Be the teacher of…

Teaching is

creative

As a teacher, I have a part in who children are going to become.

“I’ve learned that to be creative in my own profession, I imagined the classroom as a studio. I learned that my room doesn’t have to be this traditional, quiet, still, constantly controlled space.. The best feedback I get about my job is from my students. When I see their excited faces lined up ready to enter the studio, when they explain their art to me with enthusiasm, and I have a number of students telling me they want to be art teachers when they grow up – that’s all the validation I need to know that I am proud to be an educator!”

–Bee Lee, Elementary Visual Arts Specialist at Emmet D. Williams Elementary School

Teaching is

evolving

Teaching is evolving to be more personal and engaging than ever.

“Over the last 30 years, teaching has changed dramatically, especially with advancements in technology, shifting societal expectations, and change in policy. When I started teaching, I used overhead projectors and tape recorders—tools students today wouldn’t even recognize. Now, we have one-on-one digital devices, interactive whiteboards, online learning, and podcasts, all requiring teachers to develop digital fluency. These tools make lessons more personal and engaging, benefiting students, including special education and English learners.”

Dr. Elia Dimayuga-Bruggeman, Senior Education Advisor at Project Success

Teaching is

teamwork

This experience is unlike any profession. You have to have people.

“We do everything we can, and we constantly talk about ways we can communicate with parents and be more transparent, because if we’re transparent about what we’re doing and what their child is experiencing in the classroom, they can understand that we just truly want them to succeed.”

Sarah Lancaster (right), 3rd grade teacher at Onamia Primary School

“Find your people that have similar experiences so you can share about them and find people who have gone before you so they can advise you. And find people who have not started the journey yet, so you can hopefully be one of the people that they look to in a few years or even that year or even that week. Because this experience is unlike any other profession. And you have to have people. You have to have people.”

Cyndi Martin (left), 3rd grade teacher at Onamia Primary School