More Than a Job: MTC Second-Years Reflect on Their Journeys (Jasmine Ickom)
What drew you to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps?
After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Mississippi in 2018, I quickly realized that the pathway I had chosen was not one that I wanted to continue to travel. I knew teaching and helping kids was my passion, but I was not so sure about how I would get there from where I was currently standing. I had spoken with one of my sorority sisters and she gave me information about the program. I completed some research, and realized this was the perfect opportunity for me to get my feet on the ground towards teaching. The values of the program along with the support system provided through it stood out to me.
What was your initial summer like?
It was rough; being the perfectionist that I was before really teaching I would stay up long nights attempting to make sure the lesson was perfect and completing assignments. Time management was something that I knew nothing about. I enjoyed tag teaming and building relationships with the other first-year science teachers.
What about your first year of teaching?
My first year of teaching was literally a rollercoaster. We spent the entire year virtually which the MTC summer school training prepared us for, but there were many days where I felt like I needed my students within arms reach of me. I needed to see their faces, I needed to feel their presence. How did I know I was really reaching them? How did I know they were really learning? I just felt like I could do so much more and be so much better with them in my classroom. I built solid relationships with my students that would attempt in person tutoring and some of them would attend virtually.
How has your second year of teaching been compared to the first year? Describe your experiences.
My second year has been much better; burnout did not occur as fast. The kids are learning and retaining the information and it is easier to assess the retention along with seeing the looks on their faces when they are confused. Ms. Ickom is the cool teacher for some odd reason and the kids feel comfortable opening up to me. Relationship building has been through the roof and definitely an effective route to get children to buy into the process. I currently serve as a senior sponsor and a member of the school leadership team. Things are smooth sailing, some days better than others, but any profession has bad days.
What have you learned about your kids, their families, and the community since joining MTC?
The community is really close knit, everyone sticks together and up for each other. If something is not wrong the parents are not afraid to follow the chain of command to get things fixed or handled properly. All of the kids want to be successful, they just need to know that the people around them care and that we are not just here for a paycheck.
What do you wish more people knew about the teaching profession, your school district, and/or your students and their families?
Teachers wear the hats of many things, we do not just teach the children. A lot of times situations that the students are facing tug tightly on our hearts. The kids are great, they just need the extra push and support. They all long to feel important and they want to be heard.
Reflecting on the last two years, what are you most proud of?
The time and effort I have put into building lifelong relationships with my students, and the influence I know I have had on a large number of them. I have had several students express to me that they never thought about going to college until we sat down and discussed how college can be beneficial. I do not push college on all of my students, because for some of them it will literally turn into a hole full of debt. There are some of my students who possess great potential as college students and I want them to achieve great things.