As a reaction of the profile story on elementary education students, Jessica Shearin, we received a reaction from Dr. Carrie Rogers and the students of ELMG 495: Elementary & Middle Grades Education. We are publishing the full reaction with minor editing to adhere to AP style.
“Reaping the rewards of my hard work has made me realize that I would go through those tough times again and again if it meant that I could have the relationship with my students that I have now. My day gets so much better when they walk into the classroom and tell me good morning,” wrote Shelby Pennington, graduate student in ELMG 495.
As a faculty member in the elementary education department, I eagerly looked forward to reading the recent profile of Jessica Shearin, a senior in Elementary Education, published on Nov. 17. The title posed the question: Elementary Education: Is it worth it? As a former elementary teacher and a sixth year faculty member at WCU, I felt that the profile would conclude with a confident “Yes!” But it doesn’t. It really doesn’t answer the question directly at all but rather paints a portrait of a weary student, unsure if she wants to be a teacher and “enduring” the many burdens in the program. To say the least, I was shocked. At a time when educators are constantly dealing with disparaging comments I thought it would be helpful to respond to paint a more complete picture about the sources of Jessica’s stress. To help me I reached out to the graduating seniors I work with in the program and asked them to read and respond to the profile. Many of our graduating class responded and I will share their thoughts in this response.
Our program does have high expectations of students. We have several early field experiences and internships in schools across the semesters so that students understand, in a way that is instructionally supported and scaffolded, the real work of teachers. There is also a lot of lesson planning that requires understanding content across the K-6 continuum as well as research and theory that supports best practices in instruction. Again, the work of real teachers. As one graduating senior, Blair Spangenberg said, “You told us teaching is hard work, but you prepared us for it.” Another student a single dad, Ryan Gaither wrote, “Yeah it’s tough, but it is only as tough as you make it. The whole department has impressed me beyond anything I could describe. Every professor has been with us the whole time while struggling with the same struggle Jessie is describing.”
Other issues that Jessica finds stressful are not directives from the program but rather state policies created by the State Board of Education. Teacher education programs are unique within the array of university majors because the state licenses teachers, therefore many of our programs’ outcomes or requirements are mandated by state policy. This is true in all states. In North Carolina the governor appoints a majority of the members of the State Board of Education. While I am not a policy wonk, I do know, as do our students and K-12 teachers, that state politics form state polices for education. Common Core standards were adopted by the state in order to receive federal money (See the PDF document for Common Core Standards and Assessments). Licensure tests have always been mandated by the state and as of January 2015 the State Board of Education now requires two tests, administered by Pearson, in order to get an elementary education license in North Carolina. The faculty and programs in teacher education do not benefit in any way from these state testing requirements.
As another graduating senior, middle grades major Rhiannon Manzi wrote directly to Jessica, “There are tough aspects of the job – like overpriced tests and overworked days, but those things are so insignificant compared to what really matters. Try changing your focus from the college requirements, to the children who chant your name when you walk into the room. Those children need a champion, they need someone who wants to see them thrive and succeed.”
The rest of the graduating class responded similarly. Megan Ward wrote, “Teaching is completely worth all of the work! It seems like so much and we feel like we are bogged down so often, but the second you walk into the classroom the students make every bit of it worth it. Every day I get at least 10 hugs and pictures.” Another student, Misty Brooks, actually sent me a picture of her students’ writing and drawings declaring their love for her, as their teacher, and wrote, “This makes all the sacrifices, time away from my own children, money, and unbelievable hard work worth it.”
Another student, Hannah Pryor, understands that sometimes there are misgivings about the path to becoming a teacher. She wrote, “I also had issues with wondering if this was the correct career for me. Then I came into the classroom and met all of the students and knew I was where I belonged.” Sarah Elkins wrote about the power of making connections with students, “Even if I can just help one kid succeed then every heartache is worth it because it all matters to that one kid.” Katie Alland focuses on the moment when a “student lights up when they finally master something that we have been practicing in class” and declares that “is the best feeling in the world.” A similar view comes from one of our “non-traditional” aged students who balanced family and school, Michael Gudger, writes, “Being an older student who has had jobs making a lot more money, I can assure you that being a teacher is definitely worth it. The feeling you get when you help a student grow as a learner cannot be found in any other profession.”
Shelby Pennington understands Jessica’s stress and wrote, “I waited tables in Bryson City, went to school full time and drove one hour to get to school every single day. I didn’t make the best of grades, I struggled to be the best teacher I could be, I didn’t always have enough money to buy lunch on campus, and I struggled to stay awake in class. Reaping the rewards of my hard work has made me realize that I would go through those tough times again and again if it meant that I could have the relationship with my students that I have now. My day gets so much better when they walk into the classroom and tell me good morning.” Emily Warren writes that she was called in to teaching and that “Yes, the job is demanding. Yes, I will probably face financial difficulty. Yes, I will work day-in and day-out to ensure success for my students. And, yes, I will ultimately be blessed by the sweet children in my class who love me, admire me, and- in the end- teach me more than I could ever teach them.”
I will conclude with a response from one of our students who wrote the best summary of the feelings of the graduating seniors, as well as other students within the Elementary Education program as they read the profile of Jessica and hoped that Jessica would use this opportunity to say that the program and profession of teaching, though hard, was worth it.
Ali Harris writes:
“College is hard. Most college students, no matter what their major is, are working their tails off to get good grades and make money. Western Carolina’s School of Teaching and Learning is widely known for being exceptional, and all assignments given are for a purpose–to develop each student as an excellent teacher. All students can find support through their colleagues and professors, who understand exactly how they are feeling and know what they are going through. If a student does not feel that teaching in North Carolina is going to be rewarding enough for him/her, then perhaps it is best if he/she considers a different major or move to a different state. I am about to graduate from WCU in December with a degree in Elementary Education, and cannot wait to begin my teaching career in North Carolina, and will be forever thankful to WCU for preparing me for this career better than I could ever have imagined.”
Editor’s note: When working on a news story, or in this case a profile story, the headline comes from the reporter or the editor not the main subject of the story. So the question in the headline was not from Jessica Shearin nor we asked her to answer it. To the best of our knowledge she values her education and loves to be in a classroom and teach. She also acknowledged the challenges of her training to become an educator and that training is valued (monetary and socially) in North Carolina today.
