Not My First Choice
- Rosetta Mandisa
- Oct 29, 2020
- 3 min read
Becoming an educator was not my first choice! In high school I remember telling my guidance counselor that I wanted to go to Hillman University! I wanted to go there to study how to make commercials and to experience college just like those kids on A Different World. My guidance counselor was so sweet. She patiently explained to me that although going to college was a good thing, Hillman University was a fictional place on tv and if I wanted to make commercials I’d need to seek a business degree in advertising.
Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com
With her help I applied to eight colleges in California. I had no idea HBCU’s even existed and I wasn’t at all certain about going to college out of state. Coming up on graduation in the Spring of 1991, I received seven acceptance letters. I chose to stay close to home to attend San Francisco State University. Heading into my second year, I found out I was pregnant with my son. I made the decision to take a job with Veteran’s Administration and to put off a semester of school. Even after my son was born I was determined to finish college. I knew that in order to provide a good life for him, the one thing I’d need was an education. So I spent years going to college part time in pursuit of my business degree. I was going to make commercials!
When my son started second grade, life shifted for us. My once bright, happy, intelligent little boy became sad, withdrawn and absolutely hated school. After finding that his teacher was causing him to have a terrible educational experience and practically being dared by my father, I changed my major from business to education.
July 28, 2020 began my fifteenth year as an educator. While teaching has always had its challenges, I and many educators across this country go in to work each day focused on doing what is best for the students sitting in desks in front of us. Many states and districts require us to continue our education long after we’ve left college. We are required to take many in-service trainings to stay on top of trends, new educational practices, methods and concepts. We take these trainings, add specialized areas of education to our certifications and even seek graduate degrees.
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
Yeah, we complain and get frustrated not because of our students but mostly because of the impossible situations our districts and administrators put on our shoulders. The one thing we have not learned in all of our training is how to teach effectively in a pandemic! I recently heard an administrator say, ” just be patient, we are learning to build the plane while we fly it.” That didn’t help me to feel better. In fact it made me even more anxious and stressed.
Teachers are teaching on campus, online, simultaneously, in hybrid situations, in small group, whole group and who knows what else simply trying to ensure that children are educated. I can not tell you the things I’ve seen and heard during my online sessions with students. I can only imagine the horror my student must be feeling at times knowing that I’ve seen or heard something they’d much rather I not. I don’t know what the right solution is because every situation, state, county and district is different. What I do know is that to make it through we all need honesty, transparency and most of all patience.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Even when I think back to my first year of teaching at an inner-city school where there were fights breaking out everyday, it was nothing compared to teaching in 2020. This has, by far, been my toughest year as an educator. We have just started our second nine weeks and I am wondering if I will make it to the end of the school year. Teaching is not just what I do, it’s who I am. I was born to educate and I am really good at it! I am praying daily for peace, clarity and stable mental health for myself and my colleagues near and far who are trying to make it possible in a near impossible situation.
Blessings to educators everywhere. My thoughts and prayers truly are with you…:)
Comments