I’m going to hold off one more week discussing my book. I have to admit that teaching and being back in the classroom is dominating my mind again this week and that’s not a bad thing.
Being back in the classroom has been an amazing experience. Teachers had kept telling me that Covid changed everything and that teaching wasn’t the same, but thankfully, I’m not seeing that. From what I am seeing kids are still kids and I am loving being back and part of their lives. From my quiet group that look at me like I’m crazy with all my silly ways, to my fun and rowdy crew that make me feel like Mr. Kotter. Seriously, I might as well have Vinnie, Juan, Washington, and Horshack in that classroom and they are just as entertaining! I’m having a blast.
But something hit me the other day. We are having an event this month focusing on reading, and our instructional coach asked us to list our favorite book and submit a photo of ourselves from back then. I found my 9th grade yearbook, took a pic of me back when my hair was as dark as could be, and submitted my favorite book (Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides). I had to walk to the front of the building for something and saw the associate principal of my house. I said something like, “Man, I hope I don’t regret that picture I submitted of myself to the Admin.” He paused for a second and was confused. I didn’t realize he was caught up in something at that moment, but he stopped and said, “Sorry, Mr. Cornett. I’m dealing with some things right now.” I immediately apologized but then said “No, I’m sorry” and told me three very serious things he was dealing with right then and there. I told him how much I appreciated all he does for us and went back to the workroom.
As I was walking down the hall, it stuck with me. There I was existing in my wonderful little teacher world thinking about something silly like an old photo of me that the kids will be seeing and most certainly giving me a well deserved hard time over. I spend my planning time thinking about what I can do that day to make the classroom a little more fun and engaging. I love to find a little video clip or a song that helps the kids connect with the content and stuff like that is always on my mind.
But you know what’s not? The kind of stuff the Admin has to deal with every single day so I can stay there in my little teacher land. People often say that teachers are there in the trenches every day doing the hard work of helping students learn and grow and I agree with that completely. But do you know what makes that possible? It’s the line of administrators who are constantly bombarded with negativity day after day protecting us and keeping those things at bay the best they can. They are the phalanx line that makes our work possible.
I get to teach The Odyssey this year and can’t wait for that unit, but if I’m honest, The Iliad is my favorite of the two. I have always been fascinated with Warfare and Literature. I’d say it comes from watching those kinds of movies with my Dad. In the 80’s, he took me to see Missing in Action, Rambo, First Blood II and plenty of other movies like that. But it was 1986’s Platoon that gave me a different perspective. Combined with discovering Apocalypse Now on late night cable, I became very interested in the ways that warfare affected the boys and men who were called into battle. In Grad School, I wrote my Thesis on Fourteenth Century Warfare and Rhetoric in Arthurian Poetry, so it’s kind of my thing.
In the 16th book of the Iliad, Achilles gives a speech to Patroclus and the Myrnidions (his soldiers) to get them ready for the coming battle. Homer writes that after the speech, “With these words he put heart and soul into them all, and they serried their companies yet more closely when they heard of their king. As the stones which a builder sets in the wall of some high house which is to give shelter from the winds-even so closely were the helmets and bossed shields set against one another. Shield pressed on shield, helm on helm, and man on man..” His descriptions sound like the Greek Phalanx, where the soldiers stood in close formation with shields and spears creating an almost impenetrable unit. The idea was basically this: stand together, protect each other, and overcome. The Greeks didn’t invent the Phalanx but they used it to great success and in some historians’ minds, perfected it.
That’s the image that came to my mind. Me standing in the comfort of my classroom with my students, all made possible because of the protective line of administrators doing the real heavy lifting. I’m not saying that teaching is all rainbows and unicorns; yes, we have our challenges, some more than others, and if you don’t have a supportive administration like I am blessed to have at my school, I completely understand your frustration. In my opinion, that school district needs to get its act together and put the right people into those positions.
But, remember this, and I only know this because I flirted with administration early on in my career and realized it wasn’t for me. If all you did day in and day out was deal with nothing but negativity, how long would it take you to burn out? I know that I couldn’t do it. Nope. I am blessed to be able to have the next fun learning activity as my biggest worry most days.
I went back to my administrator on Friday and told him he was gonna be the topic of my next blog. Initially, he looked at me strangely, but when I explained and then thanked him for all he does to make my job possible, he was truly thankful for the compliment. I hope it made a difference in his day.
And I hope this inspires others to do the very same, no matter what your job. We all have people above us working behind the scenes to keep everything going.
A little appreciation can go a long way and I’m glad I was reminded of that.
Matthew M Cornett 