West Virginia: Letters to Future Educators

Michelle Wolfe (WV ’21)
English teacher, East Hardy High School | Baker

Dear Future Teacher,

If you are looking for a career that will give your life purpose, you have come to the right place. Mr. Rogers once said, “Love is the root of everything — all learning, all parenting, all relationships — love or the lack of it.” As you begin you career as a teacher, the best advice I can give you is to lead with love.

First, love what you teach. Let your passions be an important part of your instruction. My days as a teacher simultaneously feel like a marathon and a heartbeat. I work very hard, but I start my day, and I blink, and the buses carry my students away. I am never bored because I choose units and texts about which I feel passionate. I find ways to connect reading and writing skills to interests I share with my students. In my English class, we talk about poetry and football, Shakespeare and dirt bikes, essays and space exploration. I give students plenty of opportunities to explore the things they love. Rigor and joy are not mutually exclusive in a classroom.

Most importantly, love the people you teach. You will have to choose to love your students, even the difficult ones on the difficult days. Don’t let lack of love define their experience in your classroom. Learn all you can about your students and show genuine care for them. Think of them as both brains and whole beings.

Let the science of learning and human compassion guide your choices. Know that the most meaningful feedback you can give is positive. Dr. Peter Elbow claims that “the most instructive form of assessment we can do is liking…. [It] is not a mushy, subjective, sentimental means to promote self-esteem, but a precise tool for helping students internalize a set of standards.” When you are grading or assessing, you should make a point to say, “This is good; do more of this.” I have found over and over again that pointing out what you like or love is motivating to students, and not just academically. “Liking” promotes more positive behaviors as well. Teaching can sometimes be synonymous with praising. Research shows we see more brain development when a person feels confident and competent. When your students feel that they are loved, they will show you that they can be great.

There will be frustrating, heartbreaking days, too. If I’ve made any part of this job sound too easy or too blissful, I have done a great disservice. However, this work is meaningful, and it is interesting, and it is worth dedicating your life to. You will spend one-third of your life at work. Ken Robinson, an inspirational educator, said, “I meet all kinds of people who don’t enjoy what they do. They simply go through their lives getting on with it. They get no great pleasure from what they do. They endure it rather than enjoy it, and wait for the weekend.” This has not been my experience in education. I love teaching, and you will too. At least in this field, you will know that the work you do matters, and you will help to build confident, compassionate, and passionate young people who will go out and do all those other jobs we desperately need them to do. Lead with love, and you will find your way.