In the fall of 2023 I was honored to be nominated for 2024-2025 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). As part of the nomination process, each nominee submitted a collection of essays responding to various prompts related to their career, experiences, key educational issues, and Michigan schools overall. While the audience of each essay was the MTOY committee, it felt inauthentic to keep my ruminations private, languishing in a forgotten folder on my desktop. The opportunity to reflect on these questions and formulate my ideas was a wonderfully rewarding experience twelve years into my career, and one that I would like to share if for no other reason than to push myself to keep these ideas, and the process, at the forefront of my mind while I continue to engage in the deep work that is education.

Formatting note: Each essay was limited to no more than 2 pages, double spaced, size 12 font. My original drafts exceeded this by several multitudes, but I appreciated the exercise in concise expression.

MTOY Essay #4:

What encouragement and advice would you offer to an individual considering a teacher career?

Schooling is a vital institution that connects all members of our society, regardless of their background. It plays a significant role in shaping our formative years and creating a sense of familiarity. However, it is when we transition from being students to teachers that we truly understand the responsibility and excitement that comes with facilitating the learning of others.

Over a century ago, William James stated that “Psychology is a science, and teaching is an art.” According to James, the science of learning provides the rules, while teachers have the freedom to explore and utilize those rules creatively. Good teaching cannot be reduced to a step-by-step process or replicated from one experience to another. Each educator takes their own unique path to success.

Teaching requires creativity, discipline, ingenuity, and honesty. Teachers must establish a connection not only with the content they teach but also with their students. Exceptional teachers align their personal and professional beliefs and bring their own experiences and wisdom into the classroom. By doing so, they inspire creativity, passion, and curiosity in their students.

It can be daunting to consider the seemingly endless paths available to a new teacher as they begin the journey in the field of education. This is especially so when there is the pull to emulate one’s own experiences and attempt to mirror the great teacher’s of one’s past. However, it is the willingness to take risks and find one’s own path within the rules of the science of learning that can lead to exceptional learning opportunities. 

Clearly, one’s unique path cannot be prescribed for them. Instead, a new teacher must allow themselves the opportunity to try and to fail in their pursuit. In failing forward, a teacher will not only find their own space and path toward success, but instill in their students the important skills of perseverance and curiosity. To find this, a teacher should rely on the learner and the learning as their Northstar. 

It is easy to become overwhelmed or distracted by the noise or the instruments and tools that are available. However, if a teacher keeps their attention on the needs of the learner, and the pursuit of authentic and engaging learning, they will find a way to navigate the uncertainty that we all confront walking into that first classroom, on that first day, to face that ball of responsibility bursting with opportunity. 

Facilitating the learning of others is the greatest experience in the world, if nothing else because the ability to learn means the ability to unlock never ending opportunities. All students have the opportunity to change the world, it is the responsibility of teachers to provide them the necessary tools. 

Works Cited

James, W. (1899, February). Talks to Teachers on Psychology. The Atlantic.