My Credo by Sebrina Shields

I’ve been privileged to teach students both general education as well as those that receive

special education services. I could spend days on personal stories in which I have either laughed

or have been close to tears. One recent experience really captured the essence of what I feel is

important as an educator.

Currently, as a teacher leader for students that have severe cognitive and physical

disabilities, I can easily say has been the most enriching. My current students are frequently faced

with extreme medical dilemmas in which I offer school homebound services. On one of my recent

visits, it was raining cats and dogs. I suited up in my rain gear, loaded my case full of activities

and sported a black umbrella to see a 12-year old girl that has been absent from school. Being the

musical person that I am, I begin to visualize Mary Poppins, the magical nanny of 2 children

frequently ignored by their rich but overworked father. I chuckled for even thinking of myself as

this character as I climbed the stairs to her home. Her grandmother called to her and she ran from

her room, nearly knocking me over with an enthusiastic hug.

This is what makes the challenge of teaching worth it…this type of lightning-bolt moment

where you see and feel the difference make in the life of child. It happens in various ways for

teachers. It happens when you walk through the door of a sick child who craves interaction and

school work again. It occurs after a week of inspirational learning after struggling in a new

classroom for months. It’s the time when you are bound and determined to provide a challenge to

an advanced student to ensure they are not left behind either. How about when you have given

up on trying to figure out what motivates a student, then ask a colleague and they figure them out

in a 10-minute conversation. It is in the field of education that these interactions impact children

for years to come, but just as important, keep teachers understanding why we teach.
 It is also my admonishment. These moments can become lost in the political,

organizational struggles we face as educators. Low pay, increased workload and at time

insurmountable expectations are commonplace. However, if the decision is to stay, as it has been

for me, I implore that you to compartmentalize these frustrations from your personal interactions

with our most precious customer, our students.

Every day is not a magical scene full of rooftops and chimney sweeps, but I can attest to

one thing, I try to make the climate and culture in my classroom one that is conducive to learning

and growth, for all who enter (please humor my dramatic flair). As the song “a spoonful of sugar

makes the medicine go down” my Mary Poppins analogy need further consideration. I begin to I

analyze her antics in comparison to my teaching philosophy and to my amazement (maybe not to

my co-workers) there were several concepts gleaned from an article about Mary Poppins. My

analysis looks at 10 of 11 lesson from the article (article verbiage in italics):

1. Metaphors are your friends. Mary said in her sing-song voice to the children that she kept,

“Sometimes a person we love, through no fault of his own, can’t see past the end of his

nose.” What a nice way of saying “people are oblivious” while still being whimsical and

charming. And “that’s a piecrust promise; easily made, easily broken” is pure genius”.

As interceders in so many interactions for parents, students, co-workers, administrators,

the ability to be diplomatic in when delivering information can be very useful. Mary was

able to address the children about their father’s inattention in a metaphoric way.

2. Always be prepared. Lamp? Check. Mirror? Check. Hat stand? Check. Wildly accurate

tape measure featuring names of Banks children? Check. As one kindergarten teacher of
 30 years told me. “I never leave the room unless I am prepared for the next day”. Many

of failed classroom management scenarios are rooted in lack of preparation.

3. Subvert Expectations. Anyone can slide down a banister. Up? That’s a new one. It’s good

not to be too predictable. Being prepared is different than being predictable, bring

innovation and allow for creativity in your lessons or in your planning.

4. Pick your friends very carefully. It is very tempting to be best buddies with those you

work with. If you do, make sure you can exercise professional distances, especially if you

desire to become an administrator.

5. Never judge things by their appearance. People and children to not wear their challenges

or struggles on their sleeves or foreheads. Exercise universal fairness and equity to those

you interact with. Both chimney sweeps and rich fathers had their own set of challenges.

6. Dress the part. It shouldn’t matter what we wear if we are great educators. Guess again.

You stop at stop signs because they look a certain way. A professional appearance adds to

a professional demeanor. Mary was always in her nanny uniform!

7. Have a cheery disposition. Pollyannaish? Maybe, but never let someone else’s attitude

change yours. Don’t be read by your emotions, because children can read them like they

read classics in their advanced literature classes.

8. Read the room. Mary sang, “stay awake” to sleepy kids…reverse psychology at its best.

This applies to staff meetings, board meetings and your own class’s group dynamics. They

can fluctuate with the absence or presence of an alpha child or adult.

9. Choose your words carefully. A frustrated teacher can destroy a semester of classroom

management by the words spoken to a challenging student. Relationships with parents can
 falter by becoming defensive in the heat of the moment. Watch your tone and words. You

can always say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

10. Finally, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Remember

those lightning bolt moments when you see a former student that remembers an interaction

you may have long forgot, or a co-worker who appreciates when you took a child in your

room and avoided the child being suspended or your co-worker jeopardizing their job.

Although the Disney Movie “Mary Poppins” provided much wisdom for teachers to live

by, it is truly the students that I encounter daily that teach me more than words could express. My

students show up daily with tracheotomies and feeding tubes and smiles for me when I walk

through the door. They teach me to marvel at the persistence of their parents who prepare their

children day after day, sometimes spending an hour feeding, changing, lifting and medicating their

child just to be able to ride the bus for school.

It is I who am blessed to be able to care for them, teach them and explain to others who

may stare at their differences that it is ok to say hello and greet my students by name. I am

humbled that I can be a bridge between my students and those who look at the outward disabilities

and miss who they are. I am also humbled that life lessons can be learned from a Disney movie if

you remain open and attentive.

10 of 11 Lessons and words in italics from Mary Poppins movie courtesy of www.ohmydisney.com