HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Soon, students will be back in classrooms across the Tampa Bay Area, and for teachers, it comes with both excitement and challenges.
A long-time teacher and teacher newer to the profession sat down with ABC Action News to reflect on their careers ahead of the new school year.
Every start to a new school year brings a fresh set of students and a fresh start.
“I started in Hillsborough County in 2006, so that makes this year number 18 or 19, but I’ve been teaching totally for 26 years,” said Letecia Nathan.
Nathan teaches kindergarten. Her love for the job is still with her all these years later.
“I saw a PSA on television that said America needs great teachers, and something said to me, you know what, that’s what you should do, and I started teaching, and I fell in love with it on day one,” said Nathan.
Nathan remembers the nerves that came with her very first year in the classroom that never really go away.
“I still have those nerves,” said Nathan. “It’s just more of an excitement of the little ones coming in because it’s their first experience in school, and so I get excited for them and getting to meet them and getting to know them.”
“I’m excited for the school year,” said Bianca Daurio. “I’m ready to get back.”
That anticipation of getting back in front of a classroom is shared by lots of educators in the Tampa Bay Area.
Daurio is a high school teacher, teaching for about two years.
“I try and make sure that like they are caring about what they’re doing, not just coming into class, sitting there, and then walking out,” said Daurio.
For both Daurio and Nathan, the job doesn’t come without its challenges.
“Sometimes there’s bickering or days where kids have their own stuff going on, and that’s totally understandable, so working through that on those off days help us get to those better days a little bit easier,” said Daurio.
“Currently, I think it’s just the class sizes have become increasingly larger with a lot of teacher vacancies, and so us having to take in those students that don’t have a teacher,” said Nathan.
There are the full circle moments, like watching students grow up.
“This year, I was fortunate enough, since I’ve been teaching long enough, I actually had two students whose parents I taught,” said Nathan.
There are also the moments that can make any teacher’s day.
“A lot of our classes are conversation based, so if they either correct another student saying no, what are you talking about, it’s this, or if they just have exciting news really. It doesn’t even have to be for my class. As long as they’re excited to show up and be there, that’s what makes me smile,” said Daurio.
Whether it’s year 26 or year two, the prep looks similar: getting the classroom ready, stocking up on school supplies, and making sure the curriculum is up to date.
The advice from these teachers to both new teachers and their younger selves is this: “Enjoy the moment, take your time, you’re not going to get it all done ever,” said Nathan. “A to do list for a teacher is never-ending, so just do what you can, but also have a balance between work life and school life.”
“Trust your gut, and things will feel intense and scary, but just know it’s one day out of 180 school days, and you will get through it,” said Daurio.
