Teach Wonder
Teach Wonder
From Theory to Practice: Bailey Birman (STEM Education Scholars Series 1)
We caught up with some of our CMU Alumni, the students who we got to know well as STEM Education Scholars. Bailey Birman is teaches math at an alternative high school in Michigan. She shares the ways in which she felt prepared to teach and what has been a learning curve. Her thoughts on keeping a healthy boundary between her classroom and her life as well why she is excited to stay in such a challenging profession are worth the listen.
Intro Music: David Biedenbender
Other Music: Pixabay
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Okay, now we're recording so welcome to teach blender. Welcome to teach our podcast hosted by Ashley O'Neil and
Unknown:Julie Cunningham. Today we're launching a new series. It's one that's very special to us because it's close to home. The center works with a lot of different groups. You've heard us talk about some of them on the podcast. We engage often with K 12, teachers and students through events such as field trips, and summer camps. All of this is work that culminates in a goal of having a positive impact on education for the community. And because we're uniquely positioned at a university in the College of Education and Human Services, in a physical building, where future teachers are learning and preparing, we're pretty dedicated to this community as well. For us, we show that support through our STEM edge STEM education Scholar Program, we are more than a student club less than a major or certificate. Teacher Education students in this program receive a one time financial gift towards their schooling, financial support to attend a national conference of their choice, and, more importantly, time working with students. STEM education scholars volunteer to work with students during our field trips and after school programs, and have the options of working with us for summer camps. Basically, students get low stakes time to practice engaging with K 12 students in conversation. And in observing teachers lead activities. The Scholar Program has been an ongoing part of the center since its inception. And as of this year 2024. We have several cohorts of scholars who have some post graduation experience, scholars who have done grad school or teaching or involved in education in different ways. So for us, it's a bit personal, we get pretty invested in these students, and it's so meaningful for us to see how they've grown. It's
Ashley O'Neil:also relevant to our larger conversation here on the podcast because these scholars are in education. They're new and vital part of this system that we also care about, and the reflections that they share our personal look at what it's like to be a new teacher. Our first interview is with Bailey Berman. Bailey is that type of students that my own kids still ask about because they remember from summer camps and stopping by my office, Bailey is highly involved in the STEM education Scholar Program. She was the type of student who had face challenges with a confidence and their sense of humor that most people don't master until their 30s or 40s. Or never. Bailey will share more about her position in the interview. But I have to say when she told us where she was working, it somehow felt like the perfect fit the place where that competence care and humor, it would be such a great match. Here's our interview.
Bailey Birman:So my name is Bailey Berman. I graduated from CMU in May of 2022. And since graduation, I have been teaching at the Pioneer alternative high school in Clair, Michigan. So it's the alternative high school from Clair High School. And then there I am the only math and science teacher. So I am one of three teachers that work in high school. So I teach all of the ninth through 12th grade math and science classes.
Julie Cunningham:So Bailey, do you think your expectations have been met when it comes to teaching or expectations and why or why not?
Bailey Birman:So I kind of broke this up into two parts. So expectations that I had, that I would say were met when I entered the classroom and included a lot of the more basic foundational teaching skills and necessary aspects of the job. So things like creating lessons, facilitating lessons and discussions, creating assessments and assignments, classroom management, etc, things like that. And I think the reason that my expectations were met on those areas was that a lot of these topics were pretty heavily discussed in my education classes and among my peers and in the stomach Scholar Program. And so those areas very much fit into my expectations of what I had for being a teacher. And then in addition to talking about these areas, I was able to practice a lot of these skills in the STEM education scholar program. So I was working with students on a weekly basis, prepping for activities and family nights, and then helping run field trips and summer camps. So that they were set up for success. And then I was set up for success too when it came to my confidence as a teacher. So entering the classroom, I felt very comfortable leading groups of students, and then creating fun and exciting lessons similar to the fun and exciting field trips we had at these interactions in STEM education. Other expectations I had that were not as met when I went into teaching, I didn't expect that I would spend As much time doing paperwork and doing as much professional development as I have, I know being a new teacher, I have to do even more professional development. But I didn't realize how much of my time that would take up. And I think that part of that reason I didn't have those expectations, and I didn't know how much admin work there was, was that from the student perspective, that work isn't seen. And so when I was in school, I didn't see my teachers ever doing that type of work, because they weren't doing it in front of the students. So I didn't really know all of that side of things. And then another expectations that I had was that my district, or the school that I was teaching at would provide me with some of the curriculum or materials or materials or textbook that they wanted me to use. And I would be expected to teach in the way that they told me that they wanted me to teach or the department had decided, I personally am very fortunate to work in a school that allows me to have a lot of say, in what I teach and how I teach it. And being the only math and science teacher, I don't have to worry about aligning my curriculum and content with other teachers are matching, kind of how they are running their classes. But with that being said, a lot of that freedom comes with a lot of responsibility. And creating my own materials takes a lot more time than I originally thought it would. So I love that I have the freedom and flexibility to kind of run my classes the way I want. But I also recognize that that means a lot more work on my end of things. And let's see what
Ashley O'Neil:example ends are Bailey and I, I really appreciate what you said about all the hidden stuff that we don't see students like it is a weird profession to go into teaching, having been in that profession on the other side for your whole life. Right. So there's no job place you think you know, better than a classroom because you have been there the whole time. And then you walk in and you're on the other side of it, and you realize how different it so it was really thoughtful. Yeah,
Bailey Birman:absolutely. Especially Yeah, being a student. I've been in the classroom for years and years and years. And I kind of thought, like, well, teachers obviously have to spend time creating these lessons. But I've been, we do a lot of like book studies, and I'm in a professional learning community PLC with my staff. And I've been facilitating other professional developments in my school. And so a lot of those additional things I don't always see teachers doing. So being on the other side of it, I get a much different perspective,
Ashley O'Neil:for sure. What are some highlights button for you.
Bailey Birman:Um, so one of the best highlights has been seeing my students understand and enjoy the math that they're learning. So coming in, many of my students hated math, because they feel like they've never understood it. And they haven't really been in the right environment that lends itself to their success. And so I've had so many students tell me that they really enjoy my math classes and the way that I teach math, and they feel like they finally understand the content of that learning. And even to kind of put perspective into it. Last year, I had a student tell me that solving and graphing inequalities was really fun. And she said that solving and graphing inequalities was her favorite thing. And never in my life have I heard someone say that solving and graphing inequalities was their favorite thing to do. Especially this was a student who coming in had a panic attack on the first day of my algebra class. So just seeing that growth in only a couple months has been awesome. And I can't wait to see the growth in their math content, and also their willingness to try the math in the next couple of years as I continue working with the same group of students. So that's been an awesome highlight. Especially being a math teacher, not everyone's super crazy about their math classes. And that's okay. Another highlight has been taking my students to college visits and having conversations around post secondary education. Many of my students have never really thought about what comes beyond graduation, because for them graduation, is the end goal. And they aren't really having conversations about well, what comes next. And so the number of students that I've had that have started attending college after graduate graduation has gone up drastically. We have students going to community college, and even some students that are looking at enrolling in universities. So I hope to continue having students talk about their future and ask questions about what options are available to them regarding any type of post secondary education. A handful of my seniors even applied to CMU which is really exciting. And a couple of them are planning to attend CMU in next fall. So that's awesome to see. And I can talk about my experiences at CMU, I even have a student who wants to be a teacher someday. So that's really cool getting to have like those conversations. And with such a small student population, I have the time to create really strong relationships and have these conversations about the future where we feel like we can actually have a really productive conversation, and they can really talk to me about like the meat of that conversation. It's not just surface level. So having those college conversations has been a huge highlight and I love seeing my students get excited about the future and thinking beyond Just High School. And then the last highlight that I wrote down was that at the end of last year, I taught summer school in June, I didn't really know what to expect going into summer school because I had never attended summer school. And I didn't really know what that would look like. But I taught summer school, and I have so many wonderful memories from that experience. In our summer school program, we only have around 12 to 20 students total. So that allows me to really get to know them, and then spend a lot of quality time with them. Last summer, we took a field trip to go swimming and have a cookout at the Doherty hotel in the area. And many of my students said that, like so far, that is the best memory that they've had in high school. And they like loved that day. And we played a bunch of games, and it was just a super great way to connect with them. Beyond just like a teacher students setting they kind of I watched a lot of students who normally don't get along finally create like friendships with each other because they were in an environment that allowed them to be friends. So that was just a wonderful memory. And this next summer, I'm planning to teach summer school again, but we've secured the funding to for field trips. So we'll be doing a field trip every single Friday, with class on Monday through Thursday, and I can't wait to see what kind of fun memories come out of those field trips in summer school next summer.
Julie Cunningham:That's really nice. What would you would every student who goes through that high school have to take math and science? So would you actually have contact in class with every single student at some point?
Bailey Birman:Yeah, so I teach three sections of math in person. So I teach geometry, algebra one and Algebra Two in person. And almost every single student in the school is in at least one of those classes. And then I alternate years teaching chemistry and biology. So a lot of students end up being in science classes. This year, I'm teaching chemistry. So out of the four classes, I teach in person, some students I have in three of those four classes. And one of my students I have in all four classes. So not only do I see them in summer school, they're also the same students that I have every day. And our summer school is separate from the high school or the middle school summer school. So my summer school students are only the students that I have during the year they're not students from other school districts, or other schools.
Julie Cunningham:Thanks. That sounds like a great way to get to know I mean, a great opportunity to get to know all those students. Yeah, nice. I, what challenges do you face? Your highlights were great. By the way. What are the great highlights? So what challenges do you face?
Bailey Birman:Yeah, working in an alternative school has a lot of challenges. And many of those challenges are very similar to other schools. Because my students come from mainstream high schools. So I have the same students that other teachers have had. But in an alternative school, they're just much more concentrated. And so I don't have a couple students that are high risk, I have a lot of students. So many of my students are at risk, a lot of them have a lot on their plates, with taking care of siblings helping out around their home, a lot of like financial insecurity, things like that. And so that often means that when they come to school, sometimes learning about math, and science isn't their priority, it's not the most important thing to them, some of them don't have groceries at home. And so kind of creating a space where students feel safe, just with those basic needs is challenging enough. But then I also have to work on top of that, to make sure that they're learning the content that I'm also teaching. And so navigating that balance with meeting students where they're at, but then also challenging them with the content and curriculum is a pretty tricky balance, just to make sure that they still have all their basic needs met. But I'm also having high expectations for them. So that's probably one of the biggest challenges working with my students. Not to mention to a lot of my students have a lot of trauma, and struggle with emotional regulation and behavior issues. And so oftentimes that disrupts learning for them or for other students, or we have to rearrange the day a little bit. So I have to be very flexible in my teaching, which was not something that I expected kind of going in. I think oftentimes when people think about creating their lesson plans, they allow for a little flexibility ability of students take a little longer to answer some questions, or to do a lab. But I have to have a lot of flexibility with completely changing my lessons on the fly. And because many of my students are at risk, they have a lot of that emotional trauma. And I am very thankful to be a safe space for them. And many of my students feel very comfortable talking to me about their struggles and asking for advice. But then because of that I take on a lot of their emotional baggage. So setting solid boundaries at my job and making sure that I'm making my own mental health a priority has been really my main focus this year. Towards the end of my first Last year, so towards the end of last year, I was at like an all time low with my mental health. And I was creating materials on lessons for four different classes a day, I was meeting with students that I'm their advisor, I was facilitating professional development. And I was also dealing with a lot of personal issues at the same time. And so taking time for self care, and then stepping back in the areas where I could have helped make this year far more manageable than last year. And I have to remind myself to set those boundaries because working with at risk students, it's very easy to put their needs above my own. But if I can't show up for them, if I'm not showing up for myself, and so that's been hard, being such a people pleaser, to to navigate, making time for them, but also setting boundaries to make sure that I'm taking care of myself. So that's been a big challenge. And then another challenge I face is that many of my students are very behind in their mathematical abilities and understanding. I'm sure that's a combination of COVID, maybe some work ethic struggles, learning disabilities, and then also past teachers that didn't support them in the ways that they needed. But now I have to not only teach the content that they should be learning now in their algebra one, Algebra Two and geometry classes. But I also have to provide additional intervention to fill those gaps in foundational knowledge. And because I'm the only math teacher, I'm the only one that can fill those gaps. And so my day is often JAM PACKED not only teaching my classes, but providing additional intervention where I can, and then I host after school, tutoring 10 hours a week to offer further intervention, and help with their classes so that students can get caught up from any gaps that they have in their learning, and then also be successful with their current learning. Now, I
Julie Cunningham:feel like you learned a lesson that it took a lot of us a lot longer to learn that like that you learn that lesson to take care of yourself after. And then I understand you're having to remind yourself, but still, I think that's a really important piece of being a teacher, right. And I feel like I didn't learn it that quickly.
Ashley O'Neil:I think about like the hardest years of teaching and the thing that makes you a really good teacher. And I think we've known you for a long time. And so we have that benefit is that you do care so much about the people around you. But the more you open yourself to caring about them. The the more you're like opening the floodgates for all of the emotions and all of their like burdens and the things that you can't fix. And it's hard to remind yourself what is in your control. We just had that conversation this week, Julie like what's in our control when it comes to helping others and like what's not in our control. And that's it is the Forever struggle, I think for sure.
Bailey Birman:Yeah, I even have that conversation with my students when they're frustrated with situations. And I have to remind them to just focus on what's in their control, because it's very easy to worry about things beyond your control and kind of get into the weeds of things. But yeah, I'm very thankful that I kind of learned this lesson early on, because last year was was not great. At a lot of points, I just felt incredibly burned out so quickly. And I have so many more preps than like a normal high school teacher. And on top of teaching for in person classes, I'm also overseeing like 16 different online sections of classes for different students. And so it's just a lot of work. And so that requires a lot of time management. And I have to be pretty strict with making sure that my door's locked on my prep and my lunch, because I love my students. But I also have to get that work done at school so that I'm not taking it home, and then just creating further stress for myself down the road. So setting stricter boundaries this year has greatly improved my mental health. And I'm still able to maintain just as good of relationships with my students. There's a lot of
Ashley O'Neil:people who benefit from hearing that. And I don't want to paint this picture that like you're perfectly on the other side. And there's never a day you don't like cry on your way home from work, because that's not that's not like a realistic outcome either. But that you are able to set up boundaries and still feel like you have good relationships with students because sometimes I think there is a fear with teachers that if they aren't available at lunch, if they aren't available at these times. If they say nope, you know what, that's not gonna work for me today that the cost is a relationship with a kid. But it sounds like you're a good example of how both can be true. You mentioned some of the compounding. But I want to call them compounding reasons that maybe your students aren't thriving at school. And I was wondering if at your specific alternative ed school if truancy or like transiency is also a thing that you see like do you see that your class roster changes throughout the year? Do you see that kids come and go and is that tricky to to navigate?
Bailey Birman:Yeah, um, Truancy is a huge problem at my school. Some of my students have already hit truancy by the end of the first quarter, because they're only at school. one or two days a week, whether it be them not coming to school or other outside factors, making it difficult for them to come to school. And a lot of my students actually are sent to the alternative school because of truancy at the high school. And so low attendance is regularly an issue, we tried to do a lot of incentives to increase attendance. So one incentive that we do is that if students are present, and on time, every single day of the week, then we allow them to order food on Fridays for lunch, so they can order DoorDash and things like that. So we try to look for ways to incentivize them coming to school and wanting to be there without it being another punishment on top of already having to deal with like the truancy, things and sending letters to the DEA and courts and all of that mess. But truancy definitely makes it challenging. And a lot of the way that my classes are set up, is to help students who struggle with attendance. So in my math lessons every single day, I record myself doing the lesson with my class. And then I post that onto my Google classroom so that students who aren't there still have access to the lesson and not just the notes that are written down. But also me talking about it and explaining it just like I did in class. So a lot of that I set up that way to help students who might not have the best attendance so that I'm not having students come in every single day, asking me what they missed the day before two days before. I also have things like my daily agenda, LinkedIn, and my Google Classroom, I post digital materials for every assignment I give out. So all of that is kind of set up in a way that if students are missing class, they can see what they missed. And they have access to all of those materials, so that I'm cutting out myself from that conversation. Because if I didn't, I would have questions every single day. But attendance is definitely here and there. I think there was one day last year randomly, I had one student in my algebra class. So when it comes to being flexible with lesson planning, on that day, I had to be very flexible, because there was only one student that showed up. So it definitely affects how my lessons run and how I play in my lessons, I have to think about how I play in them to make sure that even if students aren't there, they're still able to get what they missed.
Ashley O'Neil:Sure, sure, no, that makes a ton of sense. I like what you said about removing yourself from that, because I don't know, when we think about truancy and punishment, I mean, the true punishment is that they miss stuff, right? Like the true punishment is this compounding to do list that is put in front of them, where they have to catch up on all the material and the content and the experience that they're missing. But I like that you're removing themselves, that seems like an appropriate High School response to not be punitive. But to just say, here's all the materials, here, you'll have full access to it, regardless of if you're physically in the building or not. That's thoughtful, I would say
Bailey Birman:other things like giving them responsibility and kind of making my classroom management run a little easier. I have like a sign out sheet, if students want to go to the bathroom, that way, they don't have to ask me, because they're old enough to just go, they have access to all of the materials that they miss, they can pick their own seats, things like that. And then I also don't have a late policy, just because many of our students are at our school because of academic issues. And a lot of that was because of truancy, they're not turning in assignments on time, and then they're failing because of that. And so at my school, we just don't have a late policy, we will give students up to the full amount of points as long as it's turned in by the end of the semester. And so all of that is kind of set up to help students that even when they're not there, they can still be successful as long as they're doing the work.
Julie Cunningham:That's really interesting. And also I was just thinking that it's so I think frustrating to students who get behind it's hard to come in and and be positive about a class or positive but a subject area if you're so far behind. You know, you really can't dig yourself out of the hole, right? Like it's really hard. I mean, it's hard for any of us who who aren't doing well at something to turn around and say, Oh, I really want to do some more of that something right. So. So if you get so far behind that you can't do well at math, then it's really hard to be positive and show back up to math class and say, Well, I've already dug myself that hole, but here I am. So I think that like truancy, for whatever the reason is that you're behind, right? It's nice that you give them so many ways in which they can stay caught up.
Bailey Birman:You Yeah, and we and we design a lot of our classes are overall, our daily schedule to make sure that we are creating time and space for students to get caught up and get additional help. So during lunchtime we'll offer additional intervention or just space for students to work on things. Also to our last hour of the day is our academic support hour. So that's time for me to pull students and work one on one with them. If they're missing assignments, things like that. And then we have Have the after school tutoring time, which was after school for two hours. And so our academic interventionist will call families if she sees that students are behind in those classes, and get parents to allow them to stay after school almost as like a required thing until they're caught back up. And so a lot of that has also been created less work for us at the end of the semester, because I don't have students that are then turning in 20 assignments to me, because they know that they won't get marked off relate points. But it allows me to kind of check in with them regularly so that they're never too far behind.
Julie Cunningham:Bailey, is there anything that you want to add that we didn't ask you directly?
Bailey Birman:I think education right now is a fairly challenging place to be at, especially coming from the pandemic, a lot of students are struggling right now with like social emotional aspects of their learning, and mental health things. I think the world is just not always a very positive place. And so for people who are interested in education, continue to hold out hope you might hear from people that like being a teacher is not the greatest job ever. But there's so many aspects that I absolutely love about my job, that make me so happy to wake up every morning and go to school. And I'm so thankful to have a job that I genuinely look forward to, especially because so many people have jobs that they don't get excited about and they don't feel fulfilled in and I've never felt like in my job I was unfulfilled. So for people interested in education, I highly recommend continuing to go into the field of education. It's incredibly important work and we need good people in education. And these students need good people too that can advocate for them.