Editorials

Much like the chaos of a zombie apocalypse, a new teacher's first year in the classroom can be stressful and overwhelming. There are swarms of elementary students asking to go to the bathroom, help with homework, and continuous requests to borrow a pencil. Luckily, I survived.

The frequent reports of gun shootings in communities and especially in schools, leave us in disbelief. The media’s portrayal of the scenes impacts our perceptions and attitudes about teaching. As a professor of early childhood education, this horrific news makes it challenging to teach an Introduction to Early Childhood course that is intended to welcome and convince students about the joys that come with teaching.

My name is Caleb Schulz and I am currently an Early Childhood Education Major at UW-Stout. I chose this major to potentially make a difference in young lives and inspire future generations. I have been involved in the Men in Education group since my freshman year and have grown closer to my classmates doing so. Everything we do as an organization we do together, that is what makes the group of guys so special.

I am a junior at UW-Stout and I am from Plum City, Wisconsin. Plum City is a small town southwest of Menomonie and has less than 600 residents. I have two siblings; an older brother who is a Physical Education teacher and a sister who is in her senior year at UW-La Crosse.

In my 27 years in the field of education, there is one responsibility for all teachers that has remained somewhat consistent throughout my career. It is the open acknowledgment that, in addition to ensuring that students learn the curricular content for any given grade level, there is also the role of creating a positive relationship with students.

So, it appears that the end of a year is just about as hectic as the beginning with loose ends to tie up before vacation officially begins. As I go through the ritual of preparing for the end of another school year, I continually think about the past year. I assure myself that this reflection is the obligation of a reflective practitioner, however, I question whether dwelling on the things that could have been done better is productive. And certainly, I recognize that the saying "we are our toughest critic" is true!   

Growing up, teaching never jumped out to me. I never noticed it as a career opportunity or the career I would end up pursuing. Instead, I always thought on a bigger scale such as sports broadcasting or becoming a sports journalist. However, through many personal experiences and self-reflection, I eventually saw teaching as an ideal fit.

Happy New Year! Time is flying by, apparent as the calendar turns to February. Hopefully, you are on target and feeling success in maintaining any New Year resolutions you set.

Every year around the Christmas holiday when I hear the words to this famous carol, "making a list, checking it twice" I smile to myself. You see, I consider myself the queen of lists because I carefully create and re-create lists daily. Are you a list maker? Did you know that there are many reasons why people create lists?

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, showing appreciation for, and returning kindness. Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, it is impossible to negate the meaning of the holiday especially from the perspective of an educator.

Sometimes, in the day-to-day happenings of being a teacher it is easy to become overwhelmed when negative aspects of teaching come into focus. At those times I attempt to shift my thinking from the undesirable characteristics to the multitude of gifts that come from being a part of the teaching profession.

Happy New Year!  While I realize this is a phrase we use in January, not September, the start of a new school year does resemble the beginning of a new year in many ways. Teachers spent time in the summer exploring new subject matter they will teach. They may also have re-designed teaching strategies and practices to improve their personal and professional relationships with students and colleagues.

A few months ago, I helped teach a lesson about gender assumptions in the workforce. My students brainstormed a whole list of male-associated jobs: construction worker, bus driver, engineer. Not one suggested teacher.

It didn’t matter if the classroom was predominantly female, male, freshmen, upperclassmen. The answer always implied the same: I, a black man, wasn’t supposed to be in the classroom.

[MenTeach: Dr. Jill has been working to increase and retain men in her education program. She continues to have success at helping the young men graduate. You can find the other articles here.]

Graduation season is underway across the United States. Tears are shed, tassels are switched, and caps are thrown. Having graduated college myself a few days ago, I was prompted to reflect upon some of the most important people in my life – teachers. In particular, I chose to write a letter to one Mr. Cedric Magee, my sixth grade teacher, friend and role model.

[MenTeach: Dr. Jill has been working to increase and retain men in her education program. We asked her to write about her experiences as a woman facilitator. You can find the other articles here.]