Two first-year teachers find out they, like their students, have much to learn in the classroom.
By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published December 31, 2003
ST. PETERSBURG - Earl Morris' first challenge as a teacher came three weeks into the school year.
His principal at Ridgecrest Elementary School told him that an insufficient number of students had enrolled to justify the number of teachers she had hired. He and another teacher would have to go.
So, just before Labor Day, he introduced himself to a class of fifth-grade students at Fairmount Park Elementary School who had been under the direction of a substitute.
The transfer was a real-life lesson in flexibility - for the teacher, as well as the students, Morris said.
The former Marine Corps sergeant who had served on six continents and once commanded a platoon of 70 men became one of 179 new Pinellas County elementary teachers in August after completing his internship at Mount Vernon Elementary School. He quickly learned there is a world of difference between interning and teaching.
"As an intern, you know your deadline is three months," said Morris, 30. "As a teacher, you are there from the beginning to the end. You are accountable for a child's growth."
He also is realizing that what he learned at the University of South Florida won't always pan out in the classroom, especially when it comes to staying on schedule.
"You can learn good time management, but it's not going to work like that with kids," he said. "Not everyone is going to get it by a certain date. Out of the 24 kids you have, maybe half will understand (a lesson). You have to keep going back and showing them."
Morris has devised a few methods to make sure that none of his fifth-graders get left behind, especially in reading. He spends time explaining the difference between reading a story and comprehending a story, concentrating on the latter. He also removes the multiple choice options when the students are practicing for standardized tests because he thinks it forces them to read the story rather than guessing at the answers.
Above all, he asks them for their opinions and ideas. He was dismayed recently by their response when he asked if they had any suggestions for him.
"They told me, "You don't give us enough compliments,' " he said. "I had to say, "You're right.' I've been on them for months with their math. I have to remember we're not looking for perfection here."
Morris says his goal is to get better at walking the fine line between praise and discipline.
"A student can be hard to handle, but there is good in him," he said. "You have to let him know you are the adult, but that you are there to help him."
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Across town, Athian Early has been walking a similar path. The Florida native, who has lived in St. Petersburg since he was 4, began his career as a Pinellas County teacher in August at Pasadena Fundamental School.
Like Morris, he is learning what works and what doesn't work in the classroom. One of his discoveries is that mimicking other teachers is okay, but that developing an individual style works far better with children.
"It's all right to borrow from other teachers, but make sure you use your own style," he said. You have to put your own personality on it, like an artist would."
Early said he tries to make school fun for his 12 learning-disabled students, third- through fifth-graders who struggle with math and reading. In small group settings, he turns math lessons into simulated game shows and helps them make up phrases they can use to remember formulas and boost their reading comprehension.
"You've got to be a little playful with them," he said. "I use whatever it takes. If that doesn't work, I try something else."
His greatest reward has been hearing from the students' regular classroom teachers that the time they spend with him is helping them in their other subjects. He also has been surprised when children who are not learning-disabled ask if they can attend his class.
Early, who had been studying to become a lawyer before transferring to Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach to become a teacher, said he had heard horror stories from other teachers about the lack of school resources. He said he found a friendly atmosphere at Pasadena Fundamental that includes a staff of teachers who are always willing to help and a group of parents who are interested in their children's success.
Still, he said, there are difficult situations. Children sometimes approach him with problems that go beyond academics.
"They look up to us as mentors," he said. "We might not do brain surgery, but we do have these kids' lives in our hands. They are our responsibility."
Whether he is trying to fashion a creative way for a learning-disabled child to add fractions or soothing a child who is suffering from an emotional hurt, he thinks that remaining positive is the key.
"You have to praise kids," he said. "You always have to let them know they're doing a good job. You have to show them a lot of excitement when they get it so they will keep trying."
- Editor's note: In August, Neighborhood Times interviewed two recent college graduates who had been hired as new Pinellas County school teachers. We revisited them recently to find out how things are going a semester into their careers.
