After almost nine years away from teaching I went back to teach music at the same school I went to all those years ago. It was a strange sense of Deja vu walking the same halls I went to all 8 years of my formal education. I taught the upper grade classroom for 3 years before I got married, so it felt quite normal but totally odd to be back there. I remember getting misty eyed that first day when I walked in to teach music. I felt incredibly lucky to be back in my most favorite place. It also brought back a lot of memories of what it is like to be away from home with strangers on all sides – co-teachers, youth group, children, parents, church.

This post is for all those of you that are leaving home soon to go off and seek your fortune elsewhere.

It’s for those of you that live ‘elsewhere’ and are trying to make the new teacher feel at home.

It’s for the school board and parents to help you try to understand what it is like to be new and unused to the way things are done.

And it’s for me and the girl I once was, and all the good times and bad that I had in my teaching days. Truly, they were the best!

What it’s like to be in a new congregation

It seems like there are a lot of inside jokes. Things that everyone thinks funny, but me.

Typically, the youth do a community supper in the fall and the people that I know there? A big fat zero.

I drive down the road and don’t know if I am passing my student’s house.

The local town is a long way off and they don’t even have sonic.

Everyone seems to know my name, but I can’t even remember the names of the children in my own classroom.

Everyone asks me how it’s going. I say fine, but that’s questionable. I don’t even know how it should be going.

There is a fabric and coffee shop right next door, though. So there’s that.

How to support the teacher

I can remember lots of things that people did to support me. This subject is personal to each person. Every teacher might have a different idea of what support looks like. Rest assured, what you do is noticed and makes a difference. The teachers understand you can’t do everything, every time!

The teacher house is a great place to start. Someone should sleep on the beds once in a while and make sure they are comfortable. One school I taught at got me a new mattress after I said something about it. I enjoyed that bed for the rest of the year. Comfortable beds make a huge difference on how a day at school will go.

Big fluffy towels in the bathroom are a nice touch. They don’t need to be the most expensive, but the teachers will notice if they are threadbare.

Make the living room look like it matches. Second hand is fine, but not cast-offs. One teacher house I saw was freshly painted with brand new furniture in the living room. I am fairly certain the teachers (and their parents) noticed those efforts at making the teacher house a nice place. I know the teachers don’t spend a lot of time there but making it homey is still important.

Simple things at school can make a huge difference. Having standard art supplies and a few rolls of bulletin paper is nice. Expecting teacher to change the copier toner is maybe a bit much. I tried it one time and made a royal mess which the chairman cleaned up during math class. He probably would have rather taught math.

Having a board member in charge of each class and teacher is a really neat idea. This gives the teacher someone to talk to without having to decide who to call this time.

Snack after school is a nice, but keep in mind that the teachers have work to do, so don’t be offended if they grab something and run. They may not feel like making polite talk after a full day of being in charge of a classroom. Make the snacks and food you bring to school at least somewhat healthy. Teachers have health goals, too.

When the teacher sends homework home, do your level best to get it done. That is a huge support when work comes back to school finished. It says you care about what is going on at school and want to help out where you can. Check with your child’s teacher once in a while. After school is a better time than before. Before school, your teacher is focused on the day’s work and getting things in order. Texting is a good way to talk with your teacher, too. That gives you both a chance to think about what to say before you say it. You can easily decide a time to get together and visit that will suit you both.

When your child is sick, keep them home. I have had a student or two who were recognized for perfect attendance, and I wanted to stand up and also recognize the fact that they were in school sick a few days.

What it’s like to leave and go back home

It seems like there are a lot of inside jokes. Things that everyone thinks funny, but me.

The ball games aren’t as fun as they were before I left.

I miss my new friends with their quirky humors.

I miss my students. There are sweet and funny and aggravating and frustrating all at once.

My best friend seems to have grown away from me. And I’ve grown away from her.

I’m thinking about the next school year. I’m either working on bulletins for going back or fielding dozens of calls from many board members. (Here’s a hint: if you know in the first call that you are not going there, harden your heart and say no before you hang up. It will save you from having to call back later and tell them.)

And about the time I am getting into summer it’s time to pack up and move on again. Summers aren’t always the best time for teachers. Give them a break, people!

If I could do it over…

If I was twenty-three and heading out again…..

Mostly, it’s just the things you would expect.

I could have been more understanding and kinder to struggling students. I could have been more willing to branch out and try different ideas.

I would have taught specific study skills on purpose. How to take a test. How to use reference books, take notes, have a discussion, manage time, and set goals and priorities. These things will make children into lifelong learners. They are skills that will set them on the right path for future jobs and responsibilities.

I could have thought through things I said to parents at PTM to make a better presentation. I could have communicated the good things more readily.

I could have tried harder to be the kind of person my co-teachers could all get along with.

I could have let my students have more drinks between classes. No wonder they were cranky what with being partially dehydrated the whole year!!

A couple Book Suggestions

Of course, there will be book suggestions.

The First Days of School by Harry Wong. This book really helped me get classroom structure figured out. This book is interesting to read and easy to understand. It introduced me to concepts about classroom rules (not too many, but enforce the ones you do have), about being friends with your students (no need to be buddies, but you must be friendly and kinds), and that school can be interesting and entertaining but also instructional and disciplined. I think this book should be required reading for all teachers.

Another book I found that I loved and that helped me so much is The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton. This book talks about words we say and how they affect those around us, focusing especially on the classroom setting. It teaches us to use language that will help students succeed. It suggests open-ended questions that will stretch children’s thinking. It helps with saying what you mean and meaning what you day by learning to give concise and brief instruction that pushes children towards success. This book is good for teachers, but it is good instruction for anyone with children or if you are just wanting to improve communication.

This I know:

Teaching is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I loved it with a passion. I missed it dreadfully when I quit. It’s not an easy thing to uproot yourself and move to a place where you know almost no one. It’s not easy trying to figure out how to help children that just aren’t getting it.

But the world’s best feeling is when your third grader brings her math book to your desk and her two-digit multiplication is all right. For sure when we have been going over every single problem every single day for the last week. Suddenly, she doesn’t need you anymore.

It’s humbling when you get a note from a seventh-grade boy that says, ‘you are a good teacher’. (That one is still in my Bible.)

One other thing I know – my best years of teaching were in my home congregation. That fact totally took me by surprise, because I couldn’t wait to shake the dust off of my feet from that particular school back when I was 14. I left it with firm plans in place never to go back. I have soft spot in my heart for all the places I taught, and I am glad that I did my learning to teach elsewhere. It seemed good to learn somewhere else, where no one knew me, and I knew no one, but teaching at home was very relaxing. When my students acted in a certain way, I knew exactly where that was coming from. Didn’t his older brothers act just like that in youth? It was so much fun getting to know my home congregation in a different way. And they were all unerringly kind to me!

No matter where you are in the village, you are needed. You may be the one that brings the caramel rolls, or you may be washing the floors, but your contribution helps the school run more smoothly and the teachers feel a bit more at home.

And to quote your friendly schoolboard chairman, “Keep up the good work!”

-Eva

What is an experience you could share about school and teaching? Add to these thoughts in the comments.