Note: this piece was originally published in December of 2019 on the Meemic blog.
When I was a senior in high school, my school district allowed
seniors to drop their sixth hour if they had enough credits for graduation. I
did, and so at the end of first semester, a few times a week, I started volunteering
in some classrooms at a local elementary school. I had already made up my mind
that teaching was probably for me, and that it would be elementary. Thinking
back on it now, I probably assumed this because I couldn’t really envision
myself teaching high school seeing as I was currently IN high school.
I can’t recall now which classes or teachers I helped. What I
can say is that this was the beginning of my realization that teaching
elementary students is much more complicated, intricate, and difficult than my
limited experiences as a student had me believing.
Later on, after I had completed my coursework at Western
Michigan University, I began substitute teaching. I needed money, so I
basically said yes to any job. Again, I went into these elementary classrooms
with all of my young teacher assumptions, only to realize the vast and varied
amount of information these people had to know—about kids, and about ALL of the
subjects.
And now, 22 years later, as I visit schools, helping out however
I can in mostly lower elementary classrooms, I am reminded of how completely
inadequate I am for the task of teaching our youngest students. These are
just a few of the interactions I’ve seen just over the last few months:
·
Watching an information literacy specialist calmly
direct kindergarteners on just their third day of school
·
Listening to a 3rd grade teacher artfully explain
directions for math rotations, while multiple adults flow in and out of the
room for various reasons
·
Observing as a kindergarten teacher seamlessly flow
through an entire morning routine, where students have roles to play in the
business of their classroom
·
Overhearing a transitional kindergarten teacher
quietly remind a student how to use words to convey his frustration with a
classmate
Now don’t get me wrong, here. I am not one of those people who
says things like, “Oh, I don’t know HOW you DO it! Being around little kids all
day?!? You are a saint!” Nope. I do not believe teachers are saints (side
note—we are also not martyrs or charity workers or angels). What I have come to
understand and respect about my elementary colleagues is that they are highly
skilled professionals who have worked to hone these specific skills over time,
much as I have with my high school teaching skills. These are skills I do
not have, and I’m ok with that. Just as I also have never learned to argue a
case in court, complete a medical exam, maintain a computer network, or weld an
engine blade.
I write all of this to really make one point: we all—teachers
included—have to remember that this job is not only hard, but it requires
practice and skill. We are not all the same, and the different levels, subjects
and roles are equally valuable, but not interchangeable. I am so incredibly
thankful for elementary teachers, not only because of what they do, but also because I cannot do it myself.
So THANK YOU, elementary teachers, for doing the job so few are
qualified to do. It has been a highlight of my experiences this year to see you
in action, and I promise you that when those kids get to me, I won’t let you
down.
