Teaching in a Pandemic Reflection Series (Holly Springs)
Rajua Averett, Kennedy Shock, & Jason Shivley
The following is from an interview with Rajua Averett, Kennedy Shock, and Jason Shivley. They all entered MTC in 2019, and are currently teaching at Holly Springs High School.
1. WHAT DREW YOU TO JOIN THE MISSISSIPPI TEACHER CORPS?
Jason: I was looking for an alternative teaching route. This one was for public schools - I liked that. I also liked the idea of exploring the South and being somewhere I’ve never been before. And being tied to Ole Miss was appealing. It seemed like it would be a program that could open a lot of doors. Also, I liked that History was also a top priority.
Kennedy: I was interested because I had previously taught in Hong Kong in the summers, and the best way to go back was to get a Masters. My plans have changed since entering the program, but that was my initial thought. Plus, I went to Ole Miss and I remember hearing about the program, and I’m from Mississippi.
Rajua: I was looking for an alternate way to get into teaching. As I was looking for alternate programs, MTC seemed like a good one. I went and got answers to questions about it; and after meeting with someone about it, I was convinced. After graduating, I focused on the Praxis, and then entered MTC.
2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING LIKE IN MTC?
Rajua: My first year I really liked being there. It was hard with classroom management, but the kids were fun and I had a blast. But the classroom management and planning was initially hard.
Jason: I lucked out. I had such a great inclusion teacher that could help with management. And then Kathryn James had told me ahead of time that my group was going to be an amazing group of kids. They were a lot of fun. I’m much closer with the seniors than I am with that other group. I was pleasantly surprised at how good my first year went, and a big part of that was my inclusion teacher.
Kennedy: When I think about first year, it feels a little bit like a blur. It was one of the most overwhelming seasons I’ve experienced. I remember doing school stuff from the time I woke up until I went to bed at night. It’s been really rewarding at how much I’ve grown since then, despite how difficult it was.
3. HOW WAS THIS PAST SUMMER?
Jason: I think the potential it had, it exceeded the potential. It seemed like all of the classes were well-organized. Students enjoyed the experience. As far as the MTC experience, I do think they missed out on the role plays, teaching reps. You know once you felt like you were such a great teacher that initial summer, they’d put you in the middle school math room to be humbled. Ha! Plus, you lose out on taking kids to the cafeteria and bathroom. I also played volleyball everyday which helped with the camaraderie. So not having those things, it definitely probably hurt the bonding for the new first-years.
Kennedy: I do think the first-years got to focus more on content and developing their instructional materials though. I remember going through that first summer and putting stuff together really quickly, because I had all of these other duties. So I think they got better practice at putting together really good content. I think it’s unfortunate the new class didn’t get to be in person with everyone, but I do think that the relationships that were formed this summer were very intentionally done - like we’d get on a lunch Zoom, meeting up socially distanced, etc.
Rajua: I just think that some teachers are strictly virtual right now, so this summer was great practice at getting them ready. But the new crew didn’t get the experience of being around everybody and having practice with classroom management, etc. I do think they had a pretty good experience though. Our Math Team teacher was excellent.
4. WHAT HAS THIS FALL SEMESTER BEEN LIKE FOR YOU AS A TEACHER?
Kennedy: It’s really different. It has been a challenge to constantly go back and forth between hybrid and virtual. Adaptability is super important, and I’ve learned how to do that better than previously. But also because of how our school has handled it, I’ve been able to focus on content and creating materials. That’s been a nice thing - the ability to focus on materials and thinking critically about how I am providing resources for my students, especially during this chaotic time.
Jason: I’m a person that loves to plan, but with Covid everything can change in five minutes. There are all these twists and turns, and it’s stressful. But, we’re doing the best we can. Our admin has done a pretty good job managing it. We haven’t had too many outbreaks as a result. It’s also a different environment. You go from hundreds of kids and now there are empty classrooms. You don’t have the quick, random hallways interactions with your colleagues. It’s just less energy. But as Kennedy mentioned, I do have more time to focus on creating lessons.
Rajua: Just like Jason said, the energy is just not the same. Everyday I worked last year, every class felt the same. Now, it’s like the longer the day is, the more tired I feel. I don’t have the students’ energy to feed off of. It’s also harder to get student feedback on how they’re keeping up with the class. It’s strange this year.
5. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES (THE OVERALL COMMUNITY) DURING THIS TIME?
It’s interesting how the pandemic is impacting different families. Some kids who were so focused on school last year are now working 40-hour jobs, and their priorities have had to shift. Then some students are taking Covid so seriously that they barely leave the house. So many of them live with multiple generations with health conditions. The parents want their kids to graduate so badly that they want them to go to school and get that experience. The inclusion parents want their students in school so badly too. Some of the stronger students with families that are more financially stable haven’t had much of a difference. There’s just such a range of reactions.
Kennedy: Yeah, just to reiterate how different this affects families, I’d also emphasize the technology piece. We have certain students that really try to join my Google Meet and their screen is frozen, and there’s not much we can do about it. We just can’t serve certain students as a result of a lack of technology, etc. I’ve been thinking about these things a lot lately.
Rajua: Seeing how little most of my students have access to the internet. They have to go to someone else’s house or a public place to do something. Those are some of the tough things I’ve learned so far.
6. WHO HAVE YOU LEANED ON FOR SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME?
Jason: I’ve leaned on the other teachers at my school. Kennedy, Kendall, and Kaela Sweetland from MTC. There are a lot of non-MTC teachers at the school I’m close with too - there's just this respect that you get in your second year. I’m so much closer with the entire faculty, and they’ve been so helpful this year.
Kennedy: I agree. The English department - Ms. Hardy and another new English teacher that got added. I’m also teaching Writing for the first time, and my inclusion teacher has provided me with a ton of great resources.
Rajua: The Math department - they all try and give great helpful lessons and advice using different apps. Everyone in the math department has been very helpful.
7. WHAT HAS BEEN ONE UNEXPECTED SILVER LINING ABOUT TEACHING THIS SEMESTER?
Jason: For me, how much I’ve learned using technology to teach. I didn't use it that much last year, and I’ve learned so many new things. I just have so many more resources, and I’m so glad I learned how to use them. Summer school was huge for me. And even when next year comes, there are many things I'm going to continue to use.
Kennedy: Yeah, the first thing is just learning to use technology better, because last year I would get to school 30 minutes early to print everything. It was not fun. My goal over Spring break last year was to learn how to use Google classroom. So I'm grateful I’ve learned how to more effectively use technology in the classroom. Also, there’s just so much more time to plan. I can finally plan ahead and teach coherent units in my class. I’m thankful for that.
Rajua: Yeah, I forgot how much time I spent printing last year. This year, it’s so much better, and there is a great deal of added free time this year to handle admin stuff that you just didn’t have time to do last year.
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE HOLLY SPRINGS COMMUNITY?
Rajua: This community is a great one to be a part of. It’s a fun community.
Jason: Yeah, like Rajua said, it’s a great community. I helped coach basketball, and they love sports. Our games are packed. It’s crazy. But it’s also a friendly community. If you say you need a place to live, if you just say it, like a hundred people will try and help you. They want you to feel welcome here. They make you feel a part of it.
Kennedy: Yeah, I’d say it is a welcoming community. My favorite part is seeing our students at Wal-Mart and places like that. It’s just fun to see them in a different context.