Making an impact: Patrick Riley, a rare male presence in early education, inspires Helena’s youngest learners
By Daniel Locke – Shelby Reporter – Alabama
At the center of it all is Patrick Riley, smiling and listening. In a field where women make up the overwhelming majority, Riley stands out, not just because he’s a man, but also because of the heart he brings to Helena’s tiniest students.
One of the biggest things Riley hopes his students learn from having a male teacher at a young age is that kindness and gentleness are important traits for male role models to have.
“I hope they see that men can be nurturing too,” he said. “You can do both. You can do manly things, but also be nurturing, kind and gentle at the same time.”
Growing up as the son of two teachers, Riley felt called to a career in education from a young age. He began volunteering as an after-school care aide, originally assisting with fourth-and fifth-grade students. After assisting with the kindergarten-and first-grade unit, he was fascinated by their reading ability and how those skills are developed.
“That’s what really got me into it,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what grade, but I knew I wanted to teach those younger grades. I did my first two years in first grade; then I was asked if I wanted to come down to kindergarten, and I loved it. 20 years later, here we are.”
One thing that stands out to him about elementary students is their enthusiasm coming into the classroom each day. The environment is hard to beat, making the learning process more fun.
“I like these people—they’re fun,” Riley said. “Everyone here wants to learn. They still love school. I just like the excitement and energy that’s in the elementary level that you might lose as you get older.”
While he enjoys being around his students, one of Riley’s favorite parts of Helena Elementary School is the staff he gets to work with each day.
“We all work together,” he said. “We share responsibilities. We all pitch in. That makes it a lot easier when you’re not trying to do it all on your own. Everyone is looking out for what’s best for the kids. That just makes it a lot more fun and a better place to be.”
Despite being the teacher, Riley learns a good amount from his students. Whether it’s the persistence they show or the willingness to try new things, he is frequently inspired by the students in his care.
His favorite lesson from them, however, is the love they willingly show to those around them.
“How free they are with their love and speaking has benefited me and showed me that we can do that too,” Riley said. “I feel like we get cautious as we age. Maybe we’ve been hurt; maybe we’ve expressed love to people that haven’t expressed it back. They’re so free with that.”
Many adults find the idea of being in charge of 20 5 or 6-year-olds exhausting, but kindergarten teachers need to come in prepared to be there for them on a daily basis. No matter what is going on in their lives, they show up and put their students’ needs above all else at all times.
Having a plan in place makes a world of difference in how a classroom functions, particularly on days when teachers have multiple things to handle at one time.
“Preparation, that’s what I learned right away,” Riley said. “Those kids are looking to you for what to do. It’s preparing stuff for them to do, even if it’s playing. Give them choices before it’s chaos. The day goes a lot smoother if I’m prepared.”
A difficult aspect of early education is catering to the specific learning styles of each student, when they don’t know what works best for them yet. This gives teachers of this age group the important task of truly getting to know each student, something Riley tries to accomplish quickly after the start of each school year.
“You’re checking in with students all the time to see what they’re picking up and learning and tracking that over time,” he said. “You have 20 different kids and 20 different personalities; you learn pretty quickly what works for somebody and what doesn’t. All kids are different—you have to learn who they are besides just teaching them.”
Unlike most professions or even teachers of higher-grade levels, elementary school teachers are required to be focused at all times. That constant stimulation can be tiring, but something as simple as driving home in a quiet car can provide a release for Riley and help him prepare for the next day.
“The challenging part is being ‘on’ all day,” he said. “I have to stay engaged. I’m talking a lot, and I’m hearing a lot, too.”
While he might only be involved with them on a day-to-day basis for a short time, Riley is passionate about seeing his students continue to grow after their time in his classroom comes to an end.
He hopes to leave a lasting impact on the students he encounters, and being told he has done so is his favorite part of his job.
“Teaching kindergarten, we don’t see a lot of the finished product,” Riley said. “We can see improvement over the year, which is awesome. Some of the sweetest moments are when kids come back after they’ve left my class or when I see them at a football game or something. I’ve had kids write a note and give it to somebody on the bus to give to me. I got a Facebook message from somebody that was in my class forever ago, saying they were going into teaching. Hearing from previous students really is rewarding.”
While many students have been positively impacted by having Riley as a teacher, the administrators and faculty he teams up with are positively impacted by his presence as well.
“Patrick Riley is the true definition of a team player,” Helena Elementary Principal Holly Laney said. “He brings a positive attitude to every situation, and it is clear how deeply he cares for his students and their well-being. Even with years of experience, his enthusiasm for teaching has never faded—he remains energized, engaged and fully invested in the daily joys and challenges of kindergarten life. Helena Elementary is a better place because he is part of our school family.”
More than two decades into his career, some people are still surprised to find out Riley teaches kindergarten, even making jokes about him being there as a disciplinary figure.
“They are, but I love that,” Riley said. “People are surprised; they always make the kindergarten cop joke or something like that, but I don’t mind. I really like it a lot.”
While he hears that joke frequently, any of his current or former students would be quick to tell you there’s nothing to be afraid of in Mr. Riley’s classroom.