The Multiple Hats That Teachers Wear

By Frances Provencio

Every branch of knowledge (all disciplines) that exists is manifested in the teacher role, be it at the elementary, middle, or high school. A teacher is a disciplinarian, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a nurse, a surrogate parent, a coach, a cheerleader, and an advocate to mention a few. Never before as in present day has the teacher role been placed in a position to deal with issues far removed from the actual role of imparting knowledge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643502700

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The Multiple Hats That Teachers Wear

Frances Provencio

Copyright © 2018 Frances Provencio

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64350-269-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64350-271-7 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-64350-270-0 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Dedication

To the ONE (Father God, Creator, Omnipresent, Omniscience, Omnipotent, to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit).

To my husband Ray and daughter C.J. for encouragement in pursuing the writing of this book.

To teachers everywhere, those new and those seasoned. You are the backbone of the schools in America! Never before as in present day have you, the teacher, been placed in a position having to deal with issues far removed from the actual role of imparting knowledge.

I tip my hat to you, in fact, I tip all my hats to you!

Introduction

In the role of the teacher there exist multiple roles but more importantly within the teacher role exist all academic disciplines or, as universities refer to, fields of study. Teachers function in many roles, perhaps up to twenty-one, as addressed in this book. These roles are referred to as the multiple hats that teachers wear. A teacher may be seen and described as someone who imparts knowledge, yet few realize that in that role there lie many more behaviors and responsibilities. A teacher is someone who may be teaching one moment and may be assessing in another, conducting a mini-lesson one moment and referring students to the nurse the next. It is a constant intertwining and weighing of determinations that create unknown results. One dictionary ¹⁵ defines the wearing of many hats as when a person functions in more than one capacity or fills two or more positions as in the president of a company also serving as its chief financial officer. That said, a teacher functions and wears the hat of an educator, a nurse, a surrogate parent, a coach, a first responder, a psychologist, psychiatrist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, aesthetician, an advocate, a linguist, a chaperone, a storyteller, a patriot, and one other role referred to in this book as a helmet.

As a forty-two-year veteran in the field of education, I have seen firsthand and served in all the roles described above. Being seasoned includes what an Australian expression refers to having been there, done that. If you have taught more than one grade level, you are seasoned and you really have been there and done that and, I like to say, got the t-shirt for it. My nickname is Mrs. Pro. I consider myself a professional in the field of education. At one point in time my license plate read Mrs. Pro until someone stole the front plate. That was when I was an assistant principal at the high-school level. I am quite sure it was a dare and am also quite sure it hangs as a trophy on someone’s wall. This educator has taught every grade in elementary and coursework at the postsecondary level. Postsecondary courses are courses at the community-college level and university. Been there, done that!

Early childhood has many challenges. Along with instruction comes the socialization of children. These are the formative years. Getting along with others, knowing how to take turns, and developing acceptable character traits while identifying learning aspects is a challenge. A lot of modeling takes place. It is draining! Every single minute of the day is consumed with setting an example in speech and in actions. Early childhood teachers fear the upper grades. They claim the older students (third to fifth grade) need a firm hand of discipline and cower out of teaching those grades. I personally prefer the upper grades because one can see the gains more distinctly.

Postsecondary education has its advantages. Students normally have to pay for their course work and earn semester credits toward a degree, so therefore they are more apt to exert genuine effort into their studies. I recall teaching a basic course at the community-college level. One of the topics was over controversial issues. Students had to select and prepare a defense over a current controversial issue. Those issues included being prolife, being prochoice, vaccinations, gun control, terrorism, euthanasia, and assisted suicide among others. Six out of ten students chose to write and defend abortion. The course also gave students opportunities to find out if they functioned better in the morning or in the evening, meaning, are they early birds or night owls? A student in evaluating me, the instructor, was thankful for having viewed portions of Bowling for Columbine presented in class. In the documentary, it shows the students overtaking the school and rampant shooting those in their way. More impressive for that student was viewing the 9-11 attack where the airplanes flew into the New York City Twin Towers. She said she cried having seen this.

As a lifetime second-language learner, I am an aficionado and fervently seek learning words and terminology as evidenced throughout this book. I will refer to dictionaries and thesauruses to further explain educational terms. I read somewhere that when Malcolm X spent time in jail, he read the dictionary from beginning to end. He too was an aficionado. Aficionados are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject. I mentioned that I am a lifetime second-language learner, Spanish being my first language or my mother tongue, but in reality I think this has flip-flopped in that I speak better English than Spanish. Put me next to a native Spanish speaker from Mexico, and I feel inadequate with my Spanish. It happens when I sit and talk with relatives from Mexico, but on the flip side, they feel equally as awkward in the presence of an English speaker. It has something to do with limited Spanish proficiency and vice versa, English language proficiency.

What is meant by being a seasoned teacher? The many opportunities given one in this profession are abundant. Of course, it all stems from what one takes away from it. Teaching, no matter if at the lower grades, the upper grades, or postsecondary offers for the individual opportunities to relearn things taught. I know I became a better math teacher having taught math to fifth-grade students. Math is one subject educators for, whatever reason, shun.

Teaching also has its perks. The profession offers winter and spring breaks aside from a three-month vacation. One can earn extra income by taking on extra responsibilities such as after-school tutoring and summer-school teaching. One can earn stipends for teaching under special assignments such as bilingual education, ESL, or sponsoring after-school activities such as coaching sports and cheerleading.

Teaching has offered me great rewards and benefits. I have some regrets in life, but becoming a teacher has not been one of them.

One thing teachers need to do, though, is to display their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the classroom. If one goes to a doctor’s office, a veterinary clinic, a realtor’s office, even to a hairstylist, they all display their certifications. Teachers overall have yet to catch the vision of this practice.

Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.

—Vince Lombardi

To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.

—Dr. Seuss

Destination classroom

So, you earned your bachelor’s degree. You dedicated your junior and senior years in education courses that gave you book knowledge about the teaching profession. Not so quick! You must now get certified to become a teacher. Next step is to become an apprentice for a couple of semesters by placing yourself under the tutelage of another educator. You will gain strategies and skills, and this apprenticeship will give you exposure to the education environment. You will have privileged access to school-building corridors, teacher lounges, classrooms, as well as tools and academia. A certain jargon that is peculiar to the education field will be acquired. Enter into the profession of which countless for many reasons see as their career destination but may end up not being their forte. One does not end up in the classroom by chance or by accident. It is a purposeful, heartfelt inclination to teach. According to Collins English Dictionary, ⁵ destination is predetermined. It can also mean the ultimate end or purpose for which a person is destined.

Apprentice student teachers hope to be assigned to a sharp, experienced, top-notch mentor. One who will share and not withhold expertise. One who will allow you to test your strengths and weaknesses yet provide feedback that molds you to develop your own style.

On the flip side is the mentor teacher, an expert in the field. To consider yourself a mentor, see to it that you do have something to offer the apprentice. Know that that student teacher you agreed to enter your classroom is hanging on every word and action that you emit. The example set for this new aspiring teacher determines whether this student teacher becomes you. On the other hand, student teaching weeds out poor teachers.

Become a high-caliber educator. Unbeknownst to many, an educator wears many hats in this profession. You will be an example in actions and in words. You will be highly disciplined, truthful, firm, and strict yet flexible. Teaching is not a profession where one goes in to collect a paycheck. The teacher professional-evaluation system is too rigorous to pretend to want to teach. For purposes of this book, the term teacher and educator are used interchangeably for reasons that a teacher may not function as one at the university level but may still be considered an educator or more precisely an instructor and/or a faculty member and may even be known as an adjunct faculty member if not fully tenured.

The aforementioned hat will not fit snuggly should the individual refuse to put in the time, effort, and willingness to learn the profession. Expect to take work home. Most work such as grading is not always accomplished during the school day and may even burden someone unprepared to dedicate time and effort into the