Serendipity (Ms. Afrika)

You know how you've had a really rough go of it, and choose to transition with hopes of things getting better . . . and then they actually seem to get worse? That's what 2014 was like for me professionally. I had been working as the Curriculum and Instruction Director for a history and civics educational non-profit, and while I enjoyed redesigning curriculum and providing culturally responsive and curricular professional development for teachers, I missed engaging in authentic teacher development.The professional development workshops I designed and facilitated were well-received, but I didn't have contact with the teachers after the initial training, and I know how essential on-going support is, and how tranformative it can be. I love that work. I am far more satisfied by providing on-going support for a smaller group of teachers than I am facilitating single sessions for large numbers of teachers, especially with something as important as culturally responsive teaching.

So I applied for and accepted a position as a Curriculum and Instruction Director at a school that I thought would allow me to engage in this kind of work. When I was offered the position, I was surprised when I was asked, "What if we call your position Director of Multicultural Practice and Social Studies Chair?" But I figured it was just a title change. Someone wouldn't just offer you a totally different job than what you applied and interviewed for without explicitly telling you that, right? Turns out that someone else was put in place as the Curriculum and Instruction Director. It was definitely a red flag for me, but by that time I had already given notice at my job and stopped my search, so I tried to make the best of it. Oh yeah, and all administrators have some teaching responsibilities to stay connected to the students. Hmm . . . yeah, it is good for administrators to stay grounded, right?

The role ended up being primarily a teaching role where I was responsible for one section of Ancient Civilizations for the 6th grade Monday through Friday, and to be present while one of the Teaching Fellows taught the other section. No other grade level had two groups of students. Just 6th grade. As a teacher, I also had lunch, recess and dismissal duties (which I hated when I had been a classroom teacher before). Dismissal duty nights were particularly hard because chapel started at 7:50, and school didn't end until 5. We had to stay until every child was picked up (when the weather was bad, dismissal duty felt like it lasted forever). My commute home was about 45 minutes, so dismissal duty nights were exhausting.

Although I was
expecting to mostly be an administrator, the teaching responsibilities might not have been so bad if the classes didn't occur every day, or if I were teaching something I was really interested in like African-American History, or Equity and Social Justice. Had I been given the opportunity, I could have designed an amazing social studies class that was highly relevant for our students. Interestingly enough, though, I didn't have any say over what I'd teach, or what text I'd use, even though I was allegedly the Social Studies Chair. I had been offered a contract in March when the curricular decisions were being made, and I let the school know I was available to meet, but was never invited to participate. To top it off, I was also assigned to teach health 😒.

Serendipity: I have worked in the education field since 1998, and although a couple of groups of students have come close, no group of students has captured my heart like this group of young ladies - 6 Gold and 6 Red (15 girls in each class). I never really enjoyed teaching Ancient Civ, but things I thought I'd dread, I began to look forward to, like being able to eat with them during lunch duty, and talk and laugh with them during recess duty. I enjoyed time with them during chapel, and sitting around together during the break before class started each day. Teaching health was HILARIOUS and very, uh . . . surprising. They had some very interesting ideas to share. I loved watching them enjoy Flocabulary videos, and no ego boost could top coming to class to the girls writing how much they loved me on the whiteboard, and even singing and dancing to Shakira's Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) in tribute to me as I entered the room.

I tried to hang in there, mostly because I loved the girls so much, but I was spending most of my time planning and grading lessons and homework, and not really engaging in teacher development, which is what I love and expected to be doing, so I decided to leave at the end of December for a coaching position. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. In the short time I was at the school, I absolutely fell in love with my girls.

I was blessed to be able to attend their 8th grade graduation dinner and graduation this past week. I am so proud of who they are! Cairo is in the same grade, so I've witnessed the transformation of an 8th grader in my own home on a daily basis this year. I've stayed connected to most of the girls through social media, but seeing them in person! Wow! These young ladies are strong, insightful, intelligent, passionate, hilarious, talented, beautiful, and a myriad other amazing things. Although the circumstances under which I connected with these young ladies was unexpected and disappointing, I would not trade my time with them for anything in the world.

Congratulations, Ladies! You deserve the best of all that life has to offer, and I know you'll change the world with your incredible selves. I am doing what I love, and I hope you all go on to do the same. I will forever be your Ms. Afrika, and you will always be my girls.