Teaching in a Pandemic Reflection Series (Clarksdale)

Kristy Sanchez, Parker Nail, Mikayla Peters, Blake Sibley, & Langley Dunn

The following is from an interview with Kristy Sanchez, Parker Nail, Mikayla Peters, Blake Sibley, and Langley Dunn. They all entered MTC in 2019, and all of them are currently teaching in the Clarksdale Municipal School District.

1. WHAT DREW YOU TO JOIN THE MISSISSIPPI TEACHER CORPS?

Kristy: I’ve always been interested in poverty and education, and how they’re connected. I grew up going to Title I schools. My parents were low-income. I was very lucky in that I had a lot of opportunities in school and got to go to college. I saw a lot of my peers not get the same opportunities, so I was interested in why that happened for some and not others. And so, I was working at the university call center contacting recent graduates during my last year at UF, and happened to call Tyler Jump, a UF and MTC alum, and he informed me about MTC. I then told him that I was definitely interested, he said, “I’ll put in a good word for you.” The rest is history. 

Langley: I was interested in being a teacher, and I had played around with the idea throughout college. After searching, I found MTC, and I got attached to the idea of doing it. Even though it's an alternative route program, it does a good job of encouraging people to be invested in their communities and stay there. MTC also does a good job of educating its participants about what it takes to responsibly do the job we signed up to do. I really appreciated that. That’s why I ended up with MTC, and it has been a wonderful decision.

Mikayla: At the time I first found MTC, I was finishing my masters thesis. I knew I eventually wanted to earn a PHD, but I thought it would be beneficial to get some teaching experience first. I think I applied to both MTC & TFA; and I got the interview so much quicker with MTC. MTC’s entire process really stuck out to me more than anything else. It was very relaxed interview, and everyone was friendly, open, and clearly passionate. Other interviews weren’t the same way. MTC felt like a family of very passionate people who were going to be very involved in the whole process. I think for me, that drew me to this program more than any other one. 

Parker: I think majoring in public policy had an impact on my desire to give back to the community. At first I wanted to go to Washington DC to work on Capitol Hill, but I’ve found that doors typically close for a reason. In my last semester at UM, Dr. Taylor came and spoke about the program in one of my classes. I talked to him afterwards, and obviously he had made a very big impression on me that day. I also knew a few participants at the time and it seemed like the right fit in terms of my next step. If DC wasn’t going to work, this was a chance to give back to a community in a field I was passionate about.

Blake: I want to mirror what Langley said. For me teaching was never something that I thought about doing while in school. It was more of something that I became passionate about while teaching English in Korea. When I came back to America, I was looking at different alternate route teaching programs. What drew me to MTC was how it seemed like a more well-rounded education. I knew I would become a better teacher. I was also drawn into the community involvement side of MTC. The more that you learn about your community the better of a teacher you can be. That’s not something that a lot of other alternative certification programs emphasize.

2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING LIKE IN MTC?

Mikayla: The first year was a lot. Starting with the summer, it felt like we had a nice little group and every day we’d get on that bus, stay up late at night, and make the lesson plans. You came to rely on that group,and then everyone is at different schools, placements and vehicles. It was a big shock, because I felt that loss of community almost instantly. My roommates were in MTC, but our schedules were just different. There was not that same “we’re doing the exact same thing as in summer school” feeling. So the first couple of weeks in Clarksdale it was a lot. It was really overwhelming. I felt like I had no idea what to expect. I started teaching one text every class similar to summer school, and it was way too much for my students. It took me until October or early November when I would write lesson plans for the entire week. Being okay for some classes to go a little bit off the rails and then you have to get them on track. In January, we got a consultant, and that was amazing. He made sure we were working on one skill a week. I had this feeling like I’m teaching so many standards, so having a consultant in January was so nice and helpful. This helped me calm down. Just as I was getting comfortable with that, pandemic. We’re not coming back to school for a while. It was kind of confusing, because not everyone was familiar with online teaching. It felt like summer started in March. I didn’t really know what that looked like on the student side of things. Coming back to school this year felt way better; but last year was just so new and hard to remember all of the stuff we learned in summer school. 

Kristy: The first year was full of firsts for everything. It was extremely challenging. You’re doing everything for the first time, and you’re an outsider to a new community. But it was also incredible and amazing. I fell in love with teaching. I had a purpose and I went in to work excited to do my job. It was a lot though. I don't want to undersell that. It was exhausting. But there is nowhere else I’d want to be either.

Parker: I think for most of us the first year it was just a whirlwind of emotion. You’re often upset for no reason. The sky was blue today and I’m mad. There’s just so much to learn about compartmentalising your emotions while also learning to manage the seemingly endless responsibilities you may be experiencing for the first time. It oftentimes feels like you’re drowning. But you also have supports in place. The program was huge. Being able to come in on Saturday’s to hear other people’s experiences was huge. You come to rely on those support systems to get you through the good and bad. But as soon as we got to spring break last year, the world was ending. It just kind of - everything fell apart. So the first year for me was much like being the middle of a tornado. And then for it to end the way it did, there was no satisfaction in that. I think it truly an unprecedented experience. 

Langley: Last year was a complex experience, and if I had to choose one word to describe it I’d go with humbling. I was trying to think through how to teach my students and all of the complexity with that. You have a high number of kids who come to the classroom and bring their own uniqueness, and at the same time you’re trying to learn how to read a poem. But I do love my job. I feel like I’m looking forward to getting more and more comfortable with teaching as the years go on. I saw a lot of flashes on how wonderful of a job this really is when you get good at it.

Blake: All I can say about my first year is that I’m glad I had the summer school experience, and I’m glad that I had some in-class experience beforehand. There's a lot of nervousness with trying new things, especially teaching. It can be overwhelming. Summer school really prepared us. Without that first year, the rollercoaster ride would have had a lot more downs than ups. You’d have people check on you from our cohort, and then you’d have Dr. Taylor give you a call and see how you’re doing. You’d be at your lowest low, and then there would be Dr. Taylor to pick you up. I had all of these plans on how to improve as a teacher and then COVID hit. The rest of the year was spent adapting. 

3. HOW WAS THIS PAST SUMMER?

Blake: Obviously, this past summer was completely different than the first summer. I had really enjoyed the nights out we had spent together and the cookouts. You couldn’t do that this past summer. The camaraderie aspect took a hit. I felt like last year I knew a lot of the second-years. I felt more open to going to the second-years for help. All of them, even the ones outside of my subject area, were accessible. And then this year, I don’t know a lot of the first-years. I’m sure a big part of that is the online aspect of this year. I do think the program did a great job this past summer of preparing us for an online setting. Our class was able to gain a lot from it. I was able to learn about tools I had never used before, like Nearpod. The one concern about the summer I had was the classroom management part of it. Getting experience with that was a lot harder to do than last year. I missed playing a part of the role-play scenarios, too. Overall, it was a great experience.

Langley: I know that for the first year the summer school experience got to focus more on the pedagogical aspect of teaching, while our first summer was focused on management. That wasn’t necessary this year, so they got coached on instructional strategies more, which I think probably benefited them a lot more. 

Kristy: I think it was gratifying to be a part of something that MTC put together so quickly. It was received pretty well by parents and students too. And also just being a second-year in the program you’re now the expert to the first-years. Ha! It was also very gratifying to reflect and see how much you learned when you get to pass along your advice to the first years. It was very exciting to be a second-year in summer school. It’s the place to be. 

Mikayla: I know Blake touched on the idea of not knowing as many of the first-years, but I got to know some specific first-years a lot deeper. I’m just speaking for me on this though. I feel like the first-years we had this year, we’d have a lot of evening meetings this past summer. We got to have these chats and get to know them on a personal level. It wasn’t totally focused on what are you doing right and here’s what you can do better. It was more of here’s who you are as a person, and here is what we’re doing in the classroom.

Parker: I was so excited to be a second-year, but unfortunately it was under some odd circumstances. However, I felt like I saw a lot more engaging lessons in the most recent summer than the first one. For example, I remember Ms. Menard doing one of the most creative lessons I’d ever seen, and it was due to the online format that allowed her to do an amazing instagram activity. So I saw a lot of benefit to the way the summer school was put together. The one area I would say they're lacking in is camaraderie with the second years. You think of those times when we first and second years met up at various places around Oxford to just unwind and all of the constant communication between us all on how we can help each other - mental help, lesson help, etc.. It made it almost better to be in an environment like that. Overall, it was a great experience for the students, and it prepared the first-years for what they needed this year.

4. WHAT HAS THIS FALL SEMESTER BEEN LIKE FOR YOU AS A TEACHER?

Kristy: I would say that this fall has been another semester of firsts, but different than the first year. It’s not like we’re completely new but it has a new set of challenges. Everything we came up with last year must be changed if you want to use it again. I don’t like change; and once I get in a groove in my classroom, that’s what I stick with. So I had to change a lot. New sets of rules, procedures, how to engage them better. At the same time, there’s a different confidence because I knew my colleagues, older students, and the procedures at the school. 

Langley: I would echo what Kristy said about feeling more comfortable about my school. I’ll be frank though, this year for me has been pretty frightening. I love being in my classroom - it’s just, Covid is a frightening thing. It’s been kind of heavy, being scared myself a lot of the time and with all of the uncertainty that it brings, and also knowing that my students are experiencing the same thing—and also, amidst all this, trying to teach in a way that is transparent and as real to them as I can be through a computer. All of that emotion that is on both sides. I’m being the adult and the teacher, when things are scary in a way that I have not experienced before, as well as trying to be there for my students. I have been able to see some students in the classroom for our hybrid schedule, and I’ve been so grateful for the connections with my students, despite the difficulty that this season has brought. 

Parker: I think for me this fall semester has been an interesting one because I have learned a lot about myself - just my ability to provide quality instruction in a virtual classroom. I feel like I've grown a lot. I’ve had other teachers be a great support for me, and I feel like I’ve gotten to a comfortable place where my teacher persona has come to life. I feel like I’m in a good groove, but this fall has been special to me because the learning curve is no longer there. I finally feel like when a student has a problem/question, I know the answer. I’m the guy who can fix it. All in the first year, every other day I had to ask somebody about something. My classroom always had a problem. I was the person who always needed help and the last to be informed. I finally feel like I’ve gotten to a point where I’m comfortable and in a good place.

Mikayla: I definitely think this fall has been incredibly strange. Last year, I was a first-year teacher who needed help with everything to the person who knows everything because I’m young and knows technology. Links, Google, Zoom, I’m this semi-IT person and instructional strategies coach where it’s put me in this weird situation where I still need help, but I’m also that teacher who helps others navigate technology tools. It’s just a very weird place to be as a second-year. 

Blake: My response mirrors what the others have said. Definitely the confidence thing. When something went wrong last year, I’d have to go next door to ask for help. We know what we’re doing now. We had the summer school experience which helped us see some of the potential problems that might occur during the school year. There’s obviously a lot of bad with COVID, but I’m on top of things so much more this year. Parent contact has been better. We also had a schedule change to block, so I’ve found that I’m able to put more effort into my planning. I found that last year I was able to make connections with the topics I was teaching. I have more time to put those connections in my lessons. I’m planning two or three lessons a week, where last year I was planning five lessons a week. With the increased confidence and the technology training that we had during the summer, I feel better about so many things. I hope my students can benefit from this as well.

5. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES (THE OVERALL COMMUNITY) DURING THIS TIME?

Langley: Last year, I was so focused on delivering a lesson that was in any way beneficial to the kids in the classroom. The other parts of teaching, parental contact and what not, I neglected. I have to do those things this year, which is a big help. Sometimes giving a parent a call can be a little bit intimidating, but with a lot of the parents I learn a lot about my students that I wouldn’t necessarily have known otherwise. I found out yesterday, for example, that one of my students plays the drums really well, and I found that out from his grandfather. What I’ve learned is that as MTC participants we’re in this strange situation where we’re outsiders that are invited in to do a pretty intimate job. But reaching out to parents and forming relationships with families—it makes the job that much more rewarding when you’re able to focus on the closeness that can come by asking just a few simple questions.

Kristy: What I’ve learned is that the parents and the overall community are invested in their students' education; and the kids, parents, and community will rise to the occasion when needed. Especially when they’re given the proper tools; but even when not, they will. I always knew this, but was even more aware this year that they are well aware of the inequalities that persist in the community, but they are more than willing to rise to the occasion to do what needs to be done.

Mikayla: I feel like it’s a lot easier to challenge student ideas when it’s virtual. I’m reading texts a lot more. I’m able to read more diverse texts this year, and it’s not going to count against them. But If I was going to read these texts out loud in person, someone could say something inappropriate, etc. Whereas in virtual learning, you can mute this kind of thing. I’m also able to have deeper conversations with students about these texts and challenge certain ideas that many of them have. It’s so much easier to have private conversations without them worried about who is walking by them in the hallways. It’s helped me develop those personal relationships that wouldn’t have been possible in a traditional setting.

Parker: The one word that I’d use to describe my students is resilience. I’ve sent students online texts, documents that fail time and time again, and the students will stay on the call and patiently work through all of these technical difficulties with me. I’m so grateful for this. I’ve also seen this in parents where I had one who had called me about a student’s absences. I couldn’t necessarily get the absences taken away so I had to get the office involved, which proved a slower process than the parent was hoping. This ended up being like a week-long process, and the parent had called me twice during this period but she was so nice. She just wanted updates. We worked through it and at the end of the week we were able to accomplish what we wanted. Students and parents have been so resilient and they realize that things aren’t going to happen at the snap of a finger. I see a community that has sacrificed so much and yet continues to move forward. 

Mikayla: To add to that, I’ve seen so much more gratitude from students. I’ve had so many messages saying, “Hey Ms. Peters, we just wanted to thank you for...this.” I’ve had a lot of students do this. And I did similar things last year. I just don’t remember students saying thank you. Now, it’s just a regular thing, and they're so grateful because they also realize that this time period is rough on teachers too.

Blake: Yeah, your first year it’s like you’re swimming, and you’re swimming really badly. Parent communication gets put on the back end, and this year has awakened for a lot of teachers just how important contacting students and parents is. Even in my past work in Korea, I never liked talking on the phone. But this year, you can’t get around it. You have to contact parents. It made me realize just how much parents really are invested. This year I also realize more than ever how much parents have on their plates. They may have multiple kids and multiple jobs that they are balancing. I want to make it a priority of contacting parents from here on out. It not only helps them in the classroom, but it also helps with their trust in you. They know you really care about them. 

6. WHO HAVE YOU LEANED ON FOR SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME?

Parker: I think in that first year I very heavily leaned on second years like Jack Horan. But because of the pandemic, I didn’t get to see many of them like I had before. So I had to double down on my alternate support, which for me was multiple teachers on my hallway. You have the other history teachers on my hallway that have been my rock when I needed it most. Our hallway has always had a way of building strong relationships, but with the pandemic we truly came together more than ever before.  They’ve also been a big means of support in my personal life; and really last year, we didn’t have time for that. Now, we have an hour of free time or so if there is no faculty meeting at the end of the day to utilize for rapport building. Ricky Fields, Brett Wilson, and Mr. Wright - they’ve been there for me to the moon and back.

Mikayla: I think to echo what Parker is saying a lot of the support comes from other teachers in the school. I really don’t have as much of a connection with others in MTC. When we first moved to Clarkdsale, I connected with a lot of people in TFA. We play DND together - it’s just this fun game that we get to do and take a break. Obviously, I live with my fiancée who teaches Math here. We get to come home and lesson plan, but we can also just relax and play video games. I think that is really necessary in this pandemic. Every weekend we’re going to Tennessee, and we’re taking hikes. We’re not having to worry about lesson plans or things like that. It’s nice to have that break. 

Langley: The other English teacher at my school—she’s amazing. I would not be able to do it without her. I teach at the ninth grade academy, so it’s very insular, and we share resources and co-plan. We knew that this year was going to be difficult going in, and it’s been so nice to have that relationship. We joke and have fun, and I’m so grateful that my relationships with my co-workers have developed really well.

Kristy: Yeah, I’ll echo similar things. Every school and district has their unique challenges, but no one knows your school’s chaos better than you and your teammates. That’s been nice to get so close, and I believe I'll have those strong relationships even when it ends.

Blake: Yeah, the algebra teacher has been my rock. She has a wealth of resources that she has shared with me both for my class and for me personally. Other people who have supported me are my friends. One of them is teaching biology in the U.K., and we’ll talk about content and how our situations are similar and different. My friends and family have been a huge aspect of my support. There’s also the phone calls from time to time from Dr. Sweeney or Dr. Taylor. So tons of support. 

7. WHAT HAS BEEN ONE UNEXPECTED SILVER LINING ABOUT TEACHING THIS SEMESTER?

Langley: The silver lining for me is kids. The students I’ve had in hybrid—I’ve been able to get so much closer to them. I have a lot of wonderful memories with them, all those little interactions that are so happy and positive, that have happened during this tough period. That’s provided me with more emotional support than they realize.

Mikayla: It is so much easier to differentiate for virtual students. I never even considered that the previous year. Google classroom is able to assign things to certain students that other students aren't’ able to see. I can assign similar worksheets and switch similar titles, but they have different levels of questions on them. I’ve seen incredible growth from my lower-level students, because I’m able to scaffold their questions without them having to worry about if other students notice or not.

Parker: I think my favorite silver lining from this year is the new schedule. Having four classes as opposed to six, and you also have more time in those classes to accomplish your goals. You’re able to accomplish more while also having more time to plan. By the time you get to the third period, it’s almost over. As a result, instead of leaving at 4:15 PM, we get to leave at 3:45 PM. That extra time is amazing for both my mental and physical health. I feel like I have more free time to play golf or go to the gym. That’s been one of my biggest pennies that I've focused on throughout the pandemic and school year exacerbated by the devastating effects of Covid.

Blake: I want to mirror off of the previous three statements. I’m getting a lot more done at work, and I’m taking a lot less home. I just have more time. Especially at the beginning of the year when we’d finish a little after 12 pm, and then I’d have until 4 pm to plan for the next day. I have so much more time for myself. I don’t have to focus on work as much at home. Another silver lining goes back to parent contact. I’ve gotten to know them so much better. I do feel a disconnect with my students. But the students who are able to come, I’m so much closer to them. One day at lunch, we just had this in-depth conversation about spiders. It was fun. Little things like that. We talk about what kinds of music they like. We just never had time to talk about these types of things previously. I was always too concerned with my next day’s lesson. 

Kristy: This year has forced me to be more comfortable with change and more creative with lesson planning. And now going into next year I’m going to have so many more resources that I can pull from. I just feel like I was really pushed this year, and it’s made me stronger. 

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE CLARKSDALE COMMUNITY?

Kristy: It’s definitely nerve-wracking to jump into a small community that is so tight-knit, but at the same time I have never not felt welcome from people. I always felt like I was welcomed in the community; and that’s probably a big reason why I want to stay in Clarksdale. 

Mikayla: I think when I first moved here, I tried to stay mostly with MTC/TFA people. But then I got involved with local people from church and a teacher group I joined. Once I started doing things like that, I found that most of my friends are from the community itself. It’s really nice to be able to call a local who lives here and ask if they want to go to dinner tonight and not have to talk about school. And not have that even be a possible topic, because they don’t work in the school. That has really enhanced my experience here as well, and if I were to give advice to someone it would be to get involved. I got involved at my church and also three other churches because my students went there. It’s just really fun and you don’t have to be a part of that religion to be a part of that church. You don’t have to be from that part of the community to go to that area.

Langley: First, I’d like to echo what Kristy said in that I’ve always been treated with kindness here. I always felt welcomed here, and that’s something that I’ve been very grateful for. One of my first favorite things is seeing my kids here at Wal-Mart. Like, the other day I saw one of my students there and she came up and said, ‘Hey, Ms. Dunn!’ She made my day. I also feel like I learn about a new community initiative every day. For instance, there’s a coffee shop here that has an internship program for local students to give them a chance to work and get resume advice. People love this place.

Parker: Yeah, I think that my favorite thing about being part of the Clarksdale community is being a tennis coach and having that opportunity to work with kids. Going to those tennis practices has taught me that there is truly nothing more valuable than your time. Even a 30 minute practice could be a moment that you build a child up and we rarely get to see the fruits of those labors. Nevertheless, I really enjoy the aspects of interacting with my kids whether it’s as a coach or a teacher. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and building rapport. Very soon the community just wraps around you, and now I feel like I’m a part of Wildcat Nation.

Blake: Clarksdale is just so inclusive. They really take you in under their wing. They support you no matter where you go. Another thing is that they do have a lot of people who are teachers or were teachers. A lot of people came to the town from MTC or TFA, and they grew to love Clarksdale while they were here. There’s a passion about the city. People love Clarksdale, and that is really nice to see. And because of the big population of teachers, whether you're at a restaurant or a coffee shop, someone is always going to know what you’re going through. It’s so easy to strike up a conversation with somebody. I run into different MTC/TFA people all the time, and I love hearing about their experiences.