By: Alicia Anthony
"I have been teaching for approximately 20 years. I first started teaching in Delaware as I grew up there. Howard High School provided me with my first full-time teaching job. I came to Howard County mostly because of the abundant amount of great schools in the area. In addition, the transportation is great for traveling to many areas such as D.C. and Baltimore.
The first years of teaching were scary, but I received a lot of support from Howard County. Fortunately, other teachers helped me along the way with their assistance in creating lesson plans such as Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Boussy, etc. HCPSS has always been accommodating for teachers. For example, 10 years ago, I was apart of a mentor program in which 1st year teachers would meet and discuss what they were planning for their lessons. There is always a strong support system which gives off a sense of community here at Howard.
As a student, I was a runner in high school. Cross-country (XC) provided me with something to do. Somehow, by having more things to do, I was more organized. Eventually, I became a coach here at Howard. I coached Mr. Dickerson and Mr. Wade when they were just students, now, they are coaches as well. I had to retire as a coach in the fall of 2016 after I completed my last year as the girl’s XC coach which was an extremely tough call for me. I have two kids and a wife at home which I needed to prioritize because family is always #1 to me. Luckily, I had Dickerson who is beyond fantastic as a coach. As an athlete, I learned how to utilize the power inside of me, as well as the experience, into teaching. I was able to replicate the same feeling I received as both an athlete and a coach in order to develop myself as a teacher.
Life as a student now is very different compared to when I was a student. An occurring problem for students nowadays is the constant stress and the pressure overload put on them. Often, we push, push, push, until we cannot stop, and slow down. Rather than living in the present, the idea of a goal is always at mind instead. Not only are athletes pushed to the extreme, but all students can be accounted for.
Many criticisms come from being a teacher. I have an influence on many kids which causes me to doubt myself at points. I have realized that everything comes full circle. There are new ideas all of the time, everything is constantly changing and improving. Along with sudden change, I tend to ask myself as a teacher, “Am I doing the right thing?” I have days of stress and utter failure, and poor time management, which is why I’m working on ways to become more organized. Lately, I’ve been reading “The Organized Student” by Donna Goldberg, which has become a guideline for me. The self-help book has been used as an outline in order for me to map out the success of students. I was inspired to make a change as a friend of mine once told me that I resembled a “duck on a pond.” He explained to me that on the surface, I appear steady and stable, but underneath, my legs are constantly flapping around, struggling to stay afloat. I feel like this “duck mentality” applies to many people as it is very applicable to life. By building on this common problem, I can connect with students on a different level as it has provided a new understanding with students.
Another story that helped me come to this realization was when a former student of mine provided a simple, straightforward explanation for when she did not have her work completed: “Life happens.” The concise, but direct, response made me realize that there is more to this world than my class for 50 minutes a day. Since then, I try to build on my relations with students by trying to be more understanding when it comes to assignments or issues in their life. We don't always see what is underneath the surface, we are only given a glimpse above, which I think is the big takeaway. I have been able to get across the idea of me as a person a little bit more in class as well as recognizing students as not only students, but individuals in society.
In addition to being a teacher, there have been scary moments. Some of the scariest parts of being a teacher include determining when and what I should stand up for. The questions asked usually incite, “Is this the hill you want to die on?” or “Is this the battle you wanna fight?” Other problems include dealing with doubt with myself when a lesson may not go as planned, or an observation I had which did not work out. Also, outside stresses tend to extenuate these problems, such as something going on at home like an upcoming doctor’s visit, or a frustration about something I saw in the hallway. Poor parent communication and bad relations with students can add on even more. The worst experiences date back a couple years ago in which many fights were occurring on an almost daily basis. Students and other members in the community were passing away, dying, self-inflicted or not. Despite the ups-and-downs of teaching, I have always had plenty of support, which I am extremely lucky to have."
Alicia's Connection:
Most of the time in the interview between Mr. Stump and I was spent discussing the idea of Howard as a community and the changes that have occurred over time. Mr. Stump and I were able to bond over our love for running as he was my XC coach during my freshman year. Our conversation analyzed many of the aspects of what it means to be a “community” and the relationships that connect the members such as students and teachers.
