I am a teacher…
I have always wanted to be a teacher. One of the main reasons is because I am passionate about helping other's find their purpose in life. We are all good at something, and we can all contribute to the world with our talents. If only someone recognized our talents and helped us hone it.
We might not all be good at literacy and numeracy but we can be good at creating and building.
We might not be good with our hands but we can be good at sports and physical activities.
We might not be strong physically but we can be good in music, drama, dance or visual arts.
We might not be creative and artistic but we might be good at technology and coding.
My dad was a teacher and I have always loved what he did as he taught students things they did not know before. My ambition since young was always to be a teacher as I too wanted to be like him to inspire others to discover something that enriches their life and others.
A teacher in New Zealand
I am a teacher…
As a primary school teacher in New Zealand, I have taught in the junior classes as well as the senior classes. Since we are generalist and not specialist, I teach all the subjects in the New Zealand curriculum and prepare for all these before school starts.
People envy my working hours as I am in the classroom officially teaching for less than 6 hours from around 9-3pm only Monday to Friday without needing to work during the weekends. I also have morning tea and lunch breaks and will only be on duty during some of these breaks to keep the students safe while they have some play.
Students often arrive at the classroom by 8.30am (some might be earlier than that) so I'm just required to be there by then. Since I do need to get ready before they arrive, my day in school starts before this time to either plan and prepare for the day or sometimes to have meetings either with other staffs or with parents but it's still not too early a start compared to some other jobs that begin before the sun rises.
Although class ends at 3pm, I may have staff meetings, team meetings, PLD sessions after school in addition to parent meetings and learning conferences or other school wide events like cultural, social and community events that happens after learning in the classroom has ended.
Some might argue that these are for my own development and are not mandatory, so I guess to some extent it is my own choice or the school's choice indeed and I probably don't have to meet parents or learn anything new to be a teacher, if I wanted to be just a teacher.
Plan, teach, track, assess and report
I am a teacher…
After all, as a teacher I just need to plan my lessons, teach the lessons, track individual students' progress, assess their learning and then report on the learning.
I plan, teach, track, assess and report on around 4 to 6 reading groups in a class.
I plan, teach, track, assess and report on around 4 to 6 writing groups in my class.
I plan, teach, track, assess and report on around 4 to 6 maths groups in my class.
I plan, teach, track, assess and report on inquiry, science, social science, technology and digital technology, arts, health and physical education, as well as tereo and teao Māori.
This means I just need time for planning and looking for resources to cater to not only the different levels in my class but also to their individual interests. I only need time to look for activities to support those needing extra support, as well as extension activities to extend others who are fast finishers.
It also means I just need time to write individualised reports that shows each student's strengths as well as their next steps. I also just need to be able to then execute and reflect on all these within the short amount of time that I have both in the classroom and out of the classroom.
All these are simply what I primarily do as a teacher.
So much more
I am a teacher…
Yes, I am a teacher who plans, teaches, tracks, accesses and reports, but I am so much more than just these. The roles that I take on as a teacher goes far beyond just these things to do with academics. This poster by BusyTeacher.org of the poem by Stacy Bonino sums up the many hats a teacher has.
I have been a technician trying to figure out why students can't sign in on their Chromebooks or to Google Classroom or any of their online learning websites.
I have been a producer, video director, editor and actress who have recorded videos for online learning over the past few years so learning can continue from home during the pandemic.
I have been a security guard sitting out in the field during one of my classroom release time (CRT) to look out for a student so he doesn't run out of the school boundary.
I have been a translater using gestures and non verbal cues to try to understand and communicate with students who don't know any English.
I have been a mediator helping students talk out their differences and see how they can work together despite being different.
I have been a bomb defuser as I regulate and disarm students who are like ticking bomb from exploding in the class.
I have been Spidermanglueing things back together with my sticky web (selotape and sticky tack are great friends of mine) - literally when things break, as well as figuratively when relationships need mending.
I have been Captain America shielding students from objects flying in the classroom and evacuating them safely when someone needs the space.
I have been The Hulk smashing down walls and barriers that prevent equality in education by providing various means and ways to access learning and to showcase their end product.
These all I have been and so much more because I am a teacher.
I am a teacher… because I care for my students and their whānau (family).
I am teacher… because I want to make a difference in people's lives and in this world.
I am a teacher… help me continue to be one.
Esther Koh is a primary school teacher living in Christchurch with her husband and two sons. She loves people and has a passion for helping others find their purpose for living.
Esther Koh’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/esther-koh.html