BIG 4.0:A VETERAN TEACHER Dad

I kept getting writer's block every time I sat down to type this post. What do I share? What is the current 'brand' of Francis Pina? Is this website a sunk cost?

This website started as a spiderweb; something to catch all the professional things I did and suck the relevance out of them. Something that would show up first in internet searches of my name. Something to indicate that I do more than clock in and out to teach. However, lately I've been asking myself, why? My pursuit of the National Board Certification and this website have two things in common:

1. Demonstrate to others that my teaching has a greater impact than my identity in my math classroom.

   
   

2. Validation of my hard work in and outside of my classroom.

I was celebrated early on in my career for being a role model for my students. Being a Black male in the math classroom was more impactful than whether or not I was a good teacher. So I took steps to make my teaching more impactful than my identity. I sought validation from non-Black educators and concluded that earning National Board Certification would be that validation, that no one could ignore or disrespect. It feels a little silly in retrospect because the people from whom I needed validation the most were my students, not adults.

The purest validation of my worth as a teacher comes from running into former students and hearing them express joy and appreciation for having me as a teacher.

***SNAPS! ***SNAPS! Thanks for the reminder Maya Angelou

While I finished my pursuit of National Board Certification and hope to see that confetti in December, a new truth has shifted my perspective: I am a veteran teacher with a kid.

VETERAN TEACHER STATUS

A colleague stated that I was a veteran teacher, and my immediate response was to scoff at them. What was intended as a genuine compliment had me in disbelief until I started to really think about it. A veteran teacher is someone who has taught for at least 5+ years, served in a leadership role at their school for at least 2 years, has made yearly iterations of their content to improve student learning outcomes, and is someone other teachers would seek advice from or collaborate with. I surprised myself when I realized that IS me! I became a veteran at some point and did not realize it.

Having confidence in my work and wisdom about the art of teaching has come from being a veteran teacher. I am learning how to consistently throttle my efforts as a teacher because I do not want to burn out or have unnecessary stress. I know what a 90% to 100% output of effort looks and feels like, as well as the ramifications from it. I know that I can efficiently operate between 80% to 85%, throttle up or down to maintain my well-being, and still be an effective teacher. The early-career advice of 'teaching like my hair was on fire' and 'just do it for the kids [because teaching is a calling]' has led too many educators to quit the profession. I know what it feels like to be emotionally manipulated by school administration and run myself ragged by overcommitting to things. I have lasted the last 13 years by learning I can say 'no' to things and by throttling my efforts. The advice I now hold onto is 'work smarter, not harder' and 'determine when you are teaching content versus teaching students'. Both phrases have continued to anchor how I move in and through this teaching profession, along with another change that has altered how I view my students and their parents.

NEW DAD STATUS

I was stunned when I turned 34 and realized I was the same age as some of my 9th graders' parents. This meant I was old enough to be my students' dad! I was no longer the young teacher whom the students could relate to from a generational standpoint, because younger teachers, interns, and City Year corps members fulfilled that role. Then I became a dad at 39, and the importance of my students' well-being became more apparent (see what I did there). Yes, the mathematical content I am teaching is important, but we have to address Maslow before we address Bloom. While I knew this intellectually, being a dad has made me feel it. I knew intellectually what other teachers meant by 'treating students as if they were your kids,' but now I know what that meaning feels like. I might unpack this with nuance in a future blog post.

Becoming a dad has readjusted my priorities: my wife and daughter are those priorities. When I pair this with my veteran teacher status, the separation of home and work has become essential. I will always take some aspect of my work home as a teacher, but I do not need to spend multiple back-to-back nights and full weekend days on school work. Spending hours on one lesson or giving detailed feedback on one assignment to all students will not have the impact I seek. The impact comes from consistency, which creates multiple opportunities for both informal and formal feedback throughout a grading period. The impact comes from being my authentic self and building connections with my students throughout the school year. The impact comes from setting high expectations and offering medium-to-high support. The adage 'don't put all your eggs in one basket,' comes to mind when I think about teaching. Becoming a veteran teacher is about learning to spread those eggs across multiple baskets.

That was all metaphorical, so let me speak plainly. There is not a single assignment, nor a single 45-minute class period, that will match the collective impact of a full school year.

Where does all this leave me? Do I continue to update this website? Do I continue to seek out professional development and presentation opportunities so I can have something to add to my website? Perhaps I should narrow my focus and make this website centered around my research or poetry.

I do not know when I will make these decisions. Either way, I am appreciative of you reading my thoughts and continuing to support or understand me. At the end of the day, these words are meant for me to 'know thyself'.