Generation Next
Adjusting to find your niche as a beginning teacher
About: Brad Gerbe
Hometown: Troy
Education: Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University
Assignment: Science teacher, Manchester High School
Quote: “The best part of teaching for me is the profound impact I get to have on young people. I play a part in their future successes.”
I was not a very good teacher my first year in the profession. As I struggled to find my niche, it was hard to balance the pressure of subject mastery while developing classroom management techniques and finding my way in new surroundings. The first year was a rollercoaster.
I thought that I had to know the answer to every question. I felt like I had to be in complete control at all times. I was often quick to make decisions and, sometimes, I neglected to think of my students as the 14- to 18-year-olds that they are. I didn’t laugh enough, nor did I enjoy myself. I lacked confidence in my abilities.
In one rattled moment, I blurted out, “Oh, the Earth is probably only about what…a few thousand years old, so…” (The Earth is hypothesized to be between five and six BILLION years old!) In my stressed state, my frontal cortex definitely let me down! So unwilling was I to compromise my “authority” in front of my students, I held strongly to what I had obviously just misstated when questioned by a student.
When approached by administrators, parents, and others, I harbored a lot of negative energy. I was in over my head, I thought. During the summer following that first year, I reflected on my experiences. I recalled the first time I wrote up a student, my first phone conversation and face-to-face with a parent, my first staff/departmental meetings, my first evaluation, my first basketball practice as a coach. I brainstormed ways to improve my teaching practices.
The support of my local association’s building rep, my union president and my mentor teachers allowed me to persevere and strengthen my skills. The MEA provided support, too. My confidence grew.
Over the next three years in Manchester, I tweaked and modified lessons that worked and developed new laboratories and lessons. I’ve found more time to develop relationships with colleagues, administrators, parents and others, which has given me the confidence to ask questions and to challenge myself.
And, I’ve found a teaching style more suited to my personality. I figured out that sometimes meeting my students in the middle and modifying my stance on certain classroom behaviors actually gave way to a more rigorous curriculum that my students embraced.
As my students realized my passion for my job—and my genuine concern for their developing futures—they’ve given me a great return on my investment. This “epiphany” has made my job so enjoyable.
It just gets better with time and effort. I feel so unqualified to say that, considering the master teachers I am surrounded by in my school.
My journey has been so gratifying and exciting. As an educator, I’m lucky to have the kind of profound impact that I do. I am humbled when I think about that.
Generation Next columns are written by MEA members in their first five years of teaching. Authors are paid for their columns. If you’re interested in writing a column, e-mail your resume, with writing sample, to Karen Schulz, MEA creative communications consultant, at kschulz@mea.org. Adjusting to find your niche