As the third Covid-impacted school year draws to a close, we sat down with two experienced teachers to get their take on this school year and the importance of cultivating positive relationships with parents and students.It's a heartwarming discussion that highlights the passion and dedication of Florida's teachers and shines a light on the value of experience. 

Episode 18 Show Notes:

Guests

Show Resources

Transcript

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GuestsMorgan Mousley, English teacher, Creekside High School, St. Augustine Megan Young, English teacher, Tocio Creek High School, St. AugustineResourcesJoin your local union Future Educators of AmericaFEA's 2022 Legislative Session Report 

TranscriptAndrew Spar, FEA President: Hi, this is FEA President, Andrew Spar. To stay on top of all the latest news and issues impacting our public schools, be sure to follow FEA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information on this podcast, visit FEAweb.org/podcast.Sharon Nesvig: You're listening to Educating from the Heart. Thank you for joining our lively conversations with support professionals, parents and students as they share issues that matter most in our public schools. Here are your hosts, Tina Dunbar and Luke Flynt.Tina Dunbar, Host: Hello, and welcome back to Educating from the Heart. I'm Tina here with my co-host, Luke.Luke Flynt, Host: Hey, Tina.  Tina: Well, Luke, you know, May is a very special month for teachers, and I'm not referring to the end of the school year or summer vacation. I'm talking about a special event that encourages us to pause for a moment and reflect on the people who work in our schools and contribute so much to our children's lives.And while that moment is only a week showing teachers and all educators that we appreciate their work is an act that needs to occur throughout the school year. Of course, Luke, we all know that showing a little gratitude and appreciation really goes a long way.Luke: It really does. And showing that appreciation is important, perhaps now more than ever because when you talk with teachers, you will hear that so many of them, especially experienced educators, feel that this year has been the most difficult of their careers. Between the stress of teaching during a global pandemic, the seemingly endless attacks from certain politicians, outrageous testing policies that negatively impact teaching and outside groups trying to form a wedge between parents and teachers, I can certainly understand why this year has been so hard.Tina: And to complicate the situation, some parents who homeschooled their children during the pandemic now believe they know the teaching experience and understand the pressure points and frustrations that classroom teachers face.  Yet during many of our podcasts, Luke, you know our listeners heard from teachers who shared their feelings of being misunderstood, unheard and above all disrespected. Teachers have told us one of the main reasons they walk away is poor working conditions, unreasonable demands, and an unrealistic expectation that they face each and every day. You know, if we really care about our educators, then we ought to recognize working under these conditions could make the job unbearable for even the best teachers.Luke: Oh, absolutely. It is important to remember though, despite all of the loud voices screaming at school board meetings, the rhetoric coming from the governor's office, parents still rate their public schools very highly, and they have respect and admiration for their children's teachers.Tina: And that is so true. As we move through the waning weeks of the school year, we figured this would be the perfect time for our listeners to meet a...