7. It is about the journey, not the destination.

7. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. Committed Leaders

The Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE) provides educators with a document that illustrates sixteen characteristics of exemplary middle schools. This post reflects the seventh characteristic and is found under the heading of leadership and organization.

I believe we have stories surrounding us that can be used to inspire and encourage beginning teachers. I was talking to one of our science teachers and asked if he would be willing to share advice for pre-service and in-service teachers. In our conversation he said, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” His words capture the purpose of a teacher is to enjoy and embrace the journey. The following are his words…

After a long career in industrial management, I made a career change at age 52 and pursued a career as an educator. Now at 65, I reflect back on 13 amazing years, and strain to see what next year may bring. If I could change anything it would be to have changed careers sooner.

Do not misunderstand, as a manager I had responsibility for a large knitting facility that ran twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all year. Staffing, inventory, quality, and production were my responsibility in a volatile ever-changing world; yet I can say with confidence that teaching is the most challenging and most rewarding job I have ever had or ever could have.

First year teaching is a year of discovery, adjustment, struggle, survival, growth, reward and reflection. The following are things I have learned.

1)      Be yourself. When I first started teaching I tried to be the teacher I saw around me or the teacher I had respected as a student. If you are pretending to be someone you are not, students, especially Middle School students, will see through you in a second. At Christmas of my first year I stopped trying to be someone else and started being myself; it got a lot better. (Clarification: find established best practices and model them; memorize the standard course of study and follow it; just be sure to follow it within your personality.

2)      Student behavior is not personal. My first year, I believed one young man got up early in the morning, every morning, just to figure out ways to irritate me. On the last day of school he walked up to me, hugged me, and said, “Mr. Childers, I sure am going to miss you this summer.” Student behavior is never personal, unless you make it personal. Taking things personal, by the way, is always a bad idea. Students are who they are, when they arrive in your classroom. Your task and potential reward is to find out how to reach each child and unlock his or her innate curiosity to learn. You do not have a classroom of twenty-five cookie-cutter students; you have twenty-five unique individuals in your classroom. Make it a point to know each of them.

3)      Always avoid negative teachers, okay negative people. Throughout your career there will be teachers and administrators who will encourage and support you. My first principal should be in the principal hall of fame. She made it a point to nurture and mentor me as I learned to navigate teaching and schools. My official mentor was not the person who truly mentored me my first year. I was very fortunate to have several wonderful, diverse teacher-mentors. I sat at their feet and drew as much knowledge as I possibly could. My mentors changed over the years; but I always made sure I found them. So  my advice is to seek out a mentor, a friend, in the building who wants to help you be better. Choose someone who cares about his or her craft, and cares about helping you grow. Positive mentors will figuratively hold you when you need to be held and figuratively kick your behind when it needs to be kicked. Find teachers with different styles, ask questions, and always be open to learn from good teachers. Positive mentors will inspire you and support you.

4)      It is not about the scores/grades. End of Grade (EOG) scores are how politicians, school boards, and the public judge students, teachers, schools systems, and states. You can never lose sight of that; but you must understand it. Understand that test scores can be destructive to you and your students, if you allow it. If you only focus on EOG scores your students become numbers, not unique living human beings. A student who may have challenges learning, engaging, and/or behaving may be perceived as someone lowering your scores and your response to them may be tainted. You may approach them with frustration, anger, disappointment; none of these emotions ever inspire students. In a test-score focused classroom, students are taught from the beginning to focus on grades. It creates stress, divides groups, separates students by haves and have not. It creates a student who learns how to make a grade, not a student who wants to master a topic. Focus on the process; focus on the child; make part of your goal to help students love your subject. It is not about the End of Grade exam; it is about the learning journey. Make it about the process, not the destination. If you embrace the journey, the destination will take care of itself.

Mr. Childers teaches seventh and eighth grade science at West McDowell Middle School in Marion, North Carolina.