The Hidden Costs of Teacher Turnover  http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/30/395322012/the-hidden-costs-of-teacher-turnover

Source Photo: "Making model airplanes for U.S. Navy at the Armstrong Technical High School. Washington, DC." Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. News Bureau. (06/13/1942 - 09/15/1945) Taken March 1942.

A Love Supreme: Reflections on Why We Continue to Teach | contains a sample of “Acknowledgement” from John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Originally recorded December 9th, 1964. © 1964 MCA Records, Inc.

Over the summer of 2014, we launched a meetup of self-identified Black male educators hosted at The Center for the Study of Race & Equity in Education. What began out of a friendly conversation of our relative scarcity in classrooms transformed into an interdependent approach to move ourselves and others collectively forward in our practice. We came with various backgrounds, various experiences, and various questions about our positionality and our profession. Through impassioned dialogue, we landed on what we all felt to be a generative inquiry into our motivations to become educators, recognizing the overwhelming number of educators who leave the classroom in their first five years. We investigated the interrelatedness between what brought us into teaching and why we continue to stay in teaching. We present this podcast as an exhibit of truthful self-interrogation of unfinished thoughts from a moment in these conversations. The process of recording one’s thoughts leaves a marker in time as even when reciting written words, no audio take is completely the same. We all struggled to balance our truth and its clear delivery to those that will become listeners. Recognizing our imperfections, we uphold that our strivings remain true. The same can be said about our practice as we take the necessary steps to reflect and think critically about how we can support those that we lead and learn from in the classroom. We fluctuate in our delivery daily, yet we hold fast to principles that guide us in our journey. For this illustration, Coltrane’s A Love Supreme becomes the canvas for the journey, emphasizing our supreme love for our work. [total runtime: 25:55]

00:33 | Brendon Jobs, Philadelphia, PA

The son of Trinidadian immigrants, Brendon currently teaches kids World History, African American History and Sociology at the Girard Academic Music Program in Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a master’s certificate in Secondary Education from the Penn GSE as a Philadelphia Teaching Fellow. He returned to Penn, as a James Madison Fellow to earn a M.S.Ed in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum with a focus on Gender and Education. Last year he completed the National Board Teaching Certification process. Beyond the classroom, he affiliates with Teacher Action Group (TAG), a group of like minded teachers working to organize, innovate and empower other educators throughout Philly in the midst of this a politically orchestrated school funding crisis. His experience includes work as a Lehrman Fellow, National Constitution Center Annenberg Fellow, and an Education Pioneer Fellow with the SEED Foundation in Washington DC. He is an advocate for public education interested in developing structures that support diversity and student voice in school communities.  

06:35 | Shamir Reese, Philadelphia, PA

Shamir Reese, a special education teacher, mentor, and youth advocate, is currently a special education co-teaching 7th and 8th grade literacy. He has been the only African-American  male SPED teacher in his school for two different schools within a 3 year period. Shamir has been a youth advocate for going on 10 years advocating for youth ranging from Philadelphia, to San Francisco, to Nigeria. Currently, Shamir is volunteering for several mentoring groups, one of which is at his school, Cleveland Elementary, called Men of Mastery.

09:31 | Kenloy Henry, Brooklyn, NY

Kenloy Henry, A Penn Alumni and Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, recently worked in the KIPP Philadelphia Schools system as a High School history teacher. Recently he moved to New York where he has been serving as an advisor and mentor to inner city youth preparing for the college application process. Kenloy is also participates in the Urban Community Teachers Project and the Black and Latino Male Initiative  at Brooklyn College. He is passionate about improving the lived experience of inner city youth. He can be reached at [email protected].

13:17 | Christopher Rogers, Chester/Philadelphia, PA

Christopher Rogers works currently as an in-school Media and Technology Specialist, spreading the opportunity for PK-8 students to explore and investigate what the world is to move us closer to what it ought to be. In Spring 2015, Chris will be leading a course at Arcadia University based on integrating community relationships in the classroom. He also is behind a new startup, JustMaybeCo. which aims to reignite teaching and learning through collaborative inquiry between schools and communities. He can be reached at [email protected]

16:52 | Samuel Reed, Philadelphia, PA

Samuel Reed, III, a teacher consultant with the Philadelphia Writing Project, is an active member of the Teacher Action Group (TAG Philly) and has been teaching secondary students to read, write, and make sense of thew world for more than 17 years. He blogs for the Philadelphia Public School Notebook and has previously contributed to  the University of Pennsylvania GSE Perspective of Urban Education. Reed recently won the prestigious 2014 Black Male Leader Award (BMe)   He can be reached at [email protected].

22:10 | Raymond Roy-Pace, Philadelphia, PA

Although I absolutely love my job, as I’m sure other teachers do, I sometimes find myself holding my tongue.  Why?  Because teachers are professionals.  Even when being professional, I think that sometimes we all have the same thoughts, but our love for our job and our “kids” comes first--what we think is not always what we say.  Frustrated me got to thinking about all of the times we calm ourselves down and spew out what we know we should say instead of what we’re thinking in a matter of seconds.  

This is a super-complex facet of the ups and downs of Teacher-Speak.  Several times a day, I believe we're all thinking the same things.  After a very long week, I've decided to elaborate on a few of them.  

Top Ten Teacher Translations:  

1.  I handed that assignment to you last hour, why isn’t it entered in the gradebook?

What we’re thinking:  Are you kidding me?  Wait, you’re right.  In between stopping the fight in the hallway, teaching and helping 30 kids for 50 minutes straight, barely having time to go to the bathroom myself, and helping Susie with her problems with her best friend, I really should have sat down, graded that assignment, and entered it into the gradebook.  My bad.

  What we actually say:  I’ll get to that as soon as I can.  Don’t worry.  (with a smile)

2.  I’m tired.

What we’re thinking:  You’re tired?  I’m sorry.  Staying up until 1 AM playing video games must be really rough. Look at Johnny over there - he had to stay up all night with his little sister because his mom didn’t come home and they’re about to get evicted again.  He’s doing his work.  See that?   Look at me!   I had a fight with my boyfriend,  sat with my family member in the hospital,  graded papers until midnight, and was up making lesson plans until 2.  I’m tired too.  But here I am with a smile on my face!  

What we actually say:  I’m sorry.  I bet this awesome learning we’re about to do will wake you up! (with a cheesy smile)

3.   I hate doing work! or better yet: I HATE THIS CLASS!  

What we’re thinking:  Doesn’t everyone hate doing work?  But if I let you get out of doing work now just because you hate it, in ten years when I see you working at a horrible place with little pay because you’ve always done as little as possible, I won’t be able to live with myself.  So you can hate my class, me, and the work I give you now or you can hate the person you’ve become in 10 years.  I’m willing to sacrifice myself.  I VOLUNTEER!  I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!  

What we actually say:  ……    (pretends not to hear student and continues passing out work - with a smile)

4.    During my teaching: Can I go to the bathroom?

What we’re thinking:  Listen, kid.  I’ve had to pee for four and a half hours now, but I haven’t found time.  My bladder is about to explode and fly around the room like a let-out balloon, but you don’t see me running out in the middle of my lesson.  I think you can wait the three more minutes it’s going to take for me to finish these instructions so I don’t have to explain them to you over again out of context.  Especially since we are only 6 minutes into class, I highly doubt you “didn’t have to go” five minutes ago during passing time and now BAM you do.  I bet you don’t even have to go, do you?  You just want to text!

But then again, maybe I’m just bitter because when you raised your hand, I got excited inside because I THOUGHT maybe you had an interesting thing to say about our discussion.  

What we actually say:  Is it an emergency?  (If yes, “Ok.” / if no, “Hey, bud, can you hang on for 3 more minutes?  Thanks.”)  (with a smile)

5.    I’ll turn it in tomorrow.  It’s just a late grade.

What we’re thinking:  I’ll come in to work tomorrow.  It’s just a career.  No big deal. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?!!?!?!?!?!    AHHHHH---HOW CAN I MAKE YOU SEEEEEEEE!?  I WANT TO HELP YOUUUUUUU!!!!   WHY DON’T YOU GET IT?!?!?!?!  HOW CAN I MAKE YOU CARE?!!?!?!?  WHAT AM I DOING?!  AM I EVEN MAKING ANY DIFFERENCE IN THESE PEOPLE AT ALL!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!  BRING IN THE ROBOTS TO REPLACE US!  JUST DO IT NOW!!!!!!!

What we actually say:  Hey, how about you stay after school for just a minute so we can get it done today?  I’ll help you.  I don’t want you to get a late grade.  (with a smile)

6.   How long does it have to be?

What we’re thinking:  Are you going to do the bare minimum your entire life?  That’s not what I want for you!  Who ARE you!?  You are the future of our nation!  Get it together!  YOU HEAR ME?!?!!? GET IT TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!  WHEN I’M OLD, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF MY GENERATION!!!! WHAT WILL BE LEFT?!?!!?!?  OH, GOD!!!

What we actually say:  As long as it needs to be.  (with a smile).  

7.    Is this for a grade?  

What we’re thinking:  EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER DO IN LIFE IS FOR A GRADE, REGARDLESS IF SOMEONE SLAPS A NUMBER ON IT OR NOT.  DO YOU HEAR ME??? EVERYTHING!!!   EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

EVVVVEERRRRRYYYYTTTHHHIINNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!  (mentally throws chairs around the room)

What we actually say:  Yes.  (with a smile)  

8.    I’m sorry, I really tried to get this done, but I need help on a few of these… or  Can I stay after school so you can help me with this concept? or  I don’t get it; can you help me with this?  

What we’re thinking:  Oh, man.  I wish I could make it easier for you.  If I could throw sparkly knowledge-dust into your brain to help you get it, I would in a heartbeat.  Since I don’t have knowledge-dust, however, I will stay after school to help you because I know you’re trying, and I know you care, and I know you’re working as hard as you can.  And I wish I could tell you that I’m trying, and that I care, and that I’m working as hard as I can to help you get it--and when you don’t get it, I’m not going to give up. Even though I had plans for after school, I’ll stay with you because I want you to succeed.  From the bottom of my heart, I do.  You deserve it.  Even if I sit with you for an hour on one question….if it helps, it’s worth it.    I will bend over backwards for you as long as you’re trying.  

What we actually say: Hey, how about we work on this after school?  Don’t worry--we will get it all worked out.  I’ll help you.  (with a smile)  

9.  Last night, I went home and was watching (something related to what we were doing in class), and did you know….?  

What we’re thinking:  OH MY GOD, IT’S WORKING!  IT’S WORKING!  THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO LEARN!  I’M CHANGING THE WORLD!  I AM TOUCHING LIVES!  I AM TEACHING SOMETHING!  LIFELONG LEARNERS!  THEY’RE BECOMING LIFELONG LEARNERS!  I HAVE CREATED EVERYTHINGGGGGGG!!!!  THEY LOVED MY LESSON SO MUCH THEY WANTED TO LEARN MORE!  THEY CAN’T QUENCH THEIR THIRST FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH I HAVE PROVIDED THEM!!!!   MY GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE  IS THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!

What we actually say:  That’s awesome!  Tell us more!  (with a smile)

10.  Thank you.

What we’re thinking:  (Every doubt about teaching flutters away instantly)

What we actually say:  No, thank you.   (with a huge smile)

Thank you, indeed.  The kids are the reason we do it all with a smile on our faces, aren’t they?  Even our frustrated selves know that.  One “thank you”  or one “I finally get it!” is worth a thousand frustrations.