Women in the Workplace
Education has traditionally been a female-dominated workplace, even as the rest of society and the world has been male-dominated. Luckily, women have come leaps and bounds the last century (though I would argue there is still a lot of ground to cover). The other day I was thinking about my educational role models and the names that are often referenced today and I came to the startling conclusion that most of them are male. In college I consumed all of Ron Clark's books, especially The Essential 55: An Award Winning Educator's Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child. As a professional educator, I am evaluated using Dr. Robert J. Marzano's model and am currently working to incorporate his book about Building Academic Vocabulary. As a teacher who is constantly looking to improve and grow, I'm in the process of devouring Timothy Walker's Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms.
I have been so fortunate that social media has expanded and become a network of educators connecting digitally, who would never have met had it not been for the internet. How wonderful it is to live in a day and age where we can see masterful and innovative teachers in action. I am so grateful that many of these educators share their resources and answer questions, all while keeping it very real. Yesterday I was on Instagram and a teacher shared a picture of her anchor chart that had a misspelling. It was gorgeous and it was evident that she'd spent a lot of time on it. It was reassuring to see that one of my digital mentors not only makes mistakes, but owns up to them and celebrates the process.
I'm getting a little away from my original topic though...Women in the Workplace. I picked a cheesy title for a not so cheesy topic. I wanted to take a minute to share just a few of the female educators in my life who inspire me.
My biggest mentor as a teacher, and as a person, is my mom, Mary Kay Tezel. I could dedicated an entire post just to her. My mom has more energy and enthusiasm and joy at 50-something, than I have at almost 30. There are few people in this world who I look at and think they found their calling, but my mom is one of those people. My mom was meant to be a teacher. I don't know many people, at any age level, who bring the level of passion that my mom does to teaching. It's intimidating. She dresses up, she creates interactive lessons, and she teaches in a way that students forget they are at school, because they are so engrossed in the lesson. If my mom had a presence on social media, she would have more followers than Beyonce. Okay, that's an exaggeration. My mom would have AS MANY followers as Queen B. If you are looking for a master teacher to observe, you need look no further than MK. My mom retires at the end of this school year, and I think it's about time she wrote a book...we'll see. It's probably not fair of me to plan my mom's retirement for her!
Also in the circle of amazing women that I know would be my friends, Carrie and Deandra (funny enough). I am so fortunate that I was able to student teach under Carrie because she has a depth of knowledge I envy. Carrie taught me to be my own type of teacher, instead of becoming like all of the instructors I grew up with. I honestly believe that because I was able to student teach with her, I was able to embrace my own teaching style instead of working for a few years and burning out because I was trying to teach in a way that was unnatural to me.
During my student teaching, I met Denetre (her actual name, not one of the 500 wrong names that are usually ascribed to her). Denetre (and Carrie) taught me what real collaboration looks like, and I loved how much of herself Denetre put forward in her classroom. Denetre's classroom was tucked away in a corner of the school that no one went to unless they were heading to her class. When you entered her room, there were fun memes detailing rules, student work on the walls, and tons of books. Denetre's room was cozy and somewhere you wanted to be. I am so thankful to have these two teachers in a group chat; they keep me laughing and grounded.
One other person who deserves a quick shout out is my teacher bestie out in Edmore, Raechel. Raechel is just one of many amazing educators I have come across while teaching in rural North Dakota. I do not know how I would make it through most of my days without her. I come to work in the morning, having skipped breakfast because I'm on a diet so I can no longer eat cookie dough before school, and its Raechel who hands me an orange, or banana, or breakfast bar. When I am dreaming big and trying to figure out what to try next in my classroom, it's usually Raechel who's not only listening, but helping to make the project cross-curricular and even better. I am so lucky to call her a friend, in addition to a co-worker. I'm pretty sure part of the reason God brought me to Edmore was because I needed this woman in my life.
Now on to my digital muses. My descriptions of them won't be as long, since I only know them electronically. As an English teacher, I would be nowhere without Ashley Bible of B's Book Love. I follow her blog, I follow her Instagram, and I buy a lot of her stuff on TPT. It's great to see a secondary English teacher with her creativity and excitement for curriculum. She's also a huge fan of Harry Potter, and I think that's a pretty good gauge of how decent of a human being you are.
Christina Costa is next on my list of amazing female educators. I follow her Instagram (teachlikeagirl) and can't make it through one of her stories without laughing. She does a lot of what I'd call "awkward dancing," which I love because I am a fan of dancing the way your heart desires. Everyone I work with will attest to my awkward dance moves; I move in a way that makes me happy and that I think makes others happy. Christina also has a YouTube channel if that's your preferred mode of "creeping." She's someone who exudes happiness, and I love how much she builds her students up. Christina is definitely an educator who doesn't just see her students as how they are, but as who they could be.
My plan was originally to highlight a few more of my digital heroes, but I spent a lot of space on the mentors who I can actually call up on the phone and bug. There are so many amazing people who inspire me over on my teacher Instagram (TezelTeaches). If you're looking for some new educators to follow, head over and check out who I follow!
It's amazing the connections that can be made digitally and I am so thankful because social media has helped me become a better teacher because I'm able to peer into classrooms around the world. One thing that shouldn't be overlooked though is the importance of real-life connections. Sometimes your digital mentors become your friends IRL (I felt so cool writing that, even though Yahoo chat rooms are a thing of the past), but this isn't usually the case. There's something special about dragging a friend out for a cup of coffee while you laugh, cry, and question what's happening in your classroom and school. Thank you to all of the educators out there, doing their best every day. You are an inspiration. I know it's hard to look on social media and see these teachers who seem to be on 100% of the time. Trust me when I say that they have some of the same issues and hurdles that we do. Some people just take better photos than the rest of us!
I have been so fortunate that social media has expanded and become a network of educators connecting digitally, who would never have met had it not been for the internet. How wonderful it is to live in a day and age where we can see masterful and innovative teachers in action. I am so grateful that many of these educators share their resources and answer questions, all while keeping it very real. Yesterday I was on Instagram and a teacher shared a picture of her anchor chart that had a misspelling. It was gorgeous and it was evident that she'd spent a lot of time on it. It was reassuring to see that one of my digital mentors not only makes mistakes, but owns up to them and celebrates the process.
I'm getting a little away from my original topic though...Women in the Workplace. I picked a cheesy title for a not so cheesy topic. I wanted to take a minute to share just a few of the female educators in my life who inspire me.
My biggest mentor as a teacher, and as a person, is my mom, Mary Kay Tezel. I could dedicated an entire post just to her. My mom has more energy and enthusiasm and joy at 50-something, than I have at almost 30. There are few people in this world who I look at and think they found their calling, but my mom is one of those people. My mom was meant to be a teacher. I don't know many people, at any age level, who bring the level of passion that my mom does to teaching. It's intimidating. She dresses up, she creates interactive lessons, and she teaches in a way that students forget they are at school, because they are so engrossed in the lesson. If my mom had a presence on social media, she would have more followers than Beyonce. Okay, that's an exaggeration. My mom would have AS MANY followers as Queen B. If you are looking for a master teacher to observe, you need look no further than MK. My mom retires at the end of this school year, and I think it's about time she wrote a book...we'll see. It's probably not fair of me to plan my mom's retirement for her!
Also in the circle of amazing women that I know would be my friends, Carrie and Deandra (funny enough). I am so fortunate that I was able to student teach under Carrie because she has a depth of knowledge I envy. Carrie taught me to be my own type of teacher, instead of becoming like all of the instructors I grew up with. I honestly believe that because I was able to student teach with her, I was able to embrace my own teaching style instead of working for a few years and burning out because I was trying to teach in a way that was unnatural to me.
During my student teaching, I met Denetre (her actual name, not one of the 500 wrong names that are usually ascribed to her). Denetre (and Carrie) taught me what real collaboration looks like, and I loved how much of herself Denetre put forward in her classroom. Denetre's classroom was tucked away in a corner of the school that no one went to unless they were heading to her class. When you entered her room, there were fun memes detailing rules, student work on the walls, and tons of books. Denetre's room was cozy and somewhere you wanted to be. I am so thankful to have these two teachers in a group chat; they keep me laughing and grounded.
One other person who deserves a quick shout out is my teacher bestie out in Edmore, Raechel. Raechel is just one of many amazing educators I have come across while teaching in rural North Dakota. I do not know how I would make it through most of my days without her. I come to work in the morning, having skipped breakfast because I'm on a diet so I can no longer eat cookie dough before school, and its Raechel who hands me an orange, or banana, or breakfast bar. When I am dreaming big and trying to figure out what to try next in my classroom, it's usually Raechel who's not only listening, but helping to make the project cross-curricular and even better. I am so lucky to call her a friend, in addition to a co-worker. I'm pretty sure part of the reason God brought me to Edmore was because I needed this woman in my life.
Now on to my digital muses. My descriptions of them won't be as long, since I only know them electronically. As an English teacher, I would be nowhere without Ashley Bible of B's Book Love. I follow her blog, I follow her Instagram, and I buy a lot of her stuff on TPT. It's great to see a secondary English teacher with her creativity and excitement for curriculum. She's also a huge fan of Harry Potter, and I think that's a pretty good gauge of how decent of a human being you are.
Christina Costa is next on my list of amazing female educators. I follow her Instagram (teachlikeagirl) and can't make it through one of her stories without laughing. She does a lot of what I'd call "awkward dancing," which I love because I am a fan of dancing the way your heart desires. Everyone I work with will attest to my awkward dance moves; I move in a way that makes me happy and that I think makes others happy. Christina also has a YouTube channel if that's your preferred mode of "creeping." She's someone who exudes happiness, and I love how much she builds her students up. Christina is definitely an educator who doesn't just see her students as how they are, but as who they could be.
My plan was originally to highlight a few more of my digital heroes, but I spent a lot of space on the mentors who I can actually call up on the phone and bug. There are so many amazing people who inspire me over on my teacher Instagram (TezelTeaches). If you're looking for some new educators to follow, head over and check out who I follow!
It's amazing the connections that can be made digitally and I am so thankful because social media has helped me become a better teacher because I'm able to peer into classrooms around the world. One thing that shouldn't be overlooked though is the importance of real-life connections. Sometimes your digital mentors become your friends IRL (I felt so cool writing that, even though Yahoo chat rooms are a thing of the past), but this isn't usually the case. There's something special about dragging a friend out for a cup of coffee while you laugh, cry, and question what's happening in your classroom and school. Thank you to all of the educators out there, doing their best every day. You are an inspiration. I know it's hard to look on social media and see these teachers who seem to be on 100% of the time. Trust me when I say that they have some of the same issues and hurdles that we do. Some people just take better photos than the rest of us!
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