The Guild is launching a new project where we’ll be sharing a series of short interviews with educators across the country to find out how they are implementing authenticity in their classrooms.
Our first interview is with Kindergarten teacher Tobi Waldron who spoke with us about her unique parent-teacher approach and how engaging parents can set the tone for a productive school year.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT:
This is Sarah Krauss and I’d like to welcome you to our new project where we’ll be sharing a series of short interviews with educators across the country to find out how they are implementing authenticity in their classrooms.
Our first interview is with Tobi Waldron. Tobi is a Kindergarten teacher located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Before moving to Georgia, taught in Nevada, New York, and Florida. This year Tobi is teaching 25 kindergarten students but as you’re about to hear, her class is actually a little bigger than that.
Tobi thanks so much for joining me.
TOBI: Thanks for having me.
SARAH: So you’ve shared with me that you are showing up to the school building every day and teaching from a classroom but the majority of your students are at home connecting with you students through their computers. So, I guess my first question is, what has that been like?
TOBI: You know, it has done a lot for my mental health. It’s a double edged sword. Everything has its pros and cons but it did a lot for my mental health to go to work everyday. Working from home was not working out for me in the spring, it was very depressing. Teaching is a very performative art and not having my stage, my classroom was very difficult. So I still don’t have an audience, but I at least have my stage.
SARAH: I love that. I agree, it is a very performative art. So you said you have your tiny little box audience which includes not just the kids but also parents. I think you’ve shared with me that you have some pretty involved parents, yes?
TOBI: We have very involved parents, most are sitting juuuust there.
SARAH: I’ve heard a lot of teachers describe that as being very difficult. A lot of them say they feel extra pressure being watched and judged every moment of the day.
TOBI: I am. I’m being watched. And I don’t want to downplay how hard everything is. I cry a lot. I am overworked a lot. But I have also tried, without being toxicity positive, to take what the situation is and make it “ok”. I noticed a lot of parents were hanging out, so instead of just sitting there doing nothing and judging me, I wrote them into my reader’s theatre scripts. I shout them out constantly, I’ll say “I just taught you this math lesson now go teach your grownup” I’m also teaching them. So I have a lot of parents who are second language learners and they’re also learning english. I try to make them feel like they’re a part of the classroom. If they’re going to sit there, I’d like them to feel part of the community.
SARAH: Absolutely, although I can imagine that some people listening to this, their reaction might be “Well, that would never work in my classroom. That would just open the door to chaos.” or “That might just give parents permission to take over my lessons.” So what would you say to someone who has those concerns?
TOBI: Honestly, I didn't know at the beginning of the year, when I had them join my reader’s thatre, when I gave them characters and made the parents be part of the experience…. I didn’t know that that that was going to be the jumping off point for my parents to NOT be pains in the asses but it was. It obviously does create a little bit more work but giving them permission to be involved in a healthy way set the tone for the rest of the year. You know, they don’t interrupt me anymore. They don’t overtake my lessons because I told them where their place is. You know without being rude. Without being like “This is MY classroom” . I was like, “This is OUR classroom” and you’re going to respect me the same way your students respect me and then I didn’t need an ultimatum, I didn’t need anything else. I think a big mistake that a bunch of teachers are making is that they want parents to pretend like they're not there but that’s not reality.
SARAH: The more we can lean into the reality of the moment, the better.
TOBI: I mean and I can only say what I see and how I virtually teach and what my expectations are but feel like, for me, I am closer to my parents than I ever have before. I’ve gotten a lot of messages that say “what teachers do every day is incredible, we get to see how hard you work.” Parents who are privileged enough to sit there with their kid are getting a glimpse of what it’s like to be a teacher.
SARAH: Well, what you do every day is definitely amazing and thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with us.
Ok that’s all for now. Thank you so much for listening. To find out more about The Children’s Arts Guild visit www.childrensartsguild.org . Subscribe to our newsletter get updates on all our upcoming work, and you can follow us on twitter is at @GuildForKids. See you next time.