My Advice to Prospective Educators

Today’s classrooms are not as one without experience would imagine. There is no set of students without diversity: diverse learning styles, diverse cultural backgrounds, diverse linguistic abilities, diverse personalities, etc. To best be of service to each and every one, a teacher must be open-minded, have a stable emotional self, and must always desire to do tasks well (Kim et al., 2019). The ability to motivate others is key (Al-wossabi, 2022). Understanding Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) (Johnson & Chang, 2012) and social justice (Meaney et al., 2022) are essential in every classroom,live or virtual. Congratulations, you have chosen an impossible career (Harrison, 2021) with innumerable rewards unless you’re looking for financial rewards (Thomas,2019). You’ve also chosen a career path where you’ll have to fight against long held myths and systems that do not serve all who enter into the institution of public education (Carnevale et al., 2019). 

Student populations that will need you most are those of color, those living in poverty, and those who speak a language other than English (LOTE) at home. I need you to be prepared to support these learners to the fullest of your ability because I am one of them. As a Native American who grew up in poverty with a single mother, I was more at-risk than other students. Teachers made a difference for me, and I need you to go out and do that for others. To do that properly, you will have to overcome the inefficacy of your teacher preparation program to address the needs of every student (López & Santibañez, 2018) and see every child as having limitless potential because your high expectations will motivate these students (Al-wossabi, 2022; Carnevale et al., 2019). 

Learning about how systems are not equitable to all and striving to make your environment one of acceptance and safety can make a huge difference in the daily possibilities of your young scholar (Johnson & Chang, 2012; Meaney et al., 2022). “Confronting and dismantling systems of oppression in schools is important, but disproportionality has not one cause” (Marsh & Walker, 2022, p. 89). Learn about how generational trauma can impact the perception and interactions with students of color and indigenous students (Harrison, 2021). Be aware of your cultural identity and background and how you may be perceived to your students. Learn about the history, cultures and lived experiences of your students; so, you can better plan and deliver what they need to grow (Johnson & Chang, 2012; Marsh & Walker, 2022). Remember that “[w]ords are intertwined with culture” (p. 20) and that prompts students receive in class should reflect cultural respect (Meaney et al., 2022). Understanding your students, especially those of color (if you are not), is a difficult task. You will need to be willing to be vulnerable, acknowledging your ignorance and possible privilege, and not be afraid to come together with those in their community (Marsh & Walker, 2022). “The seemingly innocuous policies and processes within urban schools can emerge as the connective tissue for criminalization and the school-to-prison nexus that disproportionately affects Black boys in the United States” (p. 86).

This is not a career to jump into lightly. Teachers have student well-being and outcomes in their hands; however, there are factors that may never be fully overcome in the classroom like the lack of systematic support to truly give students from low socioeconomic backgrounds the ability to reach their true potential (Carnevale et al., 2019). “Achievement is not merely a function of innate ability, but a cross product of a child’s inherent talent and the environment (the general social and material context) that determines the long-term development of potential abilities” (p. 8). Teachers have to be ready to provide a level playing field for at-risk populations. That means writing grants, research to continue developing yourself and your skillset, collaboration with teachers who are positive, not those complaining in the teachers’ lounge (Kowalski, 1996). My children are part of the 4% who are from a lower socioeconomic family situation who have one parent with a Bachelor’s degree. Are you willing to ensure my children learn to see themselves as successful adults through not only their learning opportunities but through how your relationship with them evolves?

What you read here may be enough to make you reconsider this choice of becoming an educator. Can I handle knowing I have an influence over the future success or failure of human beings? Do I have the determination to be good at this every day? Am I willing to invest myself in students as if they are my own while they're on my roster and possibly beyond that time? If you don’t ask yourself these questions as you go through your coursework, get closer to being one of the most important people in many children’s lives, and each day that you stand before a classroom, you should rethink this journey. Your personality, strength of character, and sheer will are going to determine your success and your impact. It’s a heavy responsibility that will go home with you on the daily. I wish you strength, courage, and endless compassion.

References

Al-wossabi, S. A. N. (2022). Advancing Motivation and Aptitude Research in Relation to Teachers’ Practices and Successful L2 Learning Outcomes. Theory & Practice in Language Studies, 12(12), 2605–2613. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1212.17 

Azer, Samy. (2005). The qualities of a good teacher: How can they be acquired and sustained?. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 98(2), 67-69. https://doi.org/10.1177/014107680509800211 

Carnevale, A. P., Fasules, M. L., Quinn, M. C., Campbell,K.P. (2019). Born to Win, Schooled to Lose. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 

Harrison, N. (2021). Learning in the presence of others: Using the body as a resource for teaching. Educational Philosophy & Theory, 53(9), 941–950. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1835645 

Johnson, M. A., & Chang, D. (2012). Balancing Act: Addressing culture and gender in ESL classrooms. Journal of Adult Education, 41(1), 19-26. 

Kim, L.E., Jörg, V. & Klassen, R.M. (2019). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Teacher Personality on Teacher Effectiveness and Burnout. Education Psychology Review 31, 163–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9458-2 

Kowalski, R. M. (1996). Complaints and Complaining: Functions, antecedents, and consequences. Psychological bulletin, 119(2), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.179 

López, F., & Santibañez, L. (2018). Teacher Preparation for Emergent Bilingual Students: Implications of Evidence for Policy. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26(32–37), 1–43. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2866 

Marsh, L. T. S., & Walker, L. J. (2022). Deficit-Oriented Beliefs, Anti-Black Policies, Punitive Practices, and Labeling: Exploring the Mechanisms of Disproportionality and Its Impact on Black Boys in One Urban “No-Excuses” Charter School. Teachers College Record, 124(2), 85–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681221086444 

Meaney, T., Fyhn, A. B., & Graham, S. R. W. (2022). Unfettering discussions about social justice: the role of conversational prompts in discussions about mathematics education for Indigenous students. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 109(3), 549–565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10089-2 

Sadaf Umer Chhapra, Saba Naz, Mehmood Usmani, & Adil Mohiuddin. (2018). Analysis of Students Perception about Teachers’ Personality in the Academic Achievement. Tarbiya : Journal of Education in Muslim Society, 5(1), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.15408/tjems.v5i1.7098 

Thomas, J. N. (2019). The big short. School Science & Mathematics, 119(8), 429–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12377