When I was younger, I never thought to live on an island; in fact, I never thought to be a teacher. Yet here I am, living 15 miles offshore, with 56 kids of my own. The question is: what does it take to be an island teacher? I’m not completely sure yet, but I have learned some very important life lessons as each day brings its own challenges:
In the end, it is all about community;
Relevancy is key, but there is a whole big world out there;
We are the role models we searched for as children.
Community cannot be placed any lower than the top when teaching in any setting. It is the island community that has invited us here, and entrusted us with the education of its children. As a teacher, I must work hard to integrate the island community into our school community. This can be a daunting process for the teacher from “away” as well as for the parents coming into the realm of the school. I think that too often teachers forget how intimidating they can be to parents, and vice versa. But I have found that by getting involved in projects and organizations in town, I have gained friendships that allow me to invite parents into my classroom more freely. Once the invitation is out there, I am continually amazed at the overwhelming response.
Now perhaps you are thinking, “I go to my child’s classroom all the time.” The elementary school and even the middle school enjoy the presence of parents much more often than the high school does, however. It is as if we feel high school kids are too old for help. But I can honestly say that the best lessons I have taught to my students this year involved parents. The opportunities for parent involvement were wide and varied and bent towards each person’s strengths: reading and storytelling, creating and presenting, and sometimes, simply listening. There is no way for me to give everything to these kids – I must involve the community to ensure they receive the best education the island can offer. Without family support and involvement, education at any level is bound to fail, and we teachers must recognize how very lucky we are to have such an inexhaustible resource.
When I was a student teacher, my host teacher and education professors repeatedly emphasized that relevancy is key. To get interested, the kids must see that a lesson can apply to their daily lives. I believe this is a good focus for teachers to begin with, but there must always be a look to the larger picture. Students must see how they will fit into the island, but also into the world. Margaret Wise Brown’s book The Little Island talks about all the benefits of island life and the island world, but she ends with the lines, “And it was good to be a little Island./ A part of the world/ and a world of its own/ all surrounded by the bright blue sea.” It is imperative for island teachers to provide students with a firm understanding of their island’s culture, heritage, ecosystem and much more. Then, teachers must connect it to the larger picture. Through this holistic understanding of the world and our place in it, students will be better able to become responsible citizens and conscientious community members.
As children, we each had someone to whom we looked to for advice and example. Now I find myself in a strange situation. I am that role model. I say strange, because I have not, as of yet, reached my own potential in life, yet I must begin to help my students realize theirs. I find that with only about 1,200 people on the island, not only are my actions noticed by my students, but also by my community. As such, I have learned the importance of knowing that my choices are being watched. I do not drink, I do not smoke, and I do not seek an out through substances. I hope to offer students a glimpse of the “all-natural high”: an early morning walk around Lane’s Island, a great weekend skiing at Sugarloaf, a good book on a rainy day, a free ice cream cone when the Harbor Gawker re-opens. Through the choices I make, I teach. And it is so for all members of the school and larger community. We must shove off that tempting aphorism “Do as I say, not as I do.” I believe the future of our community depends on it.
I am a teacher, certified by the State of Maine. I have that piece of paper, but we all have the heart to be teachers to our children. Through community, an understanding of our place in the larger world, and positive role modeling, we will produce generations of success.
Emily Wright teaches on Vinalhaven.