School and Community Fall 2022

The Intergenerational Transmission of the Teaching Career Stories of legacy educators S ome families pass down traditions and hobbies, others pass down careers. Each individual teacher holds their own love for education but, as children of educators, some are empowered as they grow up by seeing their family pursue what they love. Did you know that teachers’ children are 9% more likely to grow up to become BY DAVIN AHUJA, MSTA COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

teachers than children whose parents are not teachers? According to a study called “The Intergenerational Transmission of Teaching” by researchers Alberto Jacinto and Seth Gershenson, this is a unique finding when compared to other professions that do not carry these statistics. Parents are often a source of guidance and inspiration. Every child needs someone to look up to. MSTA members Alycen Shewell, Erin Townsend and Wiley Meade have this in common with each other. They have not only looked up to their parents’ career paths and recognized this gift for teaching, but now they are emulating that passion in their own lives.

Alycen Shewell Alycen Shewell’s mother was an educator for 15 years in Missouri. She taught Kindergarten for six years, then moved to 5 th grade for the following nine and has since left teaching to return to school to become a nurse. Although her teaching career has been retired since 2008, she inspired many people with her kindness and compassion, including her own daughter. Shewell was inspired by her mother from a young age. “I remember constantly helping her in her classroom from sorting books, to cutting paper, and even grading papers,” she explained. “I would spend every ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’ in her classroom being her helper.” Shewell grew up imitating her mother’s classroom at home with her friends, where they would play school together. Of course, Shewell claimed her role as the teacher, handing out worksheets for the other kids to complete and for her to grade. “I would love being in the basement and practicing d’nealian handwriting on my play chalkboard,” she added. Although her mother inspired her to become a teacher, she was also the first to caution her of the hardships that the job holds. She advised Shewell to look into other career paths before pursuing education.

“My mother tried to inspire me to follow a different career path actually. She knew the line of work was very hard, and you made little to no money. But she also knew it was extremely rewarding and that I was determined and very stubborn. She helped me set up my own classroom my first year and even purchased ‘The First Days of School’ by Harry Wong for me.” In the end, the reward outweighed the risk and Shewell pursued her passion. Shewell is currently a 6 th grade teacher in the St. Joseph School District, where she has followed in her mother’s footsteps for the past 10 years. “I’m still waiting for her to help me with the grading aspect though,” she joked. Erin Townsend Erin Townsend is a Secondary Curriculum Director and third-generation educator in the Nevada R-5 district. She began her teaching career 15 years ago as a 7th grade social studies teacher, eventually moving to 8th grade and then to high school American history before transitioning into her current role. Townsend’s experience in school buildings extends far beyond these roles - she grew up in the classroom.

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