A Teacher's Heart- The Heart of Delmarva

August 12, 2021

As crazy as it seems, we’ve already reached mid-August, which means … it’s nearly time for back to school. The 2021/2022 school year will definitely look different from any other school year to date — regardless of any new restrictions put in place. But one thing will not change this year — the teacher’s heart towards educating and inspiring your children.

Let’s take a quick flashback. 

The 2020/2021 school year was definitely one full of challenges and new experiences. The pandemic affected everyone in some shape or form, and it certainly changed how educators did their jobs.

Jennifer Jones is a special courses teacher for kindergarten through fifth grade at Deal Island Elementary School. She’s beginning her sixth year in this position and entering her seventh year as an educator. She has the pleasure of teaching roughly 120 students daily. When the pandemic hit, she had to adjust the way her specials content was taught due to CDC rules. “Imagine teaching a Physical Education class, but you are required to be six feet away from each other, you can't use the same materials for each person, have to play wearing a mask for 30 to 60 minutes, essentially by yourself,” said Jennifer. At the early elementary level, what she teaches in the gym involves a lot of teamwork and spatial awareness — which clearly was impossible to do with the instilled rules. “Changing my Art, Music, Gym and Library curriculum, along with switching to virtual for a long period of time, was probably the most difficult thing I encountered last year,” Jennifer recalled.

One aspect Jennifer loved from this past challenging year was seeing some of her students break free from fear and try new things. “I watched my students who normally don't like participating or speaking in front of the class participate and share their voice because of the various programs online. These are small things that I hope we continue to integrate as we move forward,” said Jennifer.

Jennifer tries to not only teach content but aid in social and emotional development. Her lessons revolve around being kind to one another and to yourself. What we speak to ourselves is important and develops our character and our future. “I love helping students feel like they are capable of anything as long as they put forth the effort,” said Ms. Jones.

Jennifer earned her Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Technology just prior to the pandemic. This timing allowed her to activate her knowledge and train others as the need for technology was critical. ”I was already Google-certified and well-versed when it came to digital instruction. My County needed to rely on technology, and I was more than ecstatic to have the opportunity to teach others how to transform their classrooms digitally as well,” Jennifer said. 

A Balancing Act.

Being a teacher requires a delicate balance of time — planning lessons, creating engaging content that fits the need of every student, getting to know their students on a personal level, staying in contact with parents, meeting with co-teachers and supervisors, grading work and the list goes on.

A teacher’s job doesn’t stop at the end of the official school year. Like Jennifer Jones, some educators teach summer school. Often they attend continuing education or educational conferences through the summer months. Others are attending their own classes towards Master’s degrees. They also are spending time preparing their curriculum and classroom for the upcoming school year.

Planning often has to occur during “off-school” hours — early morning, in the evening after school and even during the summer. But our Delmarva teachers are “all-in” for their students. It can often be an internal conflict, as every teacher has a family and children they need to dedicate their time to as well. But they take their responsibility for and desire to educate our youth to heart — even if that means a little extra time is needed.

The Heart of the Matter.

In the midst of the challenges and hard work, the heart of a teacher is one that yearns to see their students succeed in everything they put their mind to. The ability for a student to break the chains of the “odds” that have been spoken against them is a pivotal moment. 

For Brooke Hitch, music teacher at Salisbury Middle School, it’s one of the most loved aspects of being an educator. “My favorite thing is when my students are able to prove others wrong — whether that be stereotypes people have given them due to their age, race, financial status, or trauma they’ve experienced,” says Mrs. Hitch. Brooke is entering her seventh year of teaching, this being her second year in Wicomico County. Previously, she taught middle and high school music and choir in both Dorchester County, Md. and Virginia.

As you can imagine, teaching music and choir virtually during the pandemic was a definite challenge. Brooke had to adapt her teaching in order to reach her students. “I had to be flexible in a way I never thought would be possible. I had to acknowledge that the basic structure for how we function in a school could change at a moment’s notice, yet the expectation to deliver quality education was still there,” Brooke commented.

Music is a powerful way to reach a child and Brooke’s heart for her students exudes through every note, song and interaction she has with her students — both virtually and in-person. But for Brooke, it goes beyond the music. Children are capable of amazing things. Having a teacher that believes in them and takes the time to truly educate them to believe in themselves is what sets the stage for developing true confidence and assurance in their identity. “I absolutely love teaching my students that they are able to accomplish things that they never thought possible due to their own barriers faced,” she said. “It’s priceless to see this happen in my scholars because I can see it in their eyes and in their smiles when their sense of identity has changed from one that is negative to one that is positive and confident,” attests Brooke.

A Big Thank You.

The teacher’s heart is one that is full of love for education, and for seeing students bloom to their full potential right before their own eyes. Every child deserves to experience a quality education. Our hardworking, dedicated teachers around the Peninsula put their sweat and tears into planning lessons to engage our youth in education, setting them up for a bright future. 

THANK YOU TEACHERS.

WE APPRECIATE YOU!