Image courtesy Pixabay

My life and perspective changed a year ago when I was named Sarasota County Teacher of the Year and soon after selected as one of five finalists for the 2023 Florida Teacher of the Year. 

It was overwhelming when local and state leaders wanted to hear what I had to say about what’s important in education. Throughout an extremely active year filled with unanticipated developments, I have been keenly cognizant of my responsibility to use my role and voice to advocate for students and colleagues.

As we prepare to announce the next district educator who will receive this recognition, I am grateful for the valuable opportunities the role afforded to have my voice heard as I endeavor to inform the public about what I see as education’s serious challenges—and successes—that affect our entire community, not only those laboring and learning in classrooms. 

A big challenge is the widely held and unchallenged assumption students come to school ready and willing to learn. Teachers know better, which is why we spend at least the first two weeks of each school year prepared for students who aren’t ready or willing when they arrive on campuses. Technological distractions, socio-economic status, family dynamics and early education levels are among the factors. 

I am an expert in history education. I am not a mental health counselor or therapist, nor are most of my teaching colleagues. We are subject matter experts, but we have to watch verbal and non-verbal cues to be on guard for students who tend to tune out. We need the community—our village—to recognize this challenge, and step forward and help get students ready and willing to learn. 

“Making your voice heard” is at the heart of teaching my sixth-grade students to find and access tools they need to be competent and confident in voicing their conclusions. Students don’t come to my social studies class knowing how to ask questions, cross-check multiple sources and find valid and legitimate accounts. Most of their prior knowledge of history is limited to names of dead people and dates of historical events. 

By the time they leave my class, they know how to look behind the obvious and find the significance and how to navigate sources. They learn perspectives of certain time periods can evolve as more information is brought to light, and figures in history books were a lot like people today—real people, part hero and part ordinary, sometimes even part villain. 

Most importantly, my students know their voices and the conclusions they reach are valued. When they have the tools to be confident to use their voices at age 12, they continue to use their voices as adults. 

As I see it, a big challenge with teachers and administrators is the need for more mentoring and coaching. We don’t have enough people in our schools to serve all the new people moving to Florida. We need more support. I have been fortunate to witness effective educator mentoring in Sarasota County schools, but that level of coaching doesn’t exist in all parts of the state. We must do a better job encouraging teachers and administrators who are competent but struggling and feeling burned out. 

Get into our schools. Come spend time with us and see for yourselves the magic that happens when students engage in learning. Come on Veterans Day when students see real heroes, not comic book fiction. Judge the science fair. Have fun with us on popcorn day. Put your arms around our schools and realize we are creating a future generation that needs to be engaged in meaningful and purposeful roles in the community. Help us build engaged citizens by letting students know they are part of a greater community that supports them. 

The myriad challenges before us are not anyone’s fault. They exist because of the times in which we live and the life experiences that shape us. But if we allow life experiences to close our minds, we will struggle to understand the human existence and impact on one another. We will cease to hear each other’s voices. We cannot let that happen. 

My role won’t end this month. I will continue to advocate for teaching, learning and history education. I will continue being an instructional coach, lifting up and building confidence in new teachers, and reaching out to students to help them feel valued and find their voices.

Dr. Jennifer Jaso is the 2022 Sarasota County Teacher of the Year.

Image courtesy Pixabay