Abbey Pawlitzke

I think believing in your goals, and working hard until you've reached them, and having perseverance is what I attribute my success to. It's also about balancing what is important to you professionally and personally, and not just having your entire identity linked to one thing. I take a lot of pride in school, in my career, but also, I have a ton of personal goals that I'm working towards and being engaged and connected with my community through aspects that I enjoy and value. Having that multi-dimensional aspect is important to me.

I've learned that you have to really want this job, and really enjoy working with students. I've taught K through adult learners, and in some ways it's very similar - we all have needs and concerns, and things come up. Those things look different in kindergarten, like if someone cut line or they forgot their show and tell, but those problems are still there in high school, like prom dresses, and dates, and crushes. Being empathetic and knowing that we're doing the best that we can, and that we're here to learn and navigate through all those obstacles and challenges is important. If you don't come to class, here's the pencil, I'm glad you're here. I'm not gonna yell at you. I'm gonna welcome you in, and if you're having a bad day, like, how can I help? What do you need? We can't perform at 100% all day, every day.

One professional challenge that I struggle with is the culture of teaching, and how society or culturally, it's not as maybe valued or financially supported or funded in ways that make it equitable or sustainable. It's important to me to stay in front of students because students deserve good teachers, and deserve teachers that want to be in front of students, and so that's why I've stayed in the classroom. I don't have a desire to move into admin roles. It's also why I teach for the college, because I believe in being a good voice and an instructor for incoming teachers who have teaching experience and not, well, I taught 15 years ago or 20 years ago, and now I can teach you how it is in classrooms today. As for opportunities, I mean, I think this is the best job ever. I have great colleagues and students that make it awesome. Just being connected with the community is a bonus - like seeing former students from 15 years ago and current students at the park and grocery store. We're in this new generation of teachers where it's not going to high school, going to a traditional college, doing traditional student-teacher teaching. It's ebbing and flowing with the demands of supporting and being financially stable enough to become a teacher.

Being consistent, being persevering, and being kind are the values most important to me. Integrity is also very important. Community is a strong priority of mine - I like being part of the community and being a part of the solution, and not part of the problem for the community.