At all times, I was the one to determine the direction we would go, moving the microphone toward the camera for their response to my question, prompting when necessary, and being excited when the response was correct, just like a game show host would do.
With each distraction attempted by the student, I chose to either ignore it or respond, but it was my decision to stay on track. Eventually, the attempts to detract from learning became boring, and the praise for following directions became the reward that was needed.
It is like that in every encounter we may have. There will be times we want to scowl, use harsh words, and bully our way out of a situation, but does that really make us win the day? Or does that just tell others to steer clear of us and not “hear” or “see” the real us?
Facing any situation head-on with forethought and with calmness gives us the upper hand. Listening to the other side with an open heart and mind can show an understanding we may not have been privy to. Showing that we are listening gives the other side a voice, and in turn, lends to a listening ear when it comes to our turn.
As we embark on the adventures and encounters of the new school year, engaging with others, whether they are students or staff, and even yourself, give grace. Pray for them and yourself, and all they will encounter. Send them words of encouragement, and send coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. And remember: our attitude sets the tone for the entire class. Making a change in OUR attitude may make all the difference. We can have Kool-Aid and cookies, or we can have !!!**KOOL-AID AND COOKIES**!!! And never underestimate the power of a five-dollar microphone.