I went into education because I love stories.
My undergraduate degree is in theatre performance where I spent four years honing my skills as a storyteller, learning to understand and read people. I came to teaching much later. We moved several times following my husband’s career. I was working in various types of offices, finding myself drained in jobs that felt expendable and empty. I wanted to know that even on my worst day, my time was being spent on a worthwhile mission.
I was in the classroom for 11 wonderful and incredibly challenging years before moving into a leadership role as an instructional coach. So what has kept me in education? The same reason I majored in theatre: I love stories. I love getting to know the kids and the teachers who teach them. I love that for one brief year my story gets interwoven with their story, and we go forward, taking what we learned from each other and influencing the lives of others.
At the beginning of my career I had a student with a complicated history. He carried deep anger from trauma he couldn’t understand. He sharpened his scissors on the metal frame of his desk and cut himself when my back was turned. I couldn’t identify his triggers and his behavior would escalate unpredictably. I conferenced with his family as often as I could get them to come to the school. It was such a trying year, but in those nine months he and I grew so much. Looking back, I have no idea how he did on the state test, but I do remember the last day of school. My class and I cleaned our room, pushed the desks aside, and sat down in a circle. I asked them to share their favorite day in 4th grade. Most of them answered as expected, “this project, or that project, or my friends…” but when it came to him, his eyes welled up and he looked right at me and said, “Every day was my favorite day Mrs. Kern”.
There have been other similar students in my years of teaching. Some stick out in my mind and others fade. That experience changed me. I became a significant character in his story and he in mine. I carry his face into each year that I teach. I pursued a masters degree in educational leadership at Mount Union because I wanted to better serve all of my students, both past and future. I strive to continue learning because I want to have the best tools at my disposal, making sure I am equipped for success in any educational position that will help people's stories be told.
Human beings have been telling stories since the beginning of time. It’s the way we warn and prepare the next generation, the way we raise our children, the way we celebrate each other and connect. Human beings are made to connect. I truly believe that this is true for both our relationships with students and with each other.
So why am I here? I’m here to tell stories, but more importantly, I’m here to help lead people to tell their stories.
My undergraduate degree is in theatre performance where I spent four years honing my skills as a storyteller, learning to understand and read people. I came to teaching much later. We moved several times following my husband’s career. I was working in various types of offices, finding myself drained in jobs that felt expendable and empty. I wanted to know that even on my worst day, my time was being spent on a worthwhile mission.
I was in the classroom for 11 wonderful and incredibly challenging years before moving into a leadership role as an instructional coach. So what has kept me in education? The same reason I majored in theatre: I love stories. I love getting to know the kids and the teachers who teach them. I love that for one brief year my story gets interwoven with their story, and we go forward, taking what we learned from each other and influencing the lives of others.
At the beginning of my career I had a student with a complicated history. He carried deep anger from trauma he couldn’t understand. He sharpened his scissors on the metal frame of his desk and cut himself when my back was turned. I couldn’t identify his triggers and his behavior would escalate unpredictably. I conferenced with his family as often as I could get them to come to the school. It was such a trying year, but in those nine months he and I grew so much. Looking back, I have no idea how he did on the state test, but I do remember the last day of school. My class and I cleaned our room, pushed the desks aside, and sat down in a circle. I asked them to share their favorite day in 4th grade. Most of them answered as expected, “this project, or that project, or my friends…” but when it came to him, his eyes welled up and he looked right at me and said, “Every day was my favorite day Mrs. Kern”.
There have been other similar students in my years of teaching. Some stick out in my mind and others fade. That experience changed me. I became a significant character in his story and he in mine. I carry his face into each year that I teach. I pursued a masters degree in educational leadership at Mount Union because I wanted to better serve all of my students, both past and future. I strive to continue learning because I want to have the best tools at my disposal, making sure I am equipped for success in any educational position that will help people's stories be told.
Human beings have been telling stories since the beginning of time. It’s the way we warn and prepare the next generation, the way we raise our children, the way we celebrate each other and connect. Human beings are made to connect. I truly believe that this is true for both our relationships with students and with each other.
So why am I here? I’m here to tell stories, but more importantly, I’m here to help lead people to tell their stories.