Together Again

A New School Year Can Unite Teachers and ESPs

By Dave Arnold

Just before the first day of school a few years ago, a new teacher was acting, well, like a new teacher. She was frazzled, confused and kind of desperate.

A custodian happened to be called by the front office to replace a pencil sharpener in the teacher's kindergarten classroom. As soon as he entered the room, he could see that she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

He'd seen it before: a new teacher at a new school expecting new students. That situation can make anyone crazy. Well, the teacher found the strength to smile and introduce herself.

It didn't matter to her that he was a custodian. It didn't matter to him that she was a rookie.

Forming Relationships

I wasn't in the classroom, but my co-worker said the teacher skipped the formalities and immediately unloaded her anxiety on him -- one ton at a time. In addition to doubting her own lesson plans, she was clueless about the school's schedules, floor plan, and campus geography.

She could barely remember how to find the principal's office. After she finished talking, his response was: "Let's do this job together."

With several years of experience under his belt, the custodian was able to review each class schedule. He drew a diagram of the school's floor plan and explained the layout of the playground, campus and surrounding area.

Despite her troubled state, the teacher was kind enough to ask if there was anything she could do for him. He told her that he had problems cleaning his rooms in the time allotted. Having the students place their chairs on top of their desks before he cleaned would be a tremendous help. She complied. That was the beginning of a long partnership.

Mentoring Works

The give-n-take between these two co-workers continued until he retired. For the entire time they served together, each one looked for opportunities to help the other. Unfortunately, this type of partnership between a teacher and an Education Support Professional (ESP) is rare.

As the school year begins, we are likely to meet new people. Whether they are rookies or veterans, teachers or ESPs, we should take the opportunity to greet one another as partners.

A few years ago, the Illinois Education Association, of which I am a member, recognized the need of first-year employees to receive assistance from veterans. So, they started a mentoring program.

It has been a grand success. Newcomers learn to avoid common pratfalls while old-timers like me (25-plus years on the job) garner a tremendous satisfaction helping a co-worker.
 
Team NEA

Many teachers and ESPs are also members of the National Education Association (NEA). This common heritage makes us more than mere associates. We are part of Team NEA.

For the 2004--05 school year, NEA President Reg Weaver outlined four areas in which we were to focus: pressure federal officials to fix and fund the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law; recruit new members among K-12 teachers and ESP and higher education faculty and staff; work to close the achievement gap; and elect pro-education candidates to state legislatures, Congress and the White House.

 For 2005--06, Reg asked Team NEA to make every public school great for every child. He has asked NEA's 2.7 million members to lead the charge in transforming students into citizens who will make a contribution to society; elect policymakers who will help fix and fund NCLB; and stand with the nation's ESP in their struggle against privatization. He also asked the nation to provide fair pay to educators.

These are high mountains to climb. Yes, it's worth the effort. But ESPs can't make it by themselves. Teachers can't either. Only by working together can we succeed.

Need Each Other

Teachers and ESPs are much like the components of a fine-tuned machine. We instruct students on the importance of world history and algebra. We interact with parents on the telephone and cook students a healthy meal at lunchtime.

Without any one of our system's components, the whole school machine collapses. Without teamwork, our student's success is jeopardized. As we enter a new school year, our contracts and job descriptions detail what is expected of us. Our job duties are clear to us.

What is not mentioned is how we can better serve one another. In the coming days, as new teachers and ESP meet new students, remember the words of my old custodial friend: "Let's do this job together."

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.