I was a member of a small group of innovators that started technology specials in elementary. In our district, we had Carl W, Andy Y, Randy W, and me. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to create something exciting and new. Teaching is built on the foundation of nurturing students. If that nurturing is personal or nurturing learning, it is an important tenet of teaching. Often one missing piece is the nurturing of colleagues. Since we were creating a program from the ground up, we sought the help of fellow specialists. We found out that we were persona non grata in the specialists’ world. This was led by a few loud people who felt that we were out to damage what they taught. One of the main people leading this campaign in the district was a teacher from my building. The teacher was kind and polite to my face and then behind my back was horrible. I learned to walk a delicate balance but knew that I had no place for district-level meetings or training. Any inservice training we did was amont the four of us. As other schools came on board we had a larger group but still struggled with how to prep for 6 different grade levels. We worked through it but for several years we were on our own with no support or training. I am torn about who to blame. Would it be the district who should have stepped in and included us? Was it the role of the principals to demand supports for all their teachers including us? Was it the other specialists in the schools or even in district settings? I blame them all equally. This is why some teachers feel abandened in the careers and aren’t sure who to turn to in times of need. All my group were strong and held our own in these settings. I am left with the question of: How good could we have been if we had support and training. I also wonder if I have ever done that to someone else and not realized it.
