Teachers' Voices

Teachers' Voices

by Robert Rivera-Amezola

If there ever was a labor of love for me (and I consider myself very blessed for being in a profession that I truly relish) it has been the last year I have spent talking with teachers, digitally recording their stories, snapping their mugs with my iPhone, and then handing them into the Philadelphia Writing Project so that they join the growing catalog of profiles featured on the teacher consultant profile page of our website.

The idea to profile teachers grew out of my lament for the seemingly relentless number of anti-teacher rhetoric I was hearing at various fronts. Whether campaign stumps or biased journalism, teachers everywhere it seemed were being ridiculed, scapegoated, and even vilified for societal realities that for me stretched the imagination.

The following is an example of my favorite negative rhetoric: Time Magazine’s December, 2008 imposing cover of Michele Rhee holding a broomstick promising to sweep away “bad teachers.”

StoryCorps, a non-profit that seeks to record, share, and archive the narratives of people from around the country was my inspiration. Several years back, I interviewed my father in a small booth amid the ruins of the World Trade Center. The experience left a lasting impression upon me and since that time I have been an avid fan (one of the highlights of my Friday morning work commute is the brief excerpt from a StoryCorps interview on NPR’s Morning Edition).

What if, I thought, there was a way to record teachers in their own voices telling their unique experiences as teachers? I had access to very simple sound editing on my MacBook. I had a microphone, and I had the curiosity to hear the stories teachers had to tell. When fellow TC Trey Smith showed me the tabula rasa that constituted the TC Profile section of the re-furbished PhilWP website he was helping to create, I finally had a platform to host the interviews.

What if, I thought, there was a way

to record teachers in their own voices

telling their unique experiences as teachers?

Since then, I began my journey contacting TCs across the network to arrange opportunities for a recorded talk.

Most of the times I head out to the teacher’s school, but sometimes they prefer to come to me. Some teachers feel more comfortable at their own home and a few have even preferred to come to mine. While I love visiting schools and classrooms (being “at the scene” really helps set the tone) my main concern is that TCs are not inconvenienced.

Teachers, like all of us, are a mixed bag. Some prefer to know questions ahead of time, while others enjoy “winging it.” Some are very concerned about what their picture will look like (the Internet is everlasting and permanent), others really don’t care. For all, I never submit anything for publication until the teacher has reviewed all components and is satisfied with the results. Only one teacher so far has refused to have her talk on the website after she reviewed it.

Rather than the oversimplified reports we are prone to hear from media outlets, the stories teachers have to tell are complex, riveting, introspective, and genuine. They reveal a profession that not only cares deeply for its mission, but stand in direct opposition to the vicious accusations of lazy individuals concerned only about their pensions. The teachers I have spoken with, even the most conflicted for whatever reason, are for lack of a better word, human.

“This year I feel the joy (of teaching) is being sucked from me,” one teacher commented, “The bubble has been burst this year because I am being asked to teach in such a linear way.”

...the stories teachers have to tell are complex,

riveting, introspective, and genuine.

Another teacher reflected: “Sometimes I feel my mission is to repair the damage that has been done to kids by schools. Some kids think they are stupid.”

One teacher mused on the difficulty it was to have her parents agree with her decision to become a teacher, while another shared the struggle of having small children while preparing for a career in the teaching field.

The talks typically run about an hour long and from there I cull a 2 to 4 minute piece for the website. Sometimes I submit more than one excerpt to the teacher for approval because it is so hard for me to choose. I wish I had an editorial board. In all honesty, I have struggled with choosing the best excerpts. In lieu of an editorial board, though, I maintain a single goal: to present the most honest and dignified portrayal of the teacher.

As this project grows, I find myself becoming a better listener. I find opportunities to reflect upon my own journey as a teacher, and while these are difficult and uncertain times for our profession, listening to teachers tell their stories rekindle my passions for the work that we do. This labor of love is a reminder to me that we all have a story to tell and it is worth listening to.

Robert Rivera-Amezola taught fourth grade for 10 years before becoming the computer teacher and TTL at his school. Robert is currently a Curriculum Development Specialist with the Office of Multilingual Curriculum and Programs of the School District of Philadelphia. He became a teacher consultant with the Philadelphia Writing Project in 2005.