Budget cuts, layoffs, increasing class sizes, struggling test scores. Why would anyone want to become a teacher these days? The answer, according to some Chelsea School District teachers, is in the intangibles.
In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, the Chelsea Standard spoke with teachers in each of our local schools to discuss the people who made an impact on their own lives and the rewards of being a teacher.
Lonnie Mitchell,Chelsea High School
Mitchell has been with the district since 1988. He teaches Algebra II and Precalculus, and is chairman of the math department.
"My math teacher at Troy Athens was very excited about math and wanted each student to try their absolute best."
"There are a lot of thankless jobs out there, but the teaching profession is not one of them. Former students continuously stop by and thank me for getting them ready for college and beyond. Parents are very grateful as well."
"Each year, the top students pick their most influential educator. There are times when I am picked and didn't even know I had that much influence on the particular student. It is a very humbling experience and I will never forget them. Each one of those students affects me."
"If you do not absolutely love the profession, then you need to get out. Some teachers who don't love their job stay on, when they should have gotten out and moved on to another profession. Don't think of it as a job just to earn a paycheck. You need to truly love and respect the profession."
Marta Learman, Chelsea High School:
Learman has been a teacher for 14 years, spending her entire career with Chelsea Schools in addition to her student teaching. Her subjects are primarily 11th- and 12th-grade Elective Studies and U.S. History.
"Mike Smith of Saline High School was very dynamic. All the kids liked him, and I think that was because he didn't favor any particular person or group. He definitely had an influence; I've tried to model the way I treat kids after the way he did things."
"I get kids interested in history; I'm preparing lifelong learners. I love it when kids start a sentence with, 'I was watching the History Channel and ...'"
"There was a student who graduated about five years ago who pushed me to do more for others in need, and we started the group Interact. He got me into volunteering, and I realized how addictive it is and how good it makes you feel."
"My advice? Do it! (Teaching) is the best job out there. It's rewarding and keeps you young."
Dennis Strazyzewski, Beach Middle School:
Strazyzewski is in a unique position in his second year as a part-time teacher and part-time counselor, which gives him a slightly different perspective to both jobs.
"As a teacher you focus on curriculum; as a counselor you form a more personal connection with the kids, and become an advocate for students who need extra help," he said.
He has been a teacher for 12 years, spending nine of those in Chelsea. He currently teaches eighth-grade English, and also has taught seventh- and eighth-grade Social Studies.
"Mrs. Mayville, my second-grade teacher in Manistee, made all of us feel successful and important. Other educators and coaches influenced my decision to become a teacher. My chemistry teacher made it seem like a real rewarding job."
"(The reward is) the feeling that you're doing something for the betterment of others, and seeing kids change. My favorite thing is to see them five years later and see what they've become. Another thing is, middle school kids make me laugh every day."
"Some students have so impressed as people, they seem to have developed the ability to lead and organize; they seem to have 'gotten it' a lot earlier than others. It makes you want to become a better person. At the same time, there are some kids you know are really struggling, and you do take that home with you. You want every kid to know you care."
"Teaching is a tremendously rewarding profession, as long as the economy allows us to have jobs for new teachers. You get out of it what you put into it. It can be dreary or it can be great. You have to remember it's not your whole life; don't let it consume you."
Amy Doma, South Meadows Elementary School:
Doma, a sixth-grade teacher, is a Chelsea native, and has been with Chelsea Schools for six years.
"Mrs. Schlupe in second grade was my favorite teacher, because she made reading fun. She gave us apples and caramels while we were reading, and what's not to love about that? I think I knew I wanted to be a teacher by the fifth grade."
"I have a job that's fun, and I look forward to coming to work every day. It changes by the day, so it keeps it interesting."
"During my first year I had a student who was very challenging, mostly because I didn't know how to deal with his home issues. I realized for the first time that students have a life outside of school, and we only see them for a very small part of that. You've got to take what you get and try to help them."
"Don't be afraid to admit when you've made a mistake, and try to have a sense of humor about everything."
Tracy Heydlauff, Pierce Lake Elementary School:
Heydlauff teaches the grade 3-4 multiage classroom. She also grew up here, and has spent her entire 16-year career with Chelsea Schools.
"Paul Terpstra, my CHS English teacher, was very challenging because he had high expectations and high standards. I really learned critical and analytical thinking skills from him. He made an impact on my life, and I wanted to do the same for other children."
"We are so results-oriented and assessment-oriented, that if they do well on their test scores you feel rewarded. In my classroom I love it when I hear the kids talk to each other about what they're learning; and when they walk in with a smile on their face, that's rewarding too."
"I had a student in fourth grade a few years ago whose father was critically injured in a car crash; he called me on his own to let me know what had happened and that he wouldn't be in school. I was really touched that I was one of the first people he called. He was a kid who struggled with reading, but worked really hard and by the end of the year he was two grade levels ahead."
"You have to be willing to go anywhere in the country for a job in teaching, even overseas, but it's a great opportunity. It's always a good idea to get experience in other capacities, and experience working with other people in a variety of circumstances; it helps you mature. It's definitely not a summers-off job anymore, there's a lot of responsibility."
Marcia Quilter, North Creek Elementary School:
Quilter, a first-grade teacher, is in her 31st (and final) year in the profession, the past 29 of which have been in Chelsea.
"I learned a lot from my high school English teacher in Sandusky, Ohio; she really guided me through. My decision to become a teacher just kind of evolved. I've always liked learning and I always liked school."
"It's rewarding to watch children learn and discover things; you can see the learning taking place. You can tell they are learning, because the children get excited about it. It's an intrinsic reward all the time."
"I think in general the students who show you they are making a connection to learning (make an impact on me). They show that by their work, and in their interactions with you and the other students. When you see students who work really hard and they don't give up, that persistence is so admirable in kids."
"Enter (this profession) with an open mind. There are so many possibilities out there, for yourself and for children. You have to be flexible if you want to be a success. You have to give it serious thought, because it is very challenging."
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