December 11, 2024 • 52 mins
This week, we’re highlighting an episode of Beyond My Years, our sibling podcast that gives you exclusive access to all the wisdom of veteran educators. Beyond My Years host, Ana Torres, learns from the best as she sits down with 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman. Missy teaches Ana about being open to new ideas and perspectives, offers tips on building relationships with families, and discusses the importance of slowing down. Missy doesn’t shy away from tough topics, like managing the “who knows best” struggles among administrators, teachers, and parents, and knowing when it’s time to step away from teaching, In addition, Classroom Insider Eric Cross and Ana discuss understanding your community, being more flexible in presenting your lessons, and seeking mentorship and continuous growth.
Show notes:
- Connect with Missy Testerman
- Instagram: @missytesterman2024ntoy
- LinkedIn: @missy-testerman
- X: @missytesterman
- Subscribe to Beyond My Years https://amplify.com/beyond-my-years
- Follow us on Instagram @amplify.education
- Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/
- Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/
Quotes:
“Find a mentor. Someone you trust. Listen to that person, watch that person, ask that person questions. You know, you don't have to figure this out on your own. People want to help you and you have to take that help. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you want to be better.” —Missy Testerman
“I want them to be proud of where they came from, always, because that's part of their story. It's always going to be an important part of their story.” —Missy Testerman
“I have no magic answers. I have some experiences and I have a little bit of wisdom from three decades of time spent in the education field, but I absolutely do not have it all figured out.” —Missy Testerman
“The reality is that the journey toward wisdom in any career, especially in education, has to be slow and steady.” —Missy Testerman
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Susan Lambert (00:03):
This is Susan Lambert, and welcome to Science
of Reading (00:05):
The Podcast from Amplify. Today we have a
special treat. We're hearingfrom the 2024 National Teacher
of the Year, Missy Testerman,an ESL teacher from
Rogersville, Tennessee. Just afew months after being honored
with a crystal apple at theWhite House, Testerman joined
(00:26):
Amplify's new podcast Beyond MyYears to talk more about her
career. A career that not onlyincludes ESL instruction, but
decades as a first and secondgrade teacher. Given Missy's
experience teaching literacy,we wanted to share her
perspective with this audiencetoo. So what you're about to
(00:46):
hear is Missy Testerman inconversation with Beyond My
Years host, Ana Torres. If youhaven't gotten to check it out
yet, Beyond My Years featuresAna in conversation with
incredible seasoned educatorslike Missy, who share some of
the secrets to their successfulcareers and hard-earned lessons
they'd like to pass on to newerteachers. Don't forget to
(01:10):
subscribe to Beyond My Yearswherever you listen to this
show. We'll also have a link inthe show notes.
Ana Torres (01:18):
Hi everyone, it's Ana here! Before we get
started, I wanna share a quickmessage with you all. Today's
guest, Missy Testerman is fromRogersville, Tennessee. A part
of the country that's beenaffected by Hurricane Helene.
We recorded this episode withMissy over the summer before
the hurricane. We checked inwith Missy, who shared that
(01:42):
Rogersville was very fortunateto avoid the worst of the
hurricane's damage. But thatthe surrounding areas have
suffered unimaginable losses.
Our thoughts and support arewith everyone impacted by
Helene and its aftermath.
Missy Testerman (01:59):
The thing that I always try to keep in mind,
and I've even said to youngerteachers, is that we're coming
at this from the same angle. Weboth want what's best for kids.
And the reality is that thejourney toward wisdom in any
career, especially ineducation, has to be slow and
steady.
Ana Torres (02:20):
This is Ana Torres, and welcome to Beyond My Years
from Amplify. On each episode,I speak with longtime educators
who share chronicles from theclassroom and some lessons
they'd like to pass on to newerteachers. Well, I have a story
to tell. You know, storytellingtime. I remember coming to the
(02:45):
U.S. at the tender age of sixyears old. And in Panama, there
isn't kindergarten. You goright to first grade. This was
back in the late '70s. And Iremember when my mom was going
to enroll me in the elementaryschool. You know, back then,
bilingual education was verydifferent. It was no, you know,
(03:05):
pull in, push out. It was asink or swim. And so,
unfortunately, my language wasseen as a deficit, versus an
asset. So, as my mom, trying tonavigate this English-speaking
world, was trying to enroll me,of course she didn't know. "My
daughter's in first grade." Andthey're like, "Why didn't she
do kindergarten?" And tried toher best to advocate for me, as
(03:27):
far as, "No, my daughter's verysmart. She doesn't need to be
in kindergarten." Because Ididn't speak English and it was
seen as a deficit, they didenroll me, unfortunately, in
kindergarten, and the onlyreason I was able to make it
through was because thisteacher spoke Spanish. This
teacher, this marvelous teacherthat I had, that didn't have to
(03:47):
do this for me, advocated forme to go to first grade.
Because it's like, "Justbecause she doesn't speak
English does not mean thatshe's not smart." And so, with
that, I have a passion and Ialways had a passion for
advocating not only for mychildren in my classroom, but
also advocating for families,because of what my mother went
(04:09):
through. And getting a littleteared up, 'cause now I'm
remembering that 6-year-oldgirl in school not having the
support that she needed. I saythis story because today's
guest is not only a veteraneducator; she's a big advocate
for people like my mom, butshe's also the 2024 National
Teacher of the Year. This is anaward that dates back to 1952.
(04:34):
The winner is honored at theWhite House and spends a year
traveling the country as anadvocate for the teaching
profession. Her name is MissyTesterman, and I'm so excited
to talk with her about being anadvocate for families. So lemme
(04:54):
give our listeners anintroduction to who I'm talking
to today. Missy Testerman hadbeen teaching first and second
grade for decades. When the ESLteacher at her school left, it
was gonna leave a really bighole for the population of
(05:17):
students there and theirfamilies. Believe it or not,
our guest raised her hand. Icould even envision you raising
both of your hands, Missy. Andyou decided to get your
endorsement to become an ESLteacher, so you could fill that
gap. I am so excited, and Ican't wait to talk about that,
but I'm perhaps even moreexcited to tell our listeners
(05:39):
that you are the 2024 NationalTeacher of the Year. But more
importantly, you are a verystrong advocate for families.
So, without furtherintroduction, I want everyone
to know that I am actually inthe presence of Missy
Testerman. I wish we had one ofthose fake applause signs —
(06:02):
what they have on thosesitcoms? Missy, if I
can ask you how many yearsyou've been in the classroom?
Missy Testerman (06:21):
I just completed my 32nd year of
teaching.
Ana Torres (06:28):
So you are definitely a veteran teacher!
Can you tell me too a littlebit about the district and the
community where you teach?
Missy Testerman (06:36):
Sure. So, I live in a town of 4,500 people,
located in rural eastTennessee. It's a great little
place called Rogersville. Mostof the people who live in our
area have grown up here. Theirgrandparents were here.
Great-grandparents were here.
They have been here a reallylong time. My school is a
one-school school district. Sowe have one enormous building
(07:00):
containing grades pre-K through8. And all of our students, all
of our staff, ouradministrative staff, our
central office people, ourdirector of schools, we're all
contained within this onebuilding.
Ana Torres (07:16):
You said 4,500 total?
Missy Testerman (07:19):
Total, yes.
Ana Torres (07:21):
So shoutout to Rogersville , < laugh> and
listeners out in Rogersville ,shoutout to you . What would
you say is the most surprisingpart of becoming a veteran
educator , if you can call itthat?
Missy Testerman (07:34):
Right. Sure. I think for me, that I never got
tired of it. I'm still nottired of it. I just never have
felt stale or stagnant. I alsohave never felt like I have all
of the answers, because I mostdefinitely do not. So, in that
way, I think it keeps theexcitement of the job still
alive, because I don't have itfigured out. I have no magic
(07:58):
answers. I have someexperiences and I have a little
bit of wisdom from threedecades of time spent in the
education field, but Iabsolutely do not have it all
figured out.
Ana Torres (08:12):
One of the things that I do wanna spotlight,
specifically as I'm talkingwith veteran educators like
yourself, is that perception ofwhat being a veteran educator
means, and having those youngeducators, when they come on
board, you know, sometimesthere can be a butting of
heads. What do you make of thatperception that veteran
(08:32):
educators and younger educatorscan sometimes butt heads?
Missy Testerman (08:39):
It happens.
And I think you have veteranteachers who are, a lot of
times, trying to assert what'sbest for kids, and they feel
like they know because they'vedone it a really long time, and
they've maybe they've beenincredibly successful, and
they're wanting to fast-trackthat wisdom to the next
generation. Well, the nextgeneration, they wanna do
(09:00):
things at their pace, the waythat they've learned. And they
wanna do what's best for kids.
And so, sometimes there is somepushback and so forth. But the
thing that I always try to keepin mind — and I've even said to
younger teachers — we're comingat this from the same angle. We
both want what's best for kids.
And the reality is that thejourney toward wisdom in any
(09:24):
career, especially ineducation, has to be slow and
steady. I was completelyclueless when I started
teaching. Luckily, I had afantastic mentor who didn't
care to gently cajole me intowhat I needed to do. And she
also absolutely did not care tocall me out. It did not bother
(09:45):
her to do that. And there weretimes when I needed that, I
know there were times Ifrustrated her. And I feel like
I'm getting paid back for someof that at times now.
laughs> But everything that Idid, if it was wrong, she had
an answer for a way to go backand rectify it, to fix it, in a
way that kept everyone'sdignity in place. Now,
(10:06):
privately, later, she may havesaid, "That was really the
dumbest thing I've seen youdo." But she still helped me
work through it with love,because she understood if she
killed my spirit, I was done.
And I feel like a lot of times,that may happen for younger
teachers. There are so manydemands; they get their spirit
(10:27):
killed real quickly, and thenthey're just done. They're
done. And this is such astressful job that if you get
that "done" feeling, it'sreally hard to get past that
"done" feeling. It really is.
Because you're being pulledfrom every single angle,
whether it's students, parents,your administrators,
colleagues. And so, as veteranteachers, we have to help guide
(10:51):
our younger cohorts with ourwisdom. But we also have to
take pointers from them. Theyknow lots of things that I do
not know, things that I neverlearned how to do. They also
were students more recentlythan I was. Like, little
students. They were students,you know, 10 years ago. They
(11:11):
remember what it feels likewhen this or that happens to
you. So I think it takes all ofus. The research indicates that
the best school situation forstudents is when you have a
really good mix of veteranteachers, teachers about the
mid-career point — 15 years,and younger teachers. And it
takes all of us to make thatreally great mix, to make a
(11:35):
school fantastic, and be thebest place for kids.
Ana Torres (11:41):
And I'm so glad that you brought that research
part, of just having the mix ofveteran and also newer
teachers. And I also appreciatethat you brought the word
"dignity" here. And again, thatwhen you mentioned that slow
and steady as far as being aveteran teacher — we're veteran
teachers, 'cause we've gonethrough some things that our
(12:03):
newer teachers have not — butalso, valuing what those newer
teachers bring to the table andfinding common ground is
valuable. And I think we bothchatted a little bit about,
Missy, having a strong mentorteacher when we started out was
very, very beneficial for bothof us. To really have someone
(12:25):
strong like that come in andhelp us and guide us. But also,
like you mentioned, give us avoice as well, and help us
navigate a space that can bevery, very challenging. We're
in charge of other people'schildren!
Missy Testerman (12:42):
Yes.
Ana Torres (12:43):
That is something that we carry in a very
different way. And there arethings that happen, too, that
kind of keep us up at night. SoI say that to say that finding
that common ground ... and yousaid it very eloquently,
valuing what others say aswell. We do have wisdom, but
also valuing what our newerteachers bring to the table. I
(13:04):
think always finding commonground is just a beautiful
place to be. Now, it's time toget to your story. So tell us
the story of the moment youknew you wanted to be a
teacher. And don't most of usknow that moment? That we felt
it in our spirit when we wantedto be teachers? I have always
known, since the age of five,when I would go to school and
(13:27):
come home and set my dolls up,and kind of teach them what I
learned.
Missy Testerman (13:34):
I think we have identical stories. If we
had known each other, we couldhave played together. When I
was five and I went tokindergarten, I met my teacher.
Her name was Mrs. Brown. I wasinstantly totally enamored with
her. I wanted to be like her. Iwanted to talk like her. I
suddenly stopped complainingabout wearing dresses. You know
(13:56):
how little girls sometimes gothrough the phase of, "I don't
want to wear a dress"? And shewore dresses every day. So I
also wanted to wear a dressevery day. And I would come
home, like you, and I wouldplay with the dolls. I had a
two-year-old sister and shewould be part of my class. But
you know, I came throughkindergarten in the '70s, and
(14:17):
corporal punishment was still apretty big thing. So a lot of
times she was not a goodstudent. She would not sit
still. She would not stay onher mat. And she needed
spankings. And that did not endwell for me. After a while, I
was not allowed to force her tobe my pupil. But along the way
I had so many teachers whoencouraged me. And I came from
(14:40):
a working-class family. I waswell-loved and my parents
wanted the best for me. But Ididn't have that model of, "How
do you become a teacher?" And Iwas in second grade, and I had
the sweetest, kindest teacherat the time. I thought she was
really old. And it's kind offunny, 'cause I guarantee I'm
older now than she wasat that time.
Ana Torres (15:03):
You thought she was old then, right? Now you can
identify!
Missy Testerman (15:06):
Yes!
Ana Torres (15:06):
You're identifying, like, "Maybe now I'm her!"
Missy Testerman (15:09):
Right? Yes, I'm actually older than Mrs.
Rimer was. But whenever I saidsomething about wanting to be a
— "I wish I could be ateacher!" That was how I said
it. "I wish I could be ateacher." And she said, "You
can be a teacher! You just haveto go to college, and then you
can be a teacher." And that ismy first memory, honestly, of
(15:30):
the word "college," because noone in my world had been to
college. I mean, that justwasn't a thing. My mom, my dad,
my aunts, my uncles, myneighbors — no one. And so then
I was suddenly really obsessedwith the idea of, "What is
college? That is where youlearn to become a teacher." I
didn't understand you couldlearn to become other things.
(15:51):
But honestly, other ideas wouldcome into my head, but nothing
ever replaced the idea of beinga teacher for me.
Ana Torres (16:00):
But what a blessing that we have a Missy.
Missy Testerman (16:04):
Oh, thank you.
Ana Torres (16:05):
A Missy who is the 2024 National Teacher of the
Year. Can you imagine ... whenyou think back to your
trajectory as a teacher, thatyou're now the 2024 National
Teacher of the Year? Because Ican humbly say I was, you know,
Teacher of the Year twice in mydistrict, and I used to, you
(16:25):
know, hang my plaque and be soproud of that. Because when
you're a teacher of the year atyour campus or at your school,
that is peers recognizing whatyou've done. Now, to have
someone like yourself, like yousaid, from humble beginnings,
the National Teacher of theYear. And I think there might
be some assumptions made (16:44):
"Oh, this is probably ... when she
started ... so easy for her!She's the National Teacher of
the Year!" Was the teaching giga breeze for you from the
beginning?
Missy Testerman (16:57):
It absolutely was not. So I worked to pay my
way through college. And so Igraduated in three and a half
years. So I get out of collegein December. Tennessee is in
the midst of the largest budgetcuts in Tennessee history.
(17:19):
There were massive teacherlayoffs. No one had assistants.
Cafeteria workers were cut.
Transportation was cut. And Isomehow, some way, lucked into
an interim job at my school.
And my school was verydifficult to even get a job in
at all, because people loveteaching there. But I ended up
doing a maternity leave for afirst-grade teacher who was in
(17:41):
the area because her husbandwas in medical school; he was
doing residency in our area,and she did not come back. But
I was completely lost. I had acollege degree. I had a license
and a frame that said, youknow, I was a teacher. But I
can remember just the enormity— I'm 21 years old, thinking,
(18:04):
"Who put me in charge of allthese kids?" Because there are
like 30 of them. And who wasthinking this was a great idea?
But I was very fortunate. Oneof the few assistants in the
building was someone who hadbeen there probably seven or
eight years. And she really wasa pivotal, pivotal part in my
(18:28):
development as a teacher. Shejust kind of came in and, in
the beginning, took over.
Because I was lost. Theywouldn't really listen to me. I
didn't have a lot of behavioralmanagement strategies. They
didn't focus on that when I wasin college at all. As a matter
of fact, I don't think it wasever even ... and I watched her
and I learned from her. I canremember coming home and saying
(18:49):
to my husband, like, two weeksinto the job, "Carol really
should be a teacher." Because Iknew that Carol didn't make a
lot of money. So eventually, Istarted pushing and pushing and
pushing Carol to go back andfinish her degree. She ended up
going back; she ended upteaching in my district for 20
years. She was the best teacherthat my daughter ever had, in
(19:12):
third grade. And then now sheserves on our school board. And
I'm so incredibly proud of her,but I'm also so thankful she
and my mentor Mary Jo were thepeople who molded me. 'Cause,
like I said, I was totallyclueless on just running the
classroom day to day, much lessall the extra things that
teachers are asked to do.
Ana Torres (19:32):
And isn't it nice to have someone to be able to
kind of guide us there? Right?
You mentioned 30 students. Iremember having 26. But I was
very idealistic, too. Like, "Igot this!"
Missy Testerman (19:44):
Oh yeah .
Ana Torres (19:44):
You know, I was in administration, and teaching at
colleges, and so I'm like, "Oh,I got this. I was able to do
this stuff with freshmen andsophomores in college." Wow.
What a wake-up call for me.
When I'm in front of 26 fourthgraders who are looking at me
like, "Well, okay, you're on." I literally felt like I
always needed a script and Iwas part of a show.
Missy Testerman (20:08):
Yes!
Ana Torres (20:09):
That first year.
And I think sometimes, too,it's almost that "Fake it 'til
you make it." Like, you knowwhat? I think I know what I'm
doing ... but had it not beenfor that veteran teacher in my
first year, it would've beenkind of a rough road. And
speaking of rough roads, I knowthat this — and can happen in
any profession — I know thatfor me, this profession has
(20:32):
kind of saved me in a lot ofways. As human beings, we all
go through hardships. And Iremember going through
hardships in my life. I had ahorrible divorce. And can I
tell you, Missy, that goinginto my classroom every day was
something that was so rewardingfor me. And gave me like
purpose. I mean, this gig givesus purpose anyway. But in those
(20:55):
moments of hardship, had I nothad this profession, I don't
know where I would be.
Missy Testerman (21:01):
Yes.
Ana Torres (21:02):
But it's so rewarding to be able to show
up. And I know for me, beingpart of their lives made me
forget about some of thechallenges that I was going
through.
Missy Testerman (21:13):
Yeah.
Ana Torres (21:13):
And it's almost like, it was just such a
blessing to be their teacherfor that year.
Missy Testerman (21:17):
Yes.
Ana Torres (21:17):
And so, although this job can be very, very
challenging ... again, therewards typically outweigh
that. Wouldn't you agree,Missy?
Missy Testerman (21:28):
Yes. Yes. And if you get to the point — it's
my personal philosophy — if youget to the point when you don't
feel that way, and you don'thave that joy, and it is
sucking the joy outta your lifeinstead of creating joy in your
life, then it's time for you tofind something else to do.
Because you still have skills.
You can go do another job thatwill not be impacting young
(21:52):
people's lives. I mean, 'causethey get one shot at this. If
they have a really bad year,because you weren't able to
give them what they needed,they're going to suffer with
that for a really long time. Ifthey get a couple of years like
that, the research shows theymay never catch up.
Ana Torres (22:11):
I agree .
Missy Testerman (22:11):
We can't do that. If that happens, it's
time to step away. And a lot oftimes that's an uncomfortable
conversation with people. Butif you are to the point where
you do not find joy in theschool situation, the best
thing you can do for yourself,for your own mental health, and
also for your students, is toleave it. And I do admire
teachers who get to ... we weretalking about making it to the
(22:34):
30-year mark. I admire thoseteachers who get there and
they're like, "I just can't dothis. I don't like it." And I
admire those teachers that stepaway and do something else.
Because that's as much for thekids — to give them someone
who's excited to be there — asit is for the teacher who's
stepping away.
Ana Torres (22:51):
So there you have it listeners, right? Missy
Testerman, droppingsome nuggets of wisdom here.
And you know, I totally agreewith that. If you don't love it
anymore, it is time to stepaway. But I do find it to be
pretty brave of folk to say,"Thirty, 40 years ... I've
given what I can give. Love it,but it is time to step away." I
(23:17):
actually applaud folks who areable to do that, because that
can be pretty gut-wrenching. Iknow a lot of times, in any
job, especially this job, whenwe even remotely think about
quitting, for us there's anadded layer of we're quitting
on children.
Missy Testerman (23:33):
Yes.
Ana Torres (23:33):
Or we're quitting on families. We'll be right
back with much more from myconversation with Missy
Testerman. But we're taking aquick pause, so that I can
remind you to stick arounduntil the end of the episode to
hear my debrief with classroominsider, Eric Cross . Eric will
(23:54):
share his thoughts on myconversation with Missy, and
offer some ideas for bringingher wisdom into the classroom.
Eric Cross (24:02):
So up to this point, I feel like I've had a
lot of my teaching practicesvalidated. But this, this one —
I was called out in this one!
Ana Torres (24:10):
That's coming up later in the episode. Now, back
to my conversation with MissyTesterman. So, I know in the
beginning I alluded to you notonly being a teacher, but how
there was a pivotal moment inyour life: An ESL position
became vacant, and Missy said,"I can do this."
(24:34):
So tell us a little bit abouthow that happened.
Missy Testerman (24:37):
So I was happily teaching along. It was
the beginning of my 30th year;I was teaching second grade.
Loved it.
Ana Torres (24:45):
Thirtieth year! You decided this in your 30th year.
Wow.
Missy Testerman (24:48):
Year 30. So I'm having this, this great
time. I have this fabulousclass. And our ESL teacher at
our school was just phenomenal.
And I had had every ESL studentwho had come through our school
when I was teaching first orsecond grade. If there was one
in the grade, they were in myclassroom. So I had a vested
(25:09):
relationship with thesefamilies. I considered a lot of
the moms my friends. And shecame to me — it was probably
the first or second week ofschool — and she said, "I don't
want anyone to know yet, but myhusband is taking a job in
Middle Tennessee, and at theend of the school year, I'm
going to move." So instantly Ifelt sick. Number one, she was
a very close ally; she was agreat friend. But I also
thought of our students (25:32):
What's going to happen? So I was
really worried about who wouldadvocate for our immigrant
population, ourfirst-generation American
population, in our area. Andthe very next day, the state of
Tennessee sent out a massmailing discussing the Grow
Your Own program. They actuallyat that time had a program
(25:56):
where if you are currently alicensed teacher teaching in
the state of Tennessee, youcould add a hard-to-fill
endorsement area at no cost.
And so, the three that yearwere math, special education,
and ESL. You know, I'm 51 yearsold, not exactly the model
college student, you know, Ialready have a master's degree.
I've taught a hundred years.
(26:16):
But I sign up; I go through theprogram; pass the praxis; she
moves; and I move into the jobat that time. But, you know,
any time someone gets moved ina school setting, you'll hear
that, "Are they making youmove?" Or, "They're making you
go to ESL?" And, and so I thinksome people were thinking that
(26:36):
they made her move. And no onemade me move. I signed up. I
willingly wanted to make thismove, because I wanted to make
sure these families, thesethese precious students, had
someone to be their advocate.
Ana Torres (26:55):
And, you know, you've said the word — and
you've kind of thrown it outthere a couple of times — the
word "advocacy." "I wanted tomake sure that students and
families were taken care of."So talk us through, a little
bit, about that transition froma quote unquote "Gen. Ed.
teacher" and now being an ESLteacher, and how this advocacy
component has played out inyour life.
Missy Testerman (27:21):
Being an ESL teacher is similar to being a
Gen. Ed. teacher in the waythat you deliver instruction
and so forth. But it's alsovery different. Because my
families don't just see me astheir child's teacher. They see
me as a resource for, a lot oftimes, when their families need
something. If you find out thata student is out of a
(27:42):
medication, like seizuremedication, they don't have an
appointment to get that filled,then you're on the phone with
healthcare places trying to getthem in for an appointment.
It's things like, they may notknow where to go get to renew
their car tags. It's serving asa resource for them to find the
(28:05):
things in our community thatthey need just to survive. If
you're new to an area, and youyourself do not have English
language proficiency, that's soincredibly scary. My students
are put into situations thatwould make most adults
uncomfortable. They are theirfamily's advocates. They are
(28:28):
the one who calls the doctor'soffice or goes into the medical
office and says, "My mom needsto come to the doctor," and.
"My baby brother is sick, andwe need to come to the doctor."
So they're really like justthese amazing little
superheroes, just walkingaround using two language
systems.
Ana Torres (28:50):
Exactly. You know, I actually was that student.
When we moved here, neither oneof my parents spoke the
language. And I remember as achild, although I felt like it
was more of an obligation, as Igot older, realizing what a
privilege it was to be able todo that for my mom and and and
for my dad. And so that is ...
(29:12):
you're right, it issuperhero-like. And one of the
things that you have also said— 'cause you know I'm
listening, Missy — is I lovehow you call them "my family."
You've been building bridgesbetween those immigrants in
Rogersville and their families.
And you know, for those thatare listening, for our newer
educators that are listening,what would you say to them?
(29:34):
What does it take to be aneffective advocate for families
as an educator? What advicewould you have for them?
Missy Testerman (29:46):
The first one is to build communication with
your families and let them seethat you are on their side.
You're on their child's side.
You may be coming fromdifferent angles; there may
even be times that youdisagree. But you want what's
best for their child. And Ithink most parents, once they
feel that you really, trulywant what's best for their
(30:08):
child, even if it's a roughpatch and there are things that
you're working through with thechild, I think the parent is
more likely to trust you if youtake the time to build that
relationship. Don't ever call aparent for the first time
complaining about the child'sbehavior. Just don't do that.
Find some positive way toconnect. You know, in my
(30:31):
school, one of the things thatmy grade-level colleagues and I
used to do, we used to doPopsicles at the Park. And it
was just that like — a Tuesdaynight before school started on
Monday, we would havepopsicles, meet in the local
park, so that it'snonthreatening. They just show
up. We're not even having ameeting. We did bring the kids'
beginning-of-the-year folder,so that the parent could get a
(30:52):
head start on the paperwork.
But that allowed us to havejust some real genuine
conversations with parents, andkind of help build those
relationships, before you hadto get in touch with a parent,
because you were concernedabout a behavior, or you were
concerned that a child wasstruggling. And that's actually
something my whole school hasnow adopted. And we do a
(31:13):
back-to-school night. It's notmeetings. Just non-threatening.
Build those relationships withfamilies. And the most
important one after that, thebuilding relationships has to
be the first step. But you haveto speak up. You have to speak
up when you see that they needhelp, when you know that
there's a resource that canhelp them, or you know that
(31:36):
there's a service at school,that the school can provide
that child, that will help withhis or her academic growth and
and development. You have tospeak up. You can't just watch
it happen. You have to actuallyspeak up. And sometimes that
means speaking up to theparents; sometimes it means
speaking up to other schoolstaff, your administrator. But
(31:57):
you have to speak up, and youhave to speak on their behalf,
because six- andseven-year-olds, if you're
dealing with little kids, can'tdo it. Middle-school kids,
they're not gonna do it. Andfor a lot of parents, they're
intimidated to also do it. Theydon't wanna be seen as a
troublemaker, or perhaps theydid not have a great school
(32:18):
experience themselves, andthey're already intimidated. So
it's really up to teachers tobuild that bridge. And I know
that feels like it's puttingmore on teachers' plates. I
know like someone probably islistening and thinking, "I have
enough to do. I'm teaching!" Iget it. But this will actually
save you time and it will saveyou heartache. It will save you
stress on the back end, if youbuild that relationship with
(32:41):
your families.
Ana Torres (32:49):
So, building ... if I could just kind of bring it
home for you, Missy? Buildingtrust, of course, too. Building
that communication. And we'reboth parents and we're both
educators. For me, what touchesmy spirit is a teacher that
sees my child.
Missy Testerman (33:06):
Yes.
Ana Torres (33:06):
A teacher that understands my child. Because
I'm bringing you the best thatI've got. So I think building
that trust, buildingcommunication ... but,
something that you said speaksto advocacy: Speak up. Because
that is what advocacy reallytruly means.
Missy Testerman (33:23):
Yes.
Ana Torres (33:24):
Speaking up even when it is uncomfortable. Now
as we wind down a little bit,what advice would you give to
your younger self, now thatyou've been 32 years in the
gig, and continuing? Whatadvice would you give to your
younger self?
Missy Testerman (33:41):
Probably to chill myself out a little bit.
In the beginning ... when wetalked before, I told you the
story of how I felt like youand you hit on it earlier when
you said, "It was like I wasproducing a show." It is a lot
like doing the news, exceptyou're the weather girl and the
sports guy and all of theviewers are asking if they can
(34:01):
go to the bathroom while you'retrying to deliver the content.
But I felt like every lessonhad to be absolutely perfect,
and I had to have everythinglaid out. I would not go to
lunch a lot of times. I wouldtake my students down and I
would come back to my room,because I had to lay the things
out for the next part. I wasway too uptight. And in turn,
(34:23):
that uptightness, that anxiety,spilled over to the students
who ... you know, I could beteaching and look back there
and see that the books werecrooked. And I would walk back
there and be straightening thebooks. And then I can remember
seeing a child do that. I'mteaching, and I see her looking
past me, and she actually getsup from the floor where I'm
(34:45):
doing a read-aloud and goesbehind me to straighten the
books. And so, that was amirror moment. But I was so
incredibly uptight that I didnot enjoy those little joyful
moments that come up during theday. You know, I can remember
once we were doing somethingwith food coloring and the kids
figured out that red and bluemake purple. And I can remember
(35:08):
saying, "Don't do that. Wedon't have time to do that
right now." And I kind ofcringe inside, because that was
a learning experience in and ofitself. Plus it was joyful.
They were so excited. And Ijust squelched every bit of the
joy out, because that was noton my plan. My plan was to do
this, this, and this. And wehad to get through that. So,
(35:29):
probably would be to slow down,don't freak out about
everything. And especially formyself, it would be to listen
to everything that Mary Josaid. Mary Jo was my mentor,
and she was so wise. And therewere times that I kind of ...
not to her face, but I rolledinside, like, "I'm not doing
that." And now that I look back... 'cause she tried to tell
(35:53):
me, "You've got to chill out." And I just didn't do
that. But it would be to find amentor, someone you trust.
Listen to that person. Watchthat person. Ask that person
questions. You know, you don'thave to figure this out on your
own. People want to help you.
And you have to take that help.
It's not a sign of weakness.
It's a sign that you want to bebetter.
Ana Torres (36:16):
Yeah. 'Cause you wanna evolve and grow. So with
that said, what is next foryou? I know that with this 2024
National Teacher of the YearAward, it's going to take you
to some very interestingplaces. So what's next for you?
Missy Testerman (36:33):
So, next up, apparently there are something
like 150 speaking engagementsthroughout the year, all across
the country. And that'sexciting, you know, to get to
meet with other teachers, withpeople who want the best
possible outcomes for kids inpublic schools. Not just in
their school and their state,but all across the country. And
(36:55):
I want to learn from thosepeople as much as they learn
from me. You know, my platform,basically, for lack of a better
word, my message, I guess,during my year of service is
that teachers are the expertsin the classroom. And that it's
up to us to let lawmakers,policymakers, school leaders
(37:15):
know what our reality is, andthe challenges that we face, so
that improvements can be madethat best impact our students.
Ana Torres (37:29):
Well, I can honestly say today was an
honor, Missy, talking to you.
And thank you for sharing yourstory. Thank you for stepping
up to the plate to become anESL teacher and for filling
that gap. And more importantly,just thank you for being an
advocate for the professionitself. So, I'm excited to hear
all of the great things thatyou're going to do in this year
of service. So, thank you MissyTesterman, we appreciate you.
Missy Testerman (37:57):
Thank you. And I loved being on the podcast. I
appreciate you asking me on.
And I've loved hearing littlesnippets of your story, because
you are what I want my studentsto be. I want them to be proud
of where they came from,always. Because that's part of
their story. It's always goingto be an important part of
(38:17):
their story. And just like you,they're going to go out in the
world and do great things, too.
Thank you for having me ontoday.
Ana Torres (38:25):
Thank you. So folks, stay tuned. Missy
Testerman will be touring thecountry, doing a lot of
speaking on behalf of thisamazing profession. Thank you
so much, Missy.
Missy Testerman (38:38):
Thank you.
Ana Torres (38:42):
That was 2024 National Teacher of the Year,
Missy Testerman. Isn't she justthe best? You can keep up with
Missy's amazing work byfollowing her on social media.
We'll have links in the shownotes. I am so excited to talk
with Eric , my classroominsider, about this fascinating
(39:05):
conversation that I had withMissy Testerman. Let's get him
on the line. Well, Eric,welcome back.
Eric Cross (39:16):
I'm excited to be here.
Ana Torres (39:17):
How did you feel about the conversation?
Eric Cross (39:19):
I was really excited to listen to it. 'Cause
I don't know what a Teacher ofthe Year is, except for an
awesome title. And after I wasdone listening to it, I
understood why. I heard aneducator who really, really
understands who she is and whatshe represents, and the power
that she has, and knows how touse it to support her students.
(39:41):
And not just students, butfamilies too. I was like, "Oh
yeah, I see it. I get it. I getit right now." So it was a lot
of fun to listen to.
Ana Torres (39:49):
Yeah. And I even said to her, "I was a teacher
of the year at my campus, butto be National Teacher of the
Year?"
Eric Cross (39:58):
I thought I had done some things, because my
former students tell me that Iwas their favorite seventh
grade science teacher. Forgetabout the fact that I'm the
only seventh grade scienceteacher. But I still took it!
Like, I still took that! I'lltake that as a win!
Ana Torres (40:09):
Right. Now, as, as we all know, this segment is
really, really importantbecause Eric Cross, who's our
classroom insider, does areally good job of unpacking
the actual episode. And what hedoes really well is he's going
to share some of his takeaways.
So tell me, what's first onyour list, Eric?
Eric Cross (40:32):
Well, first is one of the things that Missy was
echoing is this advocating andembracing the needs of your
students and your diversepopulation. And as educators,
we know the inside baseball. Weknow how educational systems
work, and the resources beingbrought to us. We're getting
trained in them. But mostfamilies, sometimes information
isn't communicated. Sometimesyou don't know what you don't
(40:54):
know. She was intentional aboutspeaking up and advocating on
behalf of those students,identifying their needs, and
then getting those supports tofamilies. Sometimes there are
gaps, and it's up to us asteachers to make sure that we
get these things to thefamilies. Whether it's learning
supports in the community orlocal clinics. And this comes
back to a previous episode, ofknowing the community and
(41:15):
loving the community. You'rekinda that hub of information.
And she mentioned one thingthat really resonated with me,
because of my own studentpopulation. She talked about
multilingual students thatsupport their parents as
translators outside of school.
And that's something that iseasy to forget. But you think
about the load for a youngperson! And I think when we
recognize that and we honorthat and we come alongside that
(41:37):
child, we can better supportthat family as well.
Ana Torres (41:41):
Yes. That advocacy.
I was that student who had totake on an adult role at a very
young age. And I think it isimportant that she sees that as
a need, and honors that that'sa heavy lift for a child to
have. And to come into aclassroom and be able to have a
teacher that sees all of you,and also embraces how you live
(42:03):
at home and what your familydynamic is, really, really
touched my heart. I mean, Iwould've loved to have Missy as
my teacher. Acknowledging thatand honoring that would've made
such a big difference in mylife. 'Cause that was a lot to
carry.
Eric Cross (42:19):
Yeah, I bet.
Ana Torres (42:19):
It's a lot to carry for students. So with that, I
know you got more! You know,Eric always kind of really digs
in. And I know you've got asecond takeaway for me.
Eric Cross (42:31):
So, up to this point, I feel like I've had a
lot of my teaching practicesvalidated. But this one, I was
called out in this one!It was, "Allow flexibility and
allow teaching moments thatmess up your lesson plans," or
"Allow flexibility in yourteaching." And so what I mean
by that is she told this storyabout her kids and they were
(42:51):
messing with food coloring andthey figured out that red and
blue make purple. And she'slike, "We ain't got time for
that right now." "Wegotta do the lesson." I've done
this in my career, where I'mlike, "Your learning is messing
up my lesson plan right now."That's the narrative in my
head. And then I go home andI'm like, "What? Cross, they
were having these great momentsof learning that was maybe
outside the objective, but itwas such a pure learning
(43:14):
moment." Slowing down, allowingthose spontaneous moments to
happen ... you got theengagement. And that's true
learning. And that's memorable.
I think, especially if you're ayounger teacher, a newer
teacher, it's easier to be morerigid, 'cause it's safe. And
you're like, "I've got thispacing and I gotta get through
all of this."
Ana Torres (43:33):
As a newer teacher, you get worried, not being on
pace. Your lesson plan says todo X, Y, Z. Your principal's
coming in, your instructionalcoach is coming in, and looking
at you like, "Why are you noton pace?" So I love that she
acknowledged that. 'Cause Ifeel like all of our educators
that we've had have been veryreflective. And she was very
honest. I wish I was moreflexible, and allowed that
(43:54):
opportunity to just take hold.
And you, reflecting on, justhitting on it being a joyful
interruption, I like that. Ilike that a lot. And now I
think you mentioned to me too —
Eric Cross (44:12):
I have another one.
I have another one.
Ana Torres (44:14):
There's a third! There's a third takeaway! We
have a lot of takeaways here.
Eric Cross (44:19):
I like threes. So, the third one. This one's kind
of the spirit of Beyond MyYears. But it's seeking
mentorship and continuousgrowth. You know, I really
loved listening to her storyabout her mentor and how real
it was. And the mentor spoketruth ... but like, real truth,
into her life. It was a truementoring relationship. It
wasn't just this formal,corporate, structured,
programmatic-like mentoring.
(44:43):
There was a human element inthis. She said things like,
publicly, she would be verytactful and share things with
me, but then behind closeddoors she'd be real with me.
And you need that. Oh my gosh.
You need that.
Ana Torres (44:55):
Yes. Absolutely.
Eric Cross (44:56):
If you're fortunate enough to have a person like
that. And now that we're beyondthe beginning of the school
year, teachers, you've probablyseen who are those people that
are really getting after it,that you respect or admire. Or
that you hear from otherstudents, you know, their
reputation. Those would be goodpeople to go seek after. And
then, the flip side, I think,is experienced educators being
willing to share that sometimeswe have to create a space where
(45:19):
people feel invited and welcometo come into that space.
Someone who might be a littlebit more reserved might need to
get that invitation.
Ana Torres (45:26):
Mentorship can come in different ways. You know,
academic (45:28):
helping me with lesson plans. But it also can
come as vent (45:32):
get it off your chest. How can I help you
navigate this? So all of thoseaspects are very, very helpful
for newer teachers. 'Cause Iwas not a young teacher. I
literally came from a secondcareer. And it was hard for me
to be in a new space and not bethe best at it.
Eric Cross (45:55):
Right.
Ana Torres (45:55):
And so, being that newer teacher and having a
great mentor and other folksthat said, "Ana, I'm here for
whatever you need," was superpowerful for me my first year.
Eric Cross (46:07):
You bring up a really good point. Because
being a new teacher doesn'tmean you're 22, 23 years old.
Ana Torres (46:12):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (46:13):
There's one more thing I wanted to add. When you
have a good mentor, someonethat you trust, have them do
classroom observations withyour most challenging class.
Ana Torres (46:21):
Ooh. Yes .
Eric Cross (46:22):
That's where they're gonna see you at your
highest level of struggle, andthat's where you're gonna get
the richest feedback.
Ana Torres (46:27):
Agreed.
Eric Cross (46:28):
And I do wanna hit on that part, of trust. I think
that's important. You have tohave that trust and safety in
order to want to go there.
Ana Torres (46:34):
That is a great, great point to make. You've got
some great takeaways for thisepisode. And let me like recap
this. Embracing and advocatingfor diverse student needs.
Missy really talked quite a bitabout that. Balancing that
structure with flexibility inteaching. Being flexible for
not only student growth, butalso our growth. Right? And
(46:56):
then seeking mentorship, andcontinuing to be that lifelong
learner. So real quickly,before we go, Eric — because I
know your kids are about tostart trickling in, your class
— is there something specificyou're going to try out this
week?
Eric Cross (47:14):
The one that I'm trying out right now is the
last one that we spoke of. I'mon a team. Half the teachers
are new this year to ourschool. And so I know that I'm
the veteran. If I'm gonna sithere and say, "Hey, newer
teachers or veteran teachers,get out there and offer
yourselves," if I'm notmodeling that and I'm not doing
it, I have no right to speak onthat. And so, had some
conversations yesterday, somegreat ones, some hard ones. And
(47:36):
we're starting to gel. I feellike we're a new basketball
team that just had a bunch oftrades. Some of our
veterans went to other places.
We got some new people. We wona championship years ago
. But now we're alltrying to figure things out.
Ana Torres (47:48):
Well, I think you are such a great person to be
leading that charge, so I willactually be checking in with
you after our next episode.
Thank you so much, Eric, and Ican't wait to talk to you
again.
Eric Cross (48:03):
I look forward to it too. Thanks, Ana.
Ana Torres (48:07):
Thanks for listening to Beyond My Years,
from Amplify. I am your host,Ana Torres. Our classroom
insider is Eric Cross. Ourmusic is from Andrew Smolin.
Next time, we're joined byanother National Teacher of the
Year, the 2023 winner, RebeckaPeterson. She is going to
(48:32):
describe a writing practicethat has transformed her
teaching career.
Rebecka Peterson (48:36):
So, this blog, it was like a last-ditch
effort, if I'm being honest.
It was like, "Reallywhat do I have to lose?"
Ana Torres (48:43):
That is next time.
The best way to get newepisodes of Beyond My Years, or
to catch up on any episodesyou've missed, is to subscribe
on Apple, Spotify, or whereveryou get your podcasts. If
you're liking the show, wouldyou please share it with a few
educator friends. We'd alsoappreciate if you would leave
(49:05):
us a rating and a review. Ourwebsite is
Amplify.com/BeyondMyYears.
Until next time, remember toreach out and say thank you to
a seasoned educator who hasshaped your life. I am Ana
Torres. Thanks so much forlistening.
Susan Lambert (49:27):
Thank you to Ana and team for sharing that
episode of Beyond My Years withour audience listeners.
Remember to subscribe to BeyondMy Years to hear all of Ana 's
conversations with seasonededucators like Missy Testerman.
And if you know a newereducator who might enjoy the
show, please pass it along tothem. We'll have a link in the
(49:48):
show notes. We hope you have awonderful winter break. We'll
be right back in your feed atthe start of the new year with
a special episode, featuringthe voices of leaders in the
Science of Reading movementfrom around the country.
A. Simone McQuaige (50:02):
This is not something that I think should
just be driven by a smallcohort of people. It should be
across a school, acrossdepartments.
Susan Lambert (50:14):
That's coming up next time. The best way to get
new episodes is to subscribe toScience of Reading: The
Podcast, wherever you get yourpodcasts. And while you're
there, please leave us a ratingand review. You can join the
conversation about this episodein our Facebook discussion
group, Science of Reading (50:31):
The Community. Science of Reading:
The Podcast is brought to youby Amplify. I'm Susan Lambert.
Thank you so much forlistening.
This is Susan Lambert, and welcome to Science
of Reading (00:05):
The Podcast from Amplify. Today we have a
special treat. We're hearingfrom the 2024 National Teacher
of the Year, Missy Testerman,an ESL teacher from
Rogersville, Tennessee. Just afew months after being honored
with a crystal apple at theWhite House, Testerman joined
(00:26):
Amplify's new podcast Beyond MyYears to talk more about her
career. A career that not onlyincludes ESL instruction, but
decades as a first and secondgrade teacher. Given Missy's
experience teaching literacy,we wanted to share her
perspective with this audiencetoo. So what you're about to
(00:46):
hear is Missy Testerman inconversation with Beyond My
Years host, Ana Torres. If youhaven't gotten to check it out
yet, Beyond My Years featuresAna in conversation with
incredible seasoned educatorslike Missy, who share some of
the secrets to their successfulcareers and hard-earned lessons
they'd like to pass on to newerteachers. Don't forget to
(01:10):
subscribe to Beyond My Yearswherever you listen to this
show. We'll also have a link inthe show notes.
Ana Torres (01:18):
Hi everyone, it's Ana here! Before we get
started, I wanna share a quickmessage with you all. Today's
guest, Missy Testerman is fromRogersville, Tennessee. A part
of the country that's beenaffected by Hurricane Helene.
We recorded this episode withMissy over the summer before
the hurricane. We checked inwith Missy, who shared that
(01:42):
Rogersville was very fortunateto avoid the worst of the
hurricane's damage. But thatthe surrounding areas have
suffered unimaginable losses.
Our thoughts and support arewith everyone impacted by
Helene and its aftermath.
Missy Testerman (01:59):
The thing that I always try to keep in mind,
and I've even said to youngerteachers, is that we're coming
at this from the same angle. Weboth want what's best for kids.
And the reality is that thejourney toward wisdom in any
career, especially ineducation, has to be slow and
steady.
Ana Torres (02:20):
This is Ana Torres, and welcome to Beyond My Years
from Amplify. On each episode,I speak with longtime educators
who share chronicles from theclassroom and some lessons
they'd like to pass on to newerteachers. Well, I have a story
to tell. You know, storytellingtime. I remember coming to the
(02:45):
U.S. at the tender age of sixyears old. And in Panama, there
isn't kindergarten. You goright to first grade. This was
back in the late '70s. And Iremember when my mom was going
to enroll me in the elementaryschool. You know, back then,
bilingual education was verydifferent. It was no, you know,
(03:05):
pull in, push out. It was asink or swim. And so,
unfortunately, my language wasseen as a deficit, versus an
asset. So, as my mom, trying tonavigate this English-speaking
world, was trying to enroll me,of course she didn't know. "My
daughter's in first grade." Andthey're like, "Why didn't she
do kindergarten?" And tried toher best to advocate for me, as
(03:27):
far as, "No, my daughter's verysmart. She doesn't need to be
in kindergarten." Because Ididn't speak English and it was
seen as a deficit, they didenroll me, unfortunately, in
kindergarten, and the onlyreason I was able to make it
through was because thisteacher spoke Spanish. This
teacher, this marvelous teacherthat I had, that didn't have to
(03:47):
do this for me, advocated forme to go to first grade.
Because it's like, "Justbecause she doesn't speak
English does not mean thatshe's not smart." And so, with
that, I have a passion and Ialways had a passion for
advocating not only for mychildren in my classroom, but
also advocating for families,because of what my mother went
(04:09):
through. And getting a littleteared up, 'cause now I'm
remembering that 6-year-oldgirl in school not having the
support that she needed. I saythis story because today's
guest is not only a veteraneducator; she's a big advocate
for people like my mom, butshe's also the 2024 National
Teacher of the Year. This is anaward that dates back to 1952.
(04:34):
The winner is honored at theWhite House and spends a year
traveling the country as anadvocate for the teaching
profession. Her name is MissyTesterman, and I'm so excited
to talk with her about being anadvocate for families. So lemme
(04:54):
give our listeners anintroduction to who I'm talking
to today. Missy Testerman hadbeen teaching first and second
grade for decades. When the ESLteacher at her school left, it
was gonna leave a really bighole for the population of
(05:17):
students there and theirfamilies. Believe it or not,
our guest raised her hand. Icould even envision you raising
both of your hands, Missy. Andyou decided to get your
endorsement to become an ESLteacher, so you could fill that
gap. I am so excited, and Ican't wait to talk about that,
but I'm perhaps even moreexcited to tell our listeners
(05:39):
that you are the 2024 NationalTeacher of the Year. But more
importantly, you are a verystrong advocate for families.
So, without furtherintroduction, I want everyone
to know that I am actually inthe presence of Missy
Testerman. I wish we had one ofthose fake applause signs —
(06:02):
what they have on thosesitcoms?
can ask you how many yearsyou've been in the classroom?
Missy Testerman (06:21):
I just completed my 32nd year of
teaching.
Ana Torres (06:28):
So you are definitely a veteran teacher!
Can you tell me too a littlebit about the district and the
community where you teach?
Missy Testerman (06:36):
Sure. So, I live in a town of 4,500 people,
located in rural eastTennessee. It's a great little
place called Rogersville. Mostof the people who live in our
area have grown up here. Theirgrandparents were here.
Great-grandparents were here.
They have been here a reallylong time. My school is a
one-school school district. Sowe have one enormous building
(07:00):
containing grades pre-K through8. And all of our students, all
of our staff, ouradministrative staff, our
central office people, ourdirector of schools, we're all
contained within this onebuilding.
Ana Torres (07:16):
You said 4,500 total?
Missy Testerman (07:19):
Total, yes.
Ana Torres (07:21):
So shoutout to Rogersville , < laugh> and
listeners out in Rogersville ,shoutout to you . What would
you say is the most surprisingpart of becoming a veteran
educator , if you can call itthat?
Missy Testerman (07:34):
Right. Sure. I think for me, that I never got
tired of it. I'm still nottired of it. I just never have
felt stale or stagnant. I alsohave never felt like I have all
of the answers, because I mostdefinitely do not. So, in that
way, I think it keeps theexcitement of the job still
alive, because I don't have itfigured out. I have no magic
(07:58):
answers. I have someexperiences and I have a little
bit of wisdom from threedecades of time spent in the
education field, but Iabsolutely do not have it all
figured out.
Ana Torres (08:12):
One of the things that I do wanna spotlight,
specifically as I'm talkingwith veteran educators like
yourself, is that perception ofwhat being a veteran educator
means, and having those youngeducators, when they come on
board, you know, sometimesthere can be a butting of
heads. What do you make of thatperception that veteran
(08:32):
educators and younger educatorscan sometimes butt heads?
Missy Testerman (08:39):
It happens.
And I think you have veteranteachers who are, a lot of
times, trying to assert what'sbest for kids, and they feel
like they know because they'vedone it a really long time, and
they've maybe they've beenincredibly successful, and
they're wanting to fast-trackthat wisdom to the next
generation. Well, the nextgeneration, they wanna do
(09:00):
things at their pace, the waythat they've learned. And they
wanna do what's best for kids.
And so, sometimes there is somepushback and so forth. But the
thing that I always try to keepin mind — and I've even said to
younger teachers — we're comingat this from the same angle. We
both want what's best for kids.
And the reality is that thejourney toward wisdom in any
(09:24):
career, especially ineducation, has to be slow and
steady. I was completelyclueless when I started
teaching. Luckily, I had afantastic mentor who didn't
care to gently cajole me intowhat I needed to do. And she
also absolutely did not care tocall me out. It did not bother
(09:45):
her to do that. And there weretimes when I needed that, I
know there were times Ifrustrated her. And I feel like
I'm getting paid back for someof that at times now.
laughs> But everything that Idid, if it was wrong, she had
an answer for a way to go backand rectify it, to fix it, in a
way that kept everyone'sdignity in place. Now,
(10:06):
privately, later, she may havesaid, "That was really the
dumbest thing I've seen youdo." But she still helped me
work through it with love,because she understood if she
killed my spirit, I was done.
And I feel like a lot of times,that may happen for younger
teachers. There are so manydemands; they get their spirit
(10:27):
killed real quickly, and thenthey're just done. They're
done. And this is such astressful job that if you get
that "done" feeling, it'sreally hard to get past that
"done" feeling. It really is.
Because you're being pulledfrom every single angle,
whether it's students, parents,your administrators,
colleagues. And so, as veteranteachers, we have to help guide
(10:51):
our younger cohorts with ourwisdom. But we also have to
take pointers from them. Theyknow lots of things that I do
not know, things that I neverlearned how to do. They also
were students more recentlythan I was. Like, little
students. They were students,you know, 10 years ago. They
(11:11):
remember what it feels likewhen this or that happens to
you. So I think it takes all ofus. The research indicates that
the best school situation forstudents is when you have a
really good mix of veteranteachers, teachers about the
mid-career point — 15 years,and younger teachers. And it
takes all of us to make thatreally great mix, to make a
(11:35):
school fantastic, and be thebest place for kids.
Ana Torres (11:41):
And I'm so glad that you brought that research
part, of just having the mix ofveteran and also newer
teachers. And I also appreciatethat you brought the word
"dignity" here. And again, thatwhen you mentioned that slow
and steady as far as being aveteran teacher — we're veteran
teachers, 'cause we've gonethrough some things that our
(12:03):
newer teachers have not — butalso, valuing what those newer
teachers bring to the table andfinding common ground is
valuable. And I think we bothchatted a little bit about,
Missy, having a strong mentorteacher when we started out was
very, very beneficial for bothof us. To really have someone
(12:25):
strong like that come in andhelp us and guide us. But also,
like you mentioned, give us avoice as well, and help us
navigate a space that can bevery, very challenging. We're
in charge of other people'schildren!
Missy Testerman (12:42):
Yes.
Ana Torres (12:43):
That is something that we carry in a very
different way. And there arethings that happen, too, that
kind of keep us up at night. SoI say that to say that finding
that common ground ... and yousaid it very eloquently,
valuing what others say aswell. We do have wisdom, but
also valuing what our newerteachers bring to the table. I
(13:04):
think always finding commonground is just a beautiful
place to be. Now, it's time toget to your story. So tell us
the story of the moment youknew you wanted to be a
teacher. And don't most of usknow that moment? That we felt
it in our spirit when we wantedto be teachers? I have always
known, since the age of five,when I would go to school and
(13:27):
come home and set my dolls up,and kind of teach them what I
learned
Missy Testerman (13:34):
I think we have identical stories. If we
had known each other, we couldhave played together. When I
was five and I went tokindergarten, I met my teacher.
Her name was Mrs. Brown. I wasinstantly totally enamored with
her. I wanted to be like her. Iwanted to talk like her. I
suddenly stopped complainingabout wearing dresses. You know
(13:56):
how little girls sometimes gothrough the phase of, "I don't
want to wear a dress"? And shewore dresses every day. So I
also wanted to wear a dressevery day. And I would come
home, like you, and I wouldplay with the dolls. I had a
two-year-old sister and shewould be part of my class. But
you know, I came throughkindergarten in the '70s, and
(14:17):
corporal punishment was still apretty big thing. So a lot of
times she was not a goodstudent. She would not sit
still. She would not stay onher mat. And she needed
spankings. And that did not endwell for me. After a while, I
was not allowed to force her tobe my pupil. But along the way
I had so many teachers whoencouraged me. And I came from
(14:40):
a working-class family. I waswell-loved and my parents
wanted the best for me. But Ididn't have that model of, "How
do you become a teacher?" And Iwas in second grade, and I had
the sweetest, kindest teacherat the time. I thought she was
really old. And it's kind offunny, 'cause I guarantee I'm
older now than she was
Ana Torres (15:03):
You thought she was old then, right? Now you can
identify!
Missy Testerman (15:06):
Yes!
Ana Torres (15:06):
You're identifying, like, "Maybe now I'm her!"
Missy Testerman (15:09):
Right? Yes, I'm actually older than Mrs.
Rimer was. But whenever I saidsomething about wanting to be a
— "I wish I could be ateacher!" That was how I said
it. "I wish I could be ateacher." And she said, "You
can be a teacher! You just haveto go to college, and then you
can be a teacher." And that ismy first memory, honestly, of
(15:30):
the word "college," because noone in my world had been to
college. I mean, that justwasn't a thing. My mom, my dad,
my aunts, my uncles, myneighbors — no one. And so then
I was suddenly really obsessedwith the idea of, "What is
college? That is where youlearn to become a teacher." I
didn't understand you couldlearn to become other things.
(15:51):
But honestly, other ideas wouldcome into my head, but nothing
ever replaced the idea of beinga teacher for me.
Ana Torres (16:00):
But what a blessing that we have a Missy.
Missy Testerman (16:04):
Oh, thank you.
Ana Torres (16:05):
A Missy who is the 2024 National Teacher of the
Year. Can you imagine ... whenyou think back to your
trajectory as a teacher, thatyou're now the 2024 National
Teacher of the Year? Because Ican humbly say I was, you know,
Teacher of the Year twice in mydistrict, and I used to, you
(16:25):
know, hang my plaque and be soproud of that. Because when
you're a teacher of the year atyour campus or at your school,
that is peers recognizing whatyou've done. Now, to have
someone like yourself, like yousaid, from humble beginnings,
the National Teacher of theYear. And I think there might
be some assumptions made (16:44):
"Oh, this is probably ... when she
started ... so easy for her!She's the National Teacher of
the Year!" Was the teaching giga breeze for you from the
beginning?
Missy Testerman (16:57):
It absolutely was not. So I worked to pay my
way through college. And so Igraduated in three and a half
years. So I get out of collegein December. Tennessee is in
the midst of the largest budgetcuts in Tennessee history.
(17:19):
There were massive teacherlayoffs. No one had assistants.
Cafeteria workers were cut.
Transportation was cut. And Isomehow, some way, lucked into
an interim job at my school.
And my school was verydifficult to even get a job in
at all, because people loveteaching there. But I ended up
doing a maternity leave for afirst-grade teacher who was in
(17:41):
the area because her husbandwas in medical school; he was
doing residency in our area,and she did not come back. But
I was completely lost. I had acollege degree. I had a license
and a frame that said, youknow, I was a teacher. But I
can remember just the enormity— I'm 21 years old, thinking,
(18:04):
"Who put me in charge of allthese kids?" Because there are
like 30 of them. And who wasthinking this was a great idea?
But I was very fortunate. Oneof the few assistants in the
building was someone who hadbeen there probably seven or
eight years. And she really wasa pivotal, pivotal part in my
(18:28):
development as a teacher. Shejust kind of came in and, in
the beginning, took over.
Because I was lost. Theywouldn't really listen to me. I
didn't have a lot of behavioralmanagement strategies. They
didn't focus on that when I wasin college at all. As a matter
of fact, I don't think it wasever even ... and I watched her
and I learned from her. I canremember coming home and saying
(18:49):
to my husband, like, two weeksinto the job, "Carol really
should be a teacher." Because Iknew that Carol didn't make a
lot of money. So eventually, Istarted pushing and pushing and
pushing Carol to go back andfinish her degree. She ended up
going back; she ended upteaching in my district for 20
years. She was the best teacherthat my daughter ever had, in
(19:12):
third grade. And then now sheserves on our school board. And
I'm so incredibly proud of her,but I'm also so thankful she
and my mentor Mary Jo were thepeople who molded me. 'Cause,
like I said, I was totallyclueless on just running the
classroom day to day, much lessall the extra things that
teachers are asked to do.
Ana Torres (19:32):
And isn't it nice to have someone to be able to
kind of guide us there? Right?
You mentioned 30 students. Iremember having 26. But I was
very idealistic, too. Like, "Igot this!"
Missy Testerman (19:44):
Oh yeah .
Ana Torres (19:44):
You know, I was in administration, and teaching at
colleges, and so I'm like, "Oh,I got this. I was able to do
this stuff with freshmen andsophomores in college." Wow.
What a wake-up call for me.
When I'm in front of 26 fourthgraders who are looking at me
like, "Well, okay, you're on."
always needed a script and Iwas part of a show.
Missy Testerman (20:08):
Yes!
Ana Torres (20:09):
That first year.
And I think sometimes, too,it's almost that "Fake it 'til
you make it." Like, you knowwhat? I think I know what I'm
doing ... but had it not beenfor that veteran teacher in my
first year, it would've beenkind of a rough road. And
speaking of rough roads, I knowthat this — and can happen in
any profession — I know thatfor me, this profession has
(20:32):
kind of saved me in a lot ofways. As human beings, we all
go through hardships. And Iremember going through
hardships in my life. I had ahorrible divorce. And can I
tell you, Missy, that goinginto my classroom every day was
something that was so rewardingfor me. And gave me like
purpose. I mean, this gig givesus purpose anyway. But in those
(20:55):
moments of hardship, had I nothad this profession, I don't
know where I would be.
Missy Testerman (21:01):
Yes.
Ana Torres (21:02):
But it's so rewarding to be able to show
up. And I know for me, beingpart of their lives made me
forget about some of thechallenges that I was going
through.
Missy Testerman (21:13):
Yeah.
Ana Torres (21:13):
And it's almost like, it was just such a
blessing to be their teacherfor that year.
Missy Testerman (21:17):
Yes.
Ana Torres (21:17):
And so, although this job can be very, very
challenging ... again, therewards typically outweigh
that. Wouldn't you agree,Missy?
Missy Testerman (21:28):
Yes. Yes. And if you get to the point — it's
my personal philosophy — if youget to the point when you don't
feel that way, and you don'thave that joy, and it is
sucking the joy outta your lifeinstead of creating joy in your
life, then it's time for you tofind something else to do.
Because you still have skills.
You can go do another job thatwill not be impacting young
(21:52):
people's lives. I mean, 'causethey get one shot at this. If
they have a really bad year,because you weren't able to
give them what they needed,they're going to suffer with
that for a really long time. Ifthey get a couple of years like
that, the research shows theymay never catch up.
Ana Torres (22:11):
I agree .
Missy Testerman (22:11):
We can't do that. If that happens, it's
time to step away. And a lot oftimes that's an uncomfortable
conversation with people. Butif you are to the point where
you do not find joy in theschool situation, the best
thing you can do for yourself,for your own mental health, and
also for your students, is toleave it. And I do admire
teachers who get to ... we weretalking about making it to the
(22:34):
30-year mark. I admire thoseteachers who get there and
they're like, "I just can't dothis. I don't like it." And I
admire those teachers that stepaway and do something else.
Because that's as much for thekids — to give them someone
who's excited to be there — asit is for the teacher who's
stepping away.
Ana Torres (22:51):
So there you have it listeners, right? Missy
Testerman,
And you know, I totally agreewith that. If you don't love it
anymore, it is time to stepaway. But I do find it to be
pretty brave of folk to say,"Thirty, 40 years ... I've
given what I can give. Love it,but it is time to step away." I
(23:17):
actually applaud folks who areable to do that, because that
can be pretty gut-wrenching. Iknow a lot of times, in any
job, especially this job, whenwe even remotely think about
quitting, for us there's anadded layer of we're quitting
on children.
Missy Testerman (23:33):
Yes.
Ana Torres (23:33):
Or we're quitting on families. We'll be right
back with much more from myconversation with Missy
Testerman. But we're taking aquick pause, so that I can
remind you to stick arounduntil the end of the episode to
hear my debrief with classroominsider, Eric Cross . Eric will
(23:54):
share his thoughts on myconversation with Missy, and
offer some ideas for bringingher wisdom into the classroom.
Eric Cross (24:02):
So up to this point, I feel like I've had a
lot of my teaching practicesvalidated. But this, this one —
I was called out in this one!
Ana Torres (24:10):
That's coming up later in the episode. Now, back
to my conversation with MissyTesterman. So, I know in the
beginning I alluded to you notonly being a teacher, but how
there was a pivotal moment inyour life: An ESL position
became vacant, and Missy said,"I can do this."
(24:34):
So tell us a little bit abouthow that happened.
Missy Testerman (24:37):
So I was happily teaching along. It was
the beginning of my 30th year;I was teaching second grade.
Loved it.
Ana Torres (24:45):
Thirtieth year! You decided this in your 30th year.
Wow.
Missy Testerman (24:48):
Year 30. So I'm having this, this great
time. I have this fabulousclass. And our ESL teacher at
our school was just phenomenal.
And I had had every ESL studentwho had come through our school
when I was teaching first orsecond grade. If there was one
in the grade, they were in myclassroom. So I had a vested
(25:09):
relationship with thesefamilies. I considered a lot of
the moms my friends. And shecame to me — it was probably
the first or second week ofschool — and she said, "I don't
want anyone to know yet, but myhusband is taking a job in
Middle Tennessee, and at theend of the school year, I'm
going to move." So instantly Ifelt sick. Number one, she was
a very close ally; she was agreat friend. But I also
thought of our students (25:32):
What's going to happen? So I was
really worried about who wouldadvocate for our immigrant
population, ourfirst-generation American
population, in our area. Andthe very next day, the state of
Tennessee sent out a massmailing discussing the Grow
Your Own program. They actuallyat that time had a program
(25:56):
where if you are currently alicensed teacher teaching in
the state of Tennessee, youcould add a hard-to-fill
endorsement area at no cost.
And so, the three that yearwere math, special education,
and ESL. You know, I'm 51 yearsold, not exactly the model
college student, you know, Ialready have a master's degree.
I've taught a hundred years.
(26:16):
But I sign up; I go through theprogram; pass the praxis; she
moves; and I move into the jobat that time. But, you know,
any time someone gets moved ina school setting, you'll hear
that, "Are they making youmove?" Or, "They're making you
go to ESL?" And, and so I thinksome people were thinking that
(26:36):
they made her move. And no onemade me move. I signed up. I
willingly wanted to make thismove, because I wanted to make
sure these families, thesethese precious students, had
someone to be their advocate.
Ana Torres (26:55):
And, you know, you've said the word — and
you've kind of thrown it outthere a couple of times — the
word "advocacy." "I wanted tomake sure that students and
families were taken care of."So talk us through, a little
bit, about that transition froma quote unquote "Gen. Ed.
teacher" and now being an ESLteacher, and how this advocacy
component has played out inyour life.
Missy Testerman (27:21):
Being an ESL teacher is similar to being a
Gen. Ed. teacher in the waythat you deliver instruction
and so forth. But it's alsovery different. Because my
families don't just see me astheir child's teacher. They see
me as a resource for, a lot oftimes, when their families need
something. If you find out thata student is out of a
(27:42):
medication, like seizuremedication, they don't have an
appointment to get that filled,then you're on the phone with
healthcare places trying to getthem in for an appointment.
It's things like, they may notknow where to go get to renew
their car tags. It's serving asa resource for them to find the
(28:05):
things in our community thatthey need just to survive. If
you're new to an area, and youyourself do not have English
language proficiency, that's soincredibly scary. My students
are put into situations thatwould make most adults
uncomfortable. They are theirfamily's advocates. They are
(28:28):
the one who calls the doctor'soffice or goes into the medical
office and says, "My mom needsto come to the doctor," and.
"My baby brother is sick, andwe need to come to the doctor."
So they're really like justthese amazing little
superheroes, just walkingaround using two language
systems.
Ana Torres (28:50):
Exactly. You know, I actually was that student.
When we moved here, neither oneof my parents spoke the
language. And I remember as achild, although I felt like it
was more of an obligation, as Igot older, realizing what a
privilege it was to be able todo that for my mom and and and
for my dad. And so that is ...
(29:12):
you're right, it issuperhero-like. And one of the
things that you have also said— 'cause you know I'm
listening, Missy — is I lovehow you call them "my family."
You've been building bridgesbetween those immigrants in
Rogersville and their families.
And you know, for those thatare listening, for our newer
educators that are listening,what would you say to them?
(29:34):
What does it take to be aneffective advocate for families
as an educator? What advicewould you have for them?
Missy Testerman (29:46):
The first one is to build communication with
your families and let them seethat you are on their side.
You're on their child's side.
You may be coming fromdifferent angles; there may
even be times that youdisagree. But you want what's
best for their child. And Ithink most parents, once they
feel that you really, trulywant what's best for their
(30:08):
child, even if it's a roughpatch and there are things that
you're working through with thechild, I think the parent is
more likely to trust you if youtake the time to build that
relationship. Don't ever call aparent for the first time
complaining about the child'sbehavior. Just don't do that.
Find some positive way toconnect. You know, in my
(30:31):
school, one of the things thatmy grade-level colleagues and I
used to do, we used to doPopsicles at the Park. And it
was just that like — a Tuesdaynight before school started on
Monday, we would havepopsicles, meet in the local
park, so that it'snonthreatening. They just show
up. We're not even having ameeting. We did bring the kids'
beginning-of-the-year folder,so that the parent could get a
(30:52):
head start on the paperwork.
But that allowed us to havejust some real genuine
conversations with parents, andkind of help build those
relationships, before you hadto get in touch with a parent,
because you were concernedabout a behavior, or you were
concerned that a child wasstruggling. And that's actually
something my whole school hasnow adopted. And we do a
(31:13):
back-to-school night. It's notmeetings. Just non-threatening.
Build those relationships withfamilies. And the most
important one after that, thebuilding relationships has to
be the first step. But you haveto speak up. You have to speak
up when you see that they needhelp, when you know that
there's a resource that canhelp them, or you know that
(31:36):
there's a service at school,that the school can provide
that child, that will help withhis or her academic growth and
and development. You have tospeak up. You can't just watch
it happen. You have to actuallyspeak up. And sometimes that
means speaking up to theparents; sometimes it means
speaking up to other schoolstaff, your administrator. But
(31:57):
you have to speak up, and youhave to speak on their behalf,
because six- andseven-year-olds, if you're
dealing with little kids, can'tdo it. Middle-school kids,
they're not gonna do it. Andfor a lot of parents, they're
intimidated to also do it. Theydon't wanna be seen as a
troublemaker, or perhaps theydid not have a great school
(32:18):
experience themselves, andthey're already intimidated. So
it's really up to teachers tobuild that bridge. And I know
that feels like it's puttingmore on teachers' plates. I
know like someone probably islistening and thinking, "I have
enough to do. I'm teaching!" Iget it. But this will actually
save you time and it will saveyou heartache. It will save you
stress on the back end, if youbuild that relationship with
(32:41):
your families.
Ana Torres (32:49):
So, building ... if I could just kind of bring it
home for you, Missy? Buildingtrust, of course, too. Building
that communication. And we'reboth parents and we're both
educators. For me, what touchesmy spirit is a teacher that
sees my child.
Missy Testerman (33:06):
Yes.
Ana Torres (33:06):
A teacher that understands my child. Because
I'm bringing you the best thatI've got. So I think building
that trust, buildingcommunication ... but,
something that you said speaksto advocacy: Speak up. Because
that is what advocacy reallytruly means.
Missy Testerman (33:23):
Yes.
Ana Torres (33:24):
Speaking up even when it is uncomfortable. Now
as we wind down a little bit,what advice would you give to
your younger self, now thatyou've been 32 years in the
gig, and continuing? Whatadvice would you give to your
younger self?
Missy Testerman (33:41):
Probably to chill myself out a little bit.
In the beginning ... when wetalked before, I told you the
story of how I felt like youand you hit on it earlier when
you said, "It was like I wasproducing a show." It is a lot
like doing the news, exceptyou're the weather girl and the
sports guy and all of theviewers are asking if they can
(34:01):
go to the bathroom while you'retrying to deliver the content.
But I felt like every lessonhad to be absolutely perfect,
and I had to have everythinglaid out. I would not go to
lunch a lot of times. I wouldtake my students down and I
would come back to my room,because I had to lay the things
out for the next part. I wasway too uptight. And in turn,
(34:23):
that uptightness, that anxiety,spilled over to the students
who ... you know, I could beteaching and look back there
and see that the books werecrooked. And I would walk back
there and be straightening thebooks. And then I can remember
seeing a child do that. I'mteaching, and I see her looking
past me, and she actually getsup from the floor where I'm
(34:45):
doing a read-aloud and goesbehind me to straighten the
books. And so, that was amirror moment. But I was so
incredibly uptight that I didnot enjoy those little joyful
moments that come up during theday. You know, I can remember
once we were doing somethingwith food coloring and the kids
figured out that red and bluemake purple. And I can remember
(35:08):
saying, "Don't do that. Wedon't have time to do that
right now." And I kind ofcringe inside, because that was
a learning experience in and ofitself. Plus it was joyful.
They were so excited. And Ijust squelched every bit of the
joy out, because that was noton my plan. My plan was to do
this, this, and this. And wehad to get through that. So,
(35:29):
probably would be to slow down,don't freak out about
everything. And especially formyself, it would be to listen
to everything that Mary Josaid. Mary Jo was my mentor,
and she was so wise. And therewere times that I kind of ...
not to her face, but I rolledinside, like, "I'm not doing
that." And now that I look back... 'cause she tried to tell
(35:53):
me, "You've got to chill out."
that. But it would be to find amentor, someone you trust.
Listen to that person. Watchthat person. Ask that person
questions. You know, you don'thave to figure this out on your
own. People want to help you.
And you have to take that help.
It's not a sign of weakness.
It's a sign that you want to bebetter.
Ana Torres (36:16):
Yeah. 'Cause you wanna evolve and grow. So with
that said, what is next foryou? I know that with this 2024
National Teacher of the YearAward, it's going to take you
to some very interestingplaces. So what's next for you?
Missy Testerman (36:33):
So, next up, apparently there are something
like 150 speaking engagementsthroughout the year, all across
the country. And that'sexciting, you know, to get to
meet with other teachers, withpeople who want the best
possible outcomes for kids inpublic schools. Not just in
their school and their state,but all across the country. And
(36:55):
I want to learn from thosepeople as much as they learn
from me. You know, my platform,basically, for lack of a better
word, my message, I guess,during my year of service is
that teachers are the expertsin the classroom. And that it's
up to us to let lawmakers,policymakers, school leaders
(37:15):
know what our reality is, andthe challenges that we face, so
that improvements can be madethat best impact our students.
Ana Torres (37:29):
Well, I can honestly say today was an
honor, Missy, talking to you.
And thank you for sharing yourstory. Thank you for stepping
up to the plate to become anESL teacher and for filling
that gap. And more importantly,just thank you for being an
advocate for the professionitself. So, I'm excited to hear
all of the great things thatyou're going to do in this year
of service. So, thank you MissyTesterman, we appreciate you.
Missy Testerman (37:57):
Thank you. And I loved being on the podcast. I
appreciate you asking me on.
And I've loved hearing littlesnippets of your story, because
you are what I want my studentsto be. I want them to be proud
of where they came from,always. Because that's part of
their story. It's always goingto be an important part of
(38:17):
their story. And just like you,they're going to go out in the
world and do great things, too.
Thank you for having me ontoday.
Ana Torres (38:25):
Thank you. So folks, stay tuned. Missy
Testerman will be touring thecountry, doing a lot of
speaking on behalf of thisamazing profession. Thank you
so much, Missy.
Missy Testerman (38:38):
Thank you.
Ana Torres (38:42):
That was 2024 National Teacher of the Year,
Missy Testerman. Isn't she justthe best? You can keep up with
Missy's amazing work byfollowing her on social media.
We'll have links in the shownotes. I am so excited to talk
with Eric , my classroominsider, about this fascinating
(39:05):
conversation that I had withMissy Testerman. Let's get him
on the line. Well, Eric,welcome back.
Eric Cross (39:16):
I'm excited to be here.
Ana Torres (39:17):
How did you feel about the conversation?
Eric Cross (39:19):
I was really excited to listen to it. 'Cause
I don't know what a Teacher ofthe Year is, except for an
awesome title. And after I wasdone listening to it, I
understood why. I heard aneducator who really, really
understands who she is and whatshe represents, and the power
that she has, and knows how touse it to support her students.
(39:41):
And not just students, butfamilies too. I was like, "Oh
yeah, I see it. I get it. I getit right now." So it was a lot
of fun to listen to.
Ana Torres (39:49):
Yeah. And I even said to her, "I was a teacher
of the year at my campus, butto be National Teacher of the
Year?"
Eric Cross (39:58):
I thought I had done some things, because my
former students tell me that Iwas their favorite seventh
grade science teacher. Forgetabout the fact that I'm the
only seventh grade scienceteacher. But I still took it!
Like, I still took that! I'lltake that as a win!
Ana Torres (40:09):
Right. Now, as, as we all know, this segment is
really, really importantbecause Eric Cross, who's our
classroom insider, does areally good job of unpacking
the actual episode. And what hedoes really well is he's going
to share some of his takeaways.
So tell me, what's first onyour list, Eric?
Eric Cross (40:32):
Well, first is one of the things that Missy was
echoing is this advocating andembracing the needs of your
students and your diversepopulation. And as educators,
we know the inside baseball. Weknow how educational systems
work, and the resources beingbrought to us. We're getting
trained in them. But mostfamilies, sometimes information
isn't communicated. Sometimesyou don't know what you don't
(40:54):
know. She was intentional aboutspeaking up and advocating on
behalf of those students,identifying their needs, and
then getting those supports tofamilies. Sometimes there are
gaps, and it's up to us asteachers to make sure that we
get these things to thefamilies. Whether it's learning
supports in the community orlocal clinics. And this comes
back to a previous episode, ofknowing the community and
(41:15):
loving the community. You'rekinda that hub of information.
And she mentioned one thingthat really resonated with me,
because of my own studentpopulation. She talked about
multilingual students thatsupport their parents as
translators outside of school.
And that's something that iseasy to forget. But you think
about the load for a youngperson! And I think when we
recognize that and we honorthat and we come alongside that
(41:37):
child, we can better supportthat family as well.
Ana Torres (41:41):
Yes. That advocacy.
I was that student who had totake on an adult role at a very
young age. And I think it isimportant that she sees that as
a need, and honors that that'sa heavy lift for a child to
have. And to come into aclassroom and be able to have a
teacher that sees all of you,and also embraces how you live
(42:03):
at home and what your familydynamic is, really, really
touched my heart. I mean, Iwould've loved to have Missy as
my teacher. Acknowledging thatand honoring that would've made
such a big difference in mylife. 'Cause that was a lot to
carry.
Eric Cross (42:19):
Yeah, I bet.
Ana Torres (42:19):
It's a lot to carry for students. So with that, I
know you got more! You know,Eric always kind of really digs
in. And I know you've got asecond takeaway for me.
Eric Cross (42:31):
So, up to this point, I feel like I've had a
lot of my teaching practicesvalidated. But this one, I was
called out in this one!
allow teaching moments thatmess up your lesson plans," or
"Allow flexibility in yourteaching." And so what I mean
by that is she told this storyabout her kids and they were
(42:51):
messing with food coloring andthey figured out that red and
blue make purple. And she'slike, "We ain't got time for
that right now."
this in my career, where I'mlike, "Your learning is messing
up my lesson plan right now."That's the narrative in my
head. And then I go home andI'm like, "What? Cross, they
were having these great momentsof learning that was maybe
outside the objective, but itwas such a pure learning
(43:14):
moment." Slowing down, allowingthose spontaneous moments to
happen ... you got theengagement. And that's true
learning. And that's memorable.
I think, especially if you're ayounger teacher, a newer
teacher, it's easier to be morerigid, 'cause it's safe. And
you're like, "I've got thispacing and I gotta get through
all of this."
Ana Torres (43:33):
As a newer teacher, you get worried, not being on
pace. Your lesson plan says todo X, Y, Z. Your principal's
coming in, your instructionalcoach is coming in, and looking
at you like, "Why are you noton pace?" So I love that she
acknowledged that. 'Cause Ifeel like all of our educators
that we've had have been veryreflective. And she was very
honest. I wish I was moreflexible, and allowed that
(43:54):
opportunity to just take hold.
And you, reflecting on, justhitting on it being a joyful
interruption, I like that. Ilike that a lot. And now I
think you mentioned to me too —
Eric Cross (44:12):
I have another one.
I have another one.
Ana Torres (44:14):
There's a third! There's a third takeaway! We
have a lot of takeaways here.
Eric Cross (44:19):
I like threes. So, the third one. This one's kind
of the spirit of Beyond MyYears. But it's seeking
mentorship and continuousgrowth. You know, I really
loved listening to her storyabout her mentor and how real
it was. And the mentor spoketruth ... but like, real truth,
into her life. It was a truementoring relationship. It
wasn't just this formal,corporate, structured,
programmatic-like mentoring.
(44:43):
There was a human element inthis. She said things like,
publicly, she would be verytactful and share things with
me, but then behind closeddoors she'd be real with me.
And you need that. Oh my gosh.
You need that.
Ana Torres (44:55):
Yes. Absolutely.
Eric Cross (44:56):
If you're fortunate enough to have a person like
that. And now that we're beyondthe beginning of the school
year, teachers, you've probablyseen who are those people that
are really getting after it,that you respect or admire. Or
that you hear from otherstudents, you know, their
reputation. Those would be goodpeople to go seek after. And
then, the flip side, I think,is experienced educators being
willing to share that sometimeswe have to create a space where
(45:19):
people feel invited and welcometo come into that space.
Someone who might be a littlebit more reserved might need to
get that invitation.
Ana Torres (45:26):
Mentorship can come in different ways. You know,
academic (45:28):
helping me with lesson plans. But it also can
come as vent (45:32):
get it off your chest. How can I help you
navigate this? So all of thoseaspects are very, very helpful
for newer teachers. 'Cause Iwas not a young teacher. I
literally came from a secondcareer. And it was hard for me
to be in a new space and not bethe best at it.
Eric Cross (45:55):
Right.
Ana Torres (45:55):
And so, being that newer teacher and having a
great mentor and other folksthat said, "Ana, I'm here for
whatever you need," was superpowerful for me my first year.
Eric Cross (46:07):
You bring up a really good point. Because
being a new teacher doesn'tmean you're 22, 23 years old.
Ana Torres (46:12):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (46:13):
There's one more thing I wanted to add. When you
have a good mentor, someonethat you trust, have them do
classroom observations withyour most challenging class.
Ana Torres (46:21):
Ooh. Yes .
Eric Cross (46:22):
That's where they're gonna see you at your
highest level of struggle, andthat's where you're gonna get
the richest feedback.
Ana Torres (46:27):
Agreed.
Eric Cross (46:28):
And I do wanna hit on that part, of trust. I think
that's important. You have tohave that trust and safety in
order to want to go there.
Ana Torres (46:34):
That is a great, great point to make. You've got
some great takeaways for thisepisode. And let me like recap
this. Embracing and advocatingfor diverse student needs.
Missy really talked quite a bitabout that. Balancing that
structure with flexibility inteaching. Being flexible for
not only student growth, butalso our growth. Right? And
(46:56):
then seeking mentorship, andcontinuing to be that lifelong
learner. So real quickly,before we go, Eric — because I
know your kids are about tostart trickling in, your class
— is there something specificyou're going to try out this
week?
Eric Cross (47:14):
The one that I'm trying out right now is the
last one that we spoke of. I'mon a team. Half the teachers
are new this year to ourschool. And so I know that I'm
the veteran. If I'm gonna sithere and say, "Hey, newer
teachers or veteran teachers,get out there and offer
yourselves," if I'm notmodeling that and I'm not doing
it, I have no right to speak onthat. And so, had some
conversations yesterday, somegreat ones, some hard ones. And
(47:36):
we're starting to gel. I feellike we're a new basketball
team that just had a bunch oftrades.
veterans went to other places.
We got some new people. We wona championship years ago
Ana Torres (47:48):
Well, I think you are such a great person to be
leading that charge, so I willactually be checking in with
you after our next episode.
Thank you so much, Eric, and Ican't wait to talk to you
again.
Eric Cross (48:03):
I look forward to it too. Thanks, Ana.
Ana Torres (48:07):
Thanks for listening to Beyond My Years,
from Amplify. I am your host,Ana Torres. Our classroom
insider is Eric Cross. Ourmusic is from Andrew Smolin.
Next time, we're joined byanother National Teacher of the
Year, the 2023 winner, RebeckaPeterson. She is going to
(48:32):
describe a writing practicethat has transformed her
teaching career.
Rebecka Peterson (48:36):
So, this blog, it was like a last-ditch
effort, if I'm being honest.
Ana Torres (48:43):
That is next time.
The best way to get newepisodes of Beyond My Years, or
to catch up on any episodesyou've missed, is to subscribe
on Apple, Spotify, or whereveryou get your podcasts. If
you're liking the show, wouldyou please share it with a few
educator friends. We'd alsoappreciate if you would leave
(49:05):
us a rating and a review. Ourwebsite is
Amplify.com/BeyondMyYears.
Until next time, remember toreach out and say thank you to
a seasoned educator who hasshaped your life. I am Ana
Torres. Thanks so much forlistening.
Susan Lambert (49:27):
Thank you to Ana and team for sharing that
episode of Beyond My Years withour audience listeners.
Remember to subscribe to BeyondMy Years to hear all of Ana 's
conversations with seasonededucators like Missy Testerman.
And if you know a newereducator who might enjoy the
show, please pass it along tothem. We'll have a link in the
(49:48):
show notes. We hope you have awonderful winter break. We'll
be right back in your feed atthe start of the new year with
a special episode, featuringthe voices of leaders in the
Science of Reading movementfrom around the country.
A. Simone McQuaige (50:02):
This is not something that I think should
just be driven by a smallcohort of people. It should be
across a school, acrossdepartments.
Susan Lambert (50:14):
That's coming up next time. The best way to get
new episodes is to subscribe toScience of Reading: The
Podcast, wherever you get yourpodcasts. And while you're
there, please leave us a ratingand review. You can join the
conversation about this episodein our Facebook discussion
group, Science of Reading (50:31):
The Community. Science of Reading:
The Podcast is brought to youby Amplify. I'm Susan Lambert.
Thank you so much forlistening.
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