Category Archives: guest post

Posted on

The Influence of A Good Teacher: A Tribute to Mrs. Joan Francis

Guest post by Theresa Welch, Wired Educator Squad Member

They say that the influence of a good teacher can’t be erased.  Recently I found out that my fifth grade teacher passed away and those words truly apply here.

It was 1991 and the world was a different place.  We rode in our friends’ moms’ minivans to field trips (and may or may not have worn seatbelts).  Videos in class were rare occurrences and they were on these big black boxes called VHS (insert millennial doing a Google image search here).  And I was in fifth grade at St. Lawrence School in Shelton, Connecticut.

Mrs. Francis was the teacher everyone talked about and loved.  She made social studies come alive.  Her classes were filled with laughter and smiles.  The irony is that thirty years later (author gasps as she writes that!), I couldn’t much tell you about the content of the academic classes she taught me.  But I can tell you that she made learning fun and made me want to keep learning.  Before there was a movie Jurassic Park, she had the book on her desk and was telling us about this exciting story of a world where dinosaurs return.  She moved to the beach and we took a field trip TO. HER. HOUSE.  Yes, you read that right.  Not only did I know where my teacher lived, we went there as a whole class of rambunctious 10 and 11 year old Catholic school kids!  We found snails and dug in the sand and all made it back to school in one piece!

When my life long friend texted me that Mrs. Francis had passed, I was heartbroken.  I was friends with her on social media and went to her profile.  In it she wrote: “I enjoyed every class and every subject AND EVERY CHILD.”  That passion was apparent to me as a child and even more so now as both and adult and teacher.  As I was reading the text, I heard my teenage son watching Cheers on TV and the familiar words of its theme song, “Sometimes you want to go; where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came, you want to be where you can see, our troubles are all the same, you want to be where everybody knows your name.”  Mrs. Francis knew all our names.  She remembered and befriended many alumni of our school on social media.  She commented on pictures of our kids and our live’s accomplishments.  But most importantly, she helped lay the foundation for a love of learning and enthusiasm for life for so many of us.

I can imagine that there aren’t many readers of the Wired Educator blog that had the honor of knowing Mrs. Francis.  But I know that you each have a Mrs. Francis in your life.  If you are lucky enough to still be in contact or can get in contact, send them a note of appreciation.  My challenge to you is that even if you cannot find your teacher to thank, strive to be that teacher for your students.  Be the teacher that they will remember 30 years from now and fondly remember that time when…

Posted on

Guest Post: Lessons from the Library of a Parrothead

a guest post by Theresa Welch

 

I’m a big Jimmy Buffet fan, sometimes called Parrotheads.  One wouldn’t normally think that there are many lessons for teachers to be garnered from the man who has built a career helping us escape to Margaritaville (fan fact – Escape to Margaritaville was the name of one of his Broadway musicals).  But in fact, one of the messages that runs through many of his songs is one that I think teachers can learn a lot from: the concept of songlines and our stories.

I may be a bit biased, but I think that Jimmy Buffet is not only a great entertainer but also a great storyteller.  During the pandemic, he teamed up with his daughter to bring fans “Songs You Don’t Know By Heart” – a play on his album “Songs You Know By Heart”.  These lesser known deep cuts are interviews that his daughter Delaney did with him about these songs.  One of those songs is called “Love in the Library”.

In that interview, Jimmy talks of his love of reading and how his mother instilled that love in him at a young age.  He tells of how she encouraged him and his sister to read to learn of the world beyond Mississippi where they grew up.  We as teachers do the same – we want books to be the windows to the world for our students.

But the Bits of Buffet wisdom don’t end there.  In his book A Pirate Looks at Fifty and in the song “Far Side of the World”, Jimmy talks of songlines – an Aboriginal concept that encompasses the narrative of the world and connects us all.  These are the stories that aren’t just the windows to the world, but the connections between us all.

Ok, so where am I going with all this and how does it relate to teaching and us as teachers?  Easy – we are the ones who not only share stories with students, but with each other.  Our stories matter and can inspire or discourage others.  I for one have had people whose stories terrified me and changed my career trajectory (Algebra 2 in high school – still get chills!) while others with a gentle word (thank you, Professor Shteirman) helped inspire me to grow as a professional. 

As you read this I challenge you to find a way to share your story.  Find a colleague to share a story with – even if it is not education related.  Build those connections with your coworkers.  Seek out other teachers who can share their stories with you.  A great place to share and connect stories is social media.  Share a post with the tag #wirededucator and share your favorite teaching story or memory.  Share an idea.  It is what we do as teachers – we share ourselves.

Whether we’ve been teaching for 2 days, 2 months or 20 or more years, we each have stories that we can share that can help to inspire others.  Share your story.  Listen to others.  Let’s allow these stories to help build each other up and encourage others.  And then let’s allow those stories we hear to become a part of our own songline.

Posted on

Finding the Calm in the Chaos, Five Tips for Educators

A Guest Blog Post by Theresa Welch

Finding the Calm in the Chaos

My eight-year-old daughter asked me the other day, what “this” time is like in terms of other times in my life.  It was difficult to explain to her that it is unlike anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime or her grandparents have experienced in theirs.  These are truly new and can be for some, scary times.

Teachers are moving to remote or distance learning.  Parents are moving to work from home models.  Students are navigating a whole new world of learning without the proximity of their teachers and friends.  And all of us are coping with the physical separation from loved ones and friends.  It certainly makes for a stressful situation for all.

But we are teachers and we are flexible!  How many times have you had to pivot a lesson because it didn’t go as planned?  Well, think of this as the Guinness Book of World Records record holder for a pivot!  And here are some tips so help you handle that pivot like an NBA star:

1.) Set up hours.  We don’t teach twenty-four hours a day – why do we think that we need to be logged in/creating/doing for that amount of time?  Personally, I’m trying to create realistic hours and stick to them.  Once I clock out, I take walks with my family, crochet, or try to do something to help me recharge my batteries.  As the saying goes, “put on your oxygen mask first”.  If we don’t take care of ourselves, we risk burning out during this new endeavor.

2.) Be gentle with students, be gentle with yourself.  This is new to EVERYONE!  In my district, students and many teachers are learning a new platform during this chaotic time.  We are frantically trying to deploy devices and get everyone on board.  But, like I tell teachers – we are all in this together!  Be patient with students and their families who are just as worried as we are.  Be patient with colleagues that reach out to you for help.  And most of all, be patient with yourself.  This certainly isn’t where any of us planned to be in the school year, but we can’t change it, only deal with it.

3.) Enjoy the change of pace.  I don’t know if you’re like me, but I am usually rushing out the door after getting my daughter on the bus, coffee in my travel mug, and praying that there is no traffic!  All of a sudden, most of our commutes have been DRASTICALLY shortened.  Enjoy the coffee in a real mug!  Sit with your kids, dog, or even a good book at breakfast.  Maybe even use that extra time in the morning to get some exercise in (#wired2run anyone???)

4.) Enjoy the change of scenery.  In addition to having a change to the pace of our day, the scenery sure has changed too!  I never taught a library class looking out my front window as neighbors strolled by.  I never did a read aloud from my deck.  And I certainly never had the joy of my dog’s company as I taught.  Enjoy the fact that work truly has all the comforts of home for the time being!  

5.) Don’t forget to laugh.  I am a big fan of Jimmy Buffet and there is a line in one of his songs, “If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.”  If there was ever a time where this is applicable, this is it!  Enjoy a meme, an episode of your favorite sitcom, or a cheesy joke with a friend.  One from my son to get you started (full disclosure – 13-year-old boy joke): What is the German word for constipation? Far-from-poopen!

I know that the uncertainty of this time makes us all uneasy.  But I am a firm believer in trying to find the good in the situation.  Try to find those moments of calm or laughter as you go throughout your day.  And don’t forget that we are all in this together!

Be safe, be well, you’ve got this!

Theresa Welch