Teaching is not just a profession, but a calling.
Across the country, young men and women enter the career field, hoping to make a positive impact in the lives of their students, not only as learners but also as people.
Applying what they learned during their own education, plus the tried and true method of trial and error, these educators constantly evaluate and model their teaching styles to best fit their students.
But what have they learned? What do they feel works best and what could be better? What isn’t being taught that should be and how might they approach/look at things differently with fewer restraints and restrictions?
Detractors of the education system bemoan that school systems, and in turn teachers, teach to the test. They learn how to regurgitate facts and figures, but not how to think. And yes, much emphasis is placed upon the results of standardized testing, forcing teachers to not only help their students master the material to be found on said tests, but also to incorporate knowledge outside of those tests that is necessary to function in the real world.
And they must do so in 45-50 minute time spans, 7-8 times per day (depending on period number and length). This must be done amidst growing class sizes as well as varying learning styles and strengths and weaknesses of the students found within.
LedeNews sought out the opinions of a few area teachers and solicit their opinions on a myriad of topics impacting their lives as educators, and those of their students.
Two of Ohio County School’s best answered the call and were willing to provide their insight, a peak behind the curtain if you will, into today’s classrooms.
The first is Hayden Cook, a special education instructor at Wheeling Middle School.
A Wheeling native, Cook is a man of many hats. He’s a teacher, a coach, a father of three, and a growing leader in the community. He’s an active member of the Men of Change group in Wheeling and started his own foundation, the Grand View Corporation, a group whose mission is to empower disadvantaged youth by helping them to gain the tools necessary to succeed.
Cook is investing in today’s youth extends far beyond his classroom. The same can be said of the other responder.
Bridge Street Middle School Langauge Arts teacher Shawna Safreed also elected to offer her thoughts on a number of questions.
Like Cook, Safreed is a Wheeling native. She started her career with Ohio County Schools back in 2009 and last fall was named the school district’s Teacher of the Year as well as a Top 10 Finalist for West Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Safreed also works to extend her reach beyond the classroom, helping to run her school’s Leo Club, a youth arm of the Lions Club service organization. She also organizes a book club through the school and is always looking for ways to offer additional opportunities for her students to learn.
What Single Thing Would Make Your In-Class Life Easier?
Support and trust- from all stakeholders- ie. parents, principals, and administration. This isn’t necessarily a wish for where I am now because I do feel trusted and valued, but more so in the past. — Cook
Overall, the single thing that would make class life easier would definitely be class size. When you are able to work with a smaller amount of students, you can differentiate the lessons and strategies to fit the needs of a smaller group better, and, as the teacher, you can provide more direct support. — Safreed
Overall, What Would Make Your Life as a Teacher Easier?
Currently, I would still say trust and support from all areas. — Cook
Overall, in a perfect world, if every student was reading closer to grade level that would make a significant impact on class life. I teach 7th grade, and there are students I have that are reading on a first-grade level. I am required to teach 7th-grade reading skills to students that read below grade level. It is very challenging. — Safreed
What Are Your Thoughts On How the Curriculum and Test Prep Affects How You Go About Educating Your Students on a Day-to-Day Basis?
Because I am in special education, there is less emphasis on standardized testing scores. However, in the general education environment, there is a lot of pressure on teachers to show growth and high achievement in their students and it dictates much of what they are able to do/cover. — Cook
I think every teacher would agree that the curriculum taught is very much correlated to having the students achieve higher stat test results. The test impacts a lot of what we do in the classroom because there is great emphasis placed on the results. Students are tiered for their ability and the test is used for that, which puts pressure on me as the teacher to ensure all standards are taught and students are mastering the material. This does add a lot of stress. — Safreed
How or Would You Change Your Instruction Methods/Topics Without Any Restrictions From the Board or State? Would You Place a Greater Emphasis on Different Subject Matter, or Go About Teaching Differently?
I would establish very basic standards that are important and relevant to what kids actually need to know- both in life and in future education. The objectives for each grade level have become so intense and complicated that we focus on such unimportant details and often miss the bigger picture. — Cook
My focus in the classroom is truly doing what is best for my students. Each day, I do spend about 3-5 minutes out of a 45-minute class period doing warm-up questions that they may see on the GSA test. Overall, though I still do very hands-on, engaging lessons in the classroom to ensure my students are mastering the material but also having fun! It is very important that my students see learning as fun, and I strive for that each day. — Safreed
How Best Can Parents Help Their Students Become Better Prepared for Your Classroom and Their Children’s Education Overall?
To establish with their child that home and school are a team with the same goals in mind and to not put additional pressure on students- their attitude about school and learning often has a lot to do with how school is discussed outside the classroom. And always always always tell their child they are smart and capable. — Cook
Reading with their child at home. The positive impact of this cannot be stressed enough. — Safreed
What Isn’t Being Taught Currently in Schools That You Believe Should Be?
Life skills- at every age and grade level/content area. Again, so much focus is spent on very detailed objectives and grade level expectations that we miss the most important things we can offer a child- making learning fun, positive attitudes, resiliency, and grit, collaboration with peers, etc. — Cook
Money management is a very important skill that I think needs to be taught in middle school. Also, because our state test does not cover narrative writing, it is not taught in depth. It makes me wonder what our future looks like with the creation of more authors and such. — Safreed
What Would You Like the School as a Whole Place More Emphasis On, or at Minimum, at Least Introduce to the Students’ Daily Lives from an Instructional Standpoint?
The whole student as a human instead of the student as just a learner. They are not a test score or a grade on a report card. — Cook
Character skills—I tell my students all the time that it means more to me that my students are good people than straight-A students. They need to understand empathy and kindness because in a successful society, I think that is most important. — Safreed
