School and Community Fall 2022

I still have a passion for the classroom even though I’ve been retired from it for over 25 years now! Yes, I remember the bumps and bruises one gets as a classroom teacher (some literally). But I also remember the satisfaction of closing the classroom door, looking over my classroom of students and reflecting on the fact that these were my students, and I was their teacher. It wasn’t always so. I did not seek to become a teacher. Frankly, I recall clearly deciding in high school that, of all things, I would not want to be a teacher! It’s still not clear to me why I even thought of it. However, fast forward, I think God had plans for me. When done with a two-year junior college experience, I transferred to an adjacent four year teachers’ college! I did it for all the wrong reasons. My friends were transferring there and I still didn’t know what I wanted to do, being interested in many things. Subsequent to all of this, I learned that my path was not unusual – that, typically, those who are interested in many things and don’t know what to do... end up teaching! I’ve always harbored an appreciation for those who taught because that’s what they always wanted to do. On reflection, two key decisions I made positively benefited me in my career and I would recommend them to anyone considering the profession. Firstly, I learned early on that if I was going to teach, I better find out if I could work with kids! Straightaway, I got a job on a summer playground and found out that, yes, I enjoyed working with the kids. And I then proceeded to work with kids in other venues; e.g., YMCA centers and day camps, teaching gymnastics etc. Candidly, I struggled with my undergrad coursework, important though it was. I was most readied for the classroom by my work experiences with boys and girls. Here’s where my second decision benefited me. I waited to work on my master’s degree until after teaching for a few years. Then, in the context of my experience, the coursework and the textbooks made much more sense to me; and I did well with it! In summary, I recommend these two approaches to the education of anyone considering teaching: one – work with boys and girls early, and two – put off graduate work until you’ve taught for a while. I was blessed over my career to be influenced by numerous fine colleagues – fellow teachers and administrators. (Of course, there were negative examples, which were instructive.) Over time, I acquired an overpowering reason why I taught. Teaching was, and is, a calling. An almost knee buckling sense of responsibility takes place with the

realization that, for a prescribed length of time, parents have entrusted you with their most precious gift – their child. There can hardly be a more honored responsibility than that! I recall a standing joke among us education undergrads which centered on the time when we might be asked why we want to teach. The ready answer was, “I love kids!” That’s a good start, but hardly enough without the sense of an almost sacred calling ; a calling to cause intellectual and behavioral growth through effective instruction! As well as classroom teaching, my career in public education led me to leadership positions in various instructional programs. Those were rewarding experiences, however, upon retirement, I was gratified to go out the door I came in – as a classroom teacher. That exit job sharpened my realization that “Wally Cleaver” and his friends had disappeared into pictures drawn by Norman Rockwell! Our society had instilled a pervasive attitude in students in which responses were reward driven, and intrinsic values were diminished. The lack of respect had been tolerated for too long and had become the norm. Why, then, would I encourage anyone who was considering teaching? For those precise reasons! Public education is currently coming under attack from numerous sources. There’s never been a more important time for individuals to hear, and respond to, the call for teachers who will provide competent and caring instruction to students. I recall during the final days of my career, sitting on a bench while on ‘playground duty,’ observing the children running around. It got me to thinking and reflecting, “This is what I was trained to do – to serve these students, to be honored by being entrusted with them.” It was a most satisfying feeling. In retirement, I volunteered as principal for a semester at a Christian elementary school. Nothing was more gratifying in my days in education than that experience. It was almost a time warp when the traditions of good schooling were in effect, and the connection between school and home was deep. Sharing of responsibility did not end at the ‘schoolhouse gate.’ To re-capture that wholesome environment in schools, teachers must answer the call! A final thought: an eighteenth-century poet, Alexander Pope, employed a phrase which has resonated with me through the years: “Tis education forms the common mind, just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.” Enjoy being a teacher! It’s a great opportunity to ‘bend some twigs!’

BY GARY WEBER, RETIRED MSTA MEMBER

S&C FALL 2022 | 25