More Than a Job: MTC Second-Years Reflect on Their Journeys (Max Harmon)
What drew you to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps?
I joined the Mississippi Teacher Corps after I had moved to Mississippi knowing that I wanted a job that would put me in immediate connection to a large number of people in a place. I wanted to find a “community” job. I had experience as an educator and wanted to get a better sense of what public education would be like. I had actually already applied to one of Mississippi’s other alternative route programs when Mary Bryan Barksdale (with whom I had a mutual friend) told me about MTC. It seemed like a perfect fit.
What was your initial summer like?
Virtual summer that first year kind of feels like a dream. I don’t feel like I remember a lot of what happened and it flew by. I remember feeling that virtual teaching felt really different than in person but that at least some skills translated. I was excited getting to know some people in the program.
What about your first year of teaching?
My first year of teaching was a welcome surprise. Given COVID and the fact that it was my first year, it was surprisingly smooth and full of positive moments. I got what felt like a strong foundation in what it means to be a teacher and built off existing skills, and was able to put into practice many improvements going into my second year.
How has your second year of teaching been compared to the first year? Describe your experiences.
My teaching this year has been better in the sense I think my students are learning more and I’ve made some adjustments to increase structure that have benefitted my students. My teaching this year is much more oriented toward success on the US History test but I think that has mostly helped my teaching by forcing me to be more directed and structured and have stronger metrics that I can use to assess the success of my students. This year my relationships with students have only deepened.
What have you learned about your kids, their families, and the community since joining MTC?
A lot. There’s really too much to put into this short answer but I feel I have a much deeper understanding of the lives of my students and their families. The position of a teacher can be a challenging one in this sense, because we must absorb and hold and sometimes directly respond to so many different stories and lives and difficulties. It can be a lot to hold the lived experience of so many people, and also know that each and every student has their own story, the majority of which you do not know. But you know it’s there just below the surface and sometimes at the surface.
What do you wish more people knew about the teaching profession, your school district, and/or your students and their families?
I wish people felt a greater sense of urgency. I feel this for myself often that I’m lulled into a kind of sense of things just going along. Things are OK. But in a very real sense things are in crisis. We are not fully meeting the needs of our students. So much brilliance and potential and hope is completely lost everyday and every year. We all deserve so much better than what we have.
Reflecting on the last two years, what are you most proud of?
I’m proud that I’ve given what I can to the people around me and that it has made some people’s lives better. I’m proud of myself for putting myself in difficult positions and growing from the experience. I’m proud my presence has meant that some people feel more in control of their lives and can continue to hope and imagine something better.