Teaching in a Pandemic Reflection Series (North Panola)

Kayleigh Aicklen, Alex Bailey, & Dottie Reid

The following is from an interview with Kayleigh Aicklen, Alex Bailey, & Dottie Reid. All three entered MTC together in 2019, and all three are currently teaching in the North Panola School District.

1. WHAT DREW EACH OF YOU TO JOIN THE MISSISSIPPI TEACHER CORPS?

Alex: When I was a sophomore in undergrad, we had listservs which gave out information about different programs. I happened upon an email that featured MTC. I was actually trying to figure out how I could get my major or minor involved with education in some way. I checked out the website, went through all of the tabs, watched the video, and read about all of the placement locations. That afternoon, I messaged the program coordinator at that time, Hunter Holt, as well as other UNC/MTC alumni. I spoke with Daniel Pollitt for a couple hours. I guess you could say MTC kind of found me.

Kayleigh: I think my journey to the program was somewhat similar to Alex’s. I found myself nearing the end of college, and I was uncertain about what to do next. I was uninterested in the direct career paths that followed my major. I knew someone who was one year ahead of me, and she had joined MTC. She was brilliant, and I spoke with her about the program. I trusted her, and then I trusted the purpose of the program. So here I am. 

Dottie: I was childhood best friends with Dean Rock’s daughters, and he told me when I was in eighth grade that I was going to be a teacher. I didn't believe him. And sure enough, at Ole Miss I majored in Math and minored in Public Policy and Education. So what was going to do with all of that? It was the spring of my senior year, and Dean Rock was like, “You know, you could look into the Mississippi Teacher Corps.” I looked at some similar teacher residency programs. But then, I realized that I wanted to teach in Mississippi. My passion is with Mississippi, and Dean Rock called it when I was so young. 

2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING LIKE IN MTC?

Kayleigh: In a word, I would say a whirlwind. What else is to be expected during your first year of teaching. So many decisions. Lots of laughs. It was the most challenging year of my life but also the most rewarding.

Alex: I would agree with Kayleigh. The two words that come to mind are exhaustion and rewarding. I think I learned a lot about myself. I vividly remember the Saturday of the second-year BBQ talking with Alyx Chaivre. She told me, “Get ready to learn a lot about yourself.” I thought I kind of knew what she meant, but it really revealed itself in so many strange ways throughout the year. For example, my patience was definitely tested this past year teaching middle school. But even in the hard parts, I always felt reaffirmed in my capacity to stick with it.  

Dottie: Tiring. I was talking to a girl recently about MTC, and I remember saying that I remember the three days when I cried during the year. But I also remember the funniest times I’ve had with students. I’ve had a lot of tough days. But I can tell you my favorite stories about kids. I think that is really special. In your first year, you don’t get a lot of wins compared to how many down moments you have. But even with all of the stress and pressure, I look back at my first year and think about the good things that happened. I also remember Liv giving me great advice on the bad days by saying, “You’re never going to have to redo this day again.” 

3. HOW WAS THIS SUMMER?

Dottie: It was definitely a bummer not getting to do a second-year summer where you walk in and get to be a boss at Holly Springs. But as far as the online version of summer school, we were set up with our website pretty early on in the spring semester. We had worked a lot digitally; so when it finally rolled around, we had so much covered due to the website making class. A lot of the team-building came from everyone having to troubleshoot the same thing. We helped each other. I also enjoyed the wellness things we did, and the trivia was super fun. Oh, and I really enjoyed the Book Club. There were just lots of opportunities to get to know everyone. 

Kayleigh: I don’t think it is a stretch to say that we were disappointed that we didn’t get to show our newfound confidence and skills to our peers, colleagues, and students in person. But we got to learn a lot of things that we didn’t think we would need in the school year. It taught me so many great things that were applicable to teaching in a virtual classroom. I mean who thought we’d actually end up having to teach a full semester, and maybe even more, virtually? 

Alex: It was a blessing in the current circumstances to get so much practice with virtual teaching before the school year began. I have benefited from that tremendously and have definitely used some of those fun engagement strategies this semester. The other thing that I really appreciated was the wellness challenge and the social events that were planned. It was definitely something that I hope so strongly that the program will continue to have. It was such a great building block for inter-program relationships. Unfortunately, I don’t think I got to know the new first-years really well, but on the flip side, I feel like I got to know TEAM so much better. It happened in such a more natural, collaborative way. I loved the trivia and the self-care challenge. I just thought that was so healthy. I hope that MTC will carry with it some of those virtual events in the future.

4. WHAT HAS THIS FALL SEMESTER BEEN LIKE FOR YOU AS A TEACHER?

Kayleigh: I think the nature of the pandemic is frustrating. I miss the kids a ton. That’s where the joy of the job comes from - seeing them develop as people and make connections. All of that is so much more difficult to do virtually. It’s just hard to connect with them, and even harder to gauge their understanding of content.

Dottie: I realized how much more confident I am, even though we are in a virtual setting. I felt like I was more of myself. I felt like I had to be super strict my first year. That doesn’t mesh with my actual personality. I realize that there isn’t one way to be a teacher, so I’m glad I’m more confident in that area now. I feel way more like myself this fall.

Alex: It’s been eye-opening. The pandemic and the setting have afforded this incredible opportunity to teach without the stress of classroom management, which has been a big deal for me. At some point in the last few months, someone said, “You know, there are people who teach because they love the kids, and then there are people who teach because they like to plan and create.” I think what the coronavirus has done for me is taught me that I love teaching more for that creative process. Which I think is okay. I don’t not love seeing the kids everyday, but I get more joy by creating content and putting together slides. I think it’s a really healthy realization.

5. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES (THE OVERALL COMMUNITY) DURING THIS TIME?

Dottie: I feel like I didn’t get to know that much about my students my first year. Now, I have been able to chat with them one-on-one through Google Meets and I gave like 10 interests surveys. A lot of the students, even though they're in 8th grade, have gotten jobs over the pandemic. They’re spending so much more time at home, so they’re helping out. One of my students is helping his mom out by driving a truck on the weekends. I’ve also learned that internet access needs to be more of a right than a privilege. A lot of the kids were having problems even when we did go one-to-one with the chromebooks. They didn’t have reliable internet. 

Kayleigh: My kids miss coming to school. My job is something that can seem so arduous, and my students can sometimes moan and groan. But they look forward to coming to school. They miss their friends. They miss their teachers. Everyone is just trying to do their best and that looks different for all of my students. So, I can’t even pretend to know or understand what all of them are actually going through.

Alex: They’re all very different and unique. No child is in the exact same place or reacts the same way. Some families are more independent and able to put more effort into their assignments, while some aren’t in that situation. I would say the pandemic has highlighted how different all of our students and families are.

6. WHO HAVE YOU LEANED ON FOR SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME?

Alex: I have relied mostly on the wonderful, amazing faculty at North Panola. The teachers that we work with are some of the most incredible people. There is no one like the teachers in your building who get the struggle. I also love talking to Ms. G and Ms. Craft about the struggle of teaching in this time period. 

Kayleigh: I'm right there with you. The teachers at the high school are fantastic as well. However, I find myself relying more on MTC teachers who have already graduated from the program. They truly understand my current life and are right there next to me during all of the trials and tribulations.

Dottie: My North Panola friends from MTC - Ms. G, Ms. Bailey, Ms. Aicklen, & Ms. Le - they’ve all been great. But some of the veteran teachers that I work with have been so great about making me laugh and keeping the mood light-hearted, so I don’t dread coming back to work the next day. I’ve gotten to know my co-workers so much better this year. They’ve just given such great advice during this time period too.

7. WHAT HAS BEEN ONE UNEXPECTED SILVER LINING ABOUT TEACHING THIS SEMESTER?

Kayleigh: Definitely the unity of our staff. Because the school district made the decision to go virtual, our administration has put a big emphasis on team-building. I’ve gotten to know and appreciate so many of my fellow educators on a whole new level. This year it feels like we genuinely like each other and trust each other’s abilities.

Dottie: With the semester being virtual, I can get a lot more done at school than I used to. I get more lesson plans and other things done at school. It’s been such a great experience to leave work at school, and be able to devote time to things I enjoy. I started a book challenge with my students, and I’m sharing what I’m reading on Google Classroom and Instagram. This has been great for my students to see that Ms. Reid teaches math, but she also loves reading. Also, reading just makes me feel like a human again. 

Alex: I guess the overall amount of time that I have been gifted on a personal level as well as in the school building. I love getting to have 30 minutes for lunch, and not choking my food down in a small amount of time while also monitoring students. I’ve been able to sit with other adults and faculty and enjoy lunch. It’s been really special to get to do that with my colleagues. Also, just the time at home. I’m not one to leave work on time, but I leave earlier than I used to, and now I get to enjoy being home a little more. I watched a movie a few nights ago on a Wednesday. I never would have done that a year ago.

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE NORTH PANOLA COMMUNITY?

Kayleigh: Definitely our students. I would argue that we have the best kids. They are dynamic, personable, bright, and persevering scholars. I don’t care who says otherwise. Our kids have the best personalities, even when sometimes it’s a challenge.

Dottie: I think my favorite is that it’s really neat to see that students have improved in some way over the past nine months. I also think it’s so cool to see students I had last year who I thought didn’t like me at basketball or football games and they say, “Hey Ms. Reid!” Just about every student has had some kind of growth from last year, so that is very cool.

Alex: What I’m learning as a second-year is just the amount of pride people from North Panola have. They’re very “ride or die” for North Panola. They’re so proud to be North Panola, and I never really experienced that before. And now they associate me, us, with being a part of that North Panola community. I feel very supported by the teachers around me. Year one they don’t really know you, and year two is like you’re now members of such a powerful, inclusive setting.