In education, we know that establishing strong relationships with students in our classrooms is vital to their success. We can attest to the fact that students who feel seen, heard, and valued by their teachers are more motivated to learn, produce quality work, accept mistakes, reach out for help, and maybe even just try a little harder…but what I didn’t realize was that those relationships have the ability to evolve and transcend out of the classroom and past a student’s graduation date…
Like many of my coworkers, I am a former FISD student; a 12-year graduate whose class was the last to attend every campus, so it is safe to say that I was exposed to many influential teachers, some of them we call “the greats” of FISD. When I think about teachers who made the biggest impact on me while I was a student, Autumn Bockart, Pepper Smith, and Elizabeth Woodley (Coach Kontrye for my fellow ‘06 grads) immediately and undoubtedly come to mind. I could continue here with stories of my time in their classrooms, which were instrumental, don’t get me wrong, but it is what happened with these 3 women when I was an adult that meant so much more. Autumn requested that her son be placed in my Junior English class; respecting me as a colleague, yet trusting me as her child’s teacher. I was flattered. Pepper, during one of her visits last year, grabbed my hands and said, “I am so proud of you.” I felt accomplished. And at the beginning of this school year, Elizabeth welcomed me into her “club” when she surprised me with a magnet bestowing the famous quote: “Well behaved women seldom make history.” I felt respected as an equal. Even though we may not work together anymore, I know I can still call Pepper when I need advice or just to hear her say “hey darlin’!” I am honored to now be Elizabeth’s colleague, even though she still yells my maiden name down the hall, where I can seek her knowledge or just have a hallway chat. I love how our relationships have evolved from student/teacher to friends.
I see this transition happening with my own former students, and it’s unbelievable to realize that I made such an impact on them that they choose to involve me in their lives after high school, or better yet, that they want to be involved in mine. Whether that be lunch or coffee before they leave for college, an invitation to an Aggie Ring ceremony, a Tech Baseball game, making my classroom their first stop after graduating basic training just so I can see them in uniform, or being told the day before they plan to propose to their girlfriend (that was a big secret to keep, Reed Roher!), I'm here for it all. It is in moments like these that I find my strength to keep teaching on even the worst of days. I have to remind myself that I must be doing something right if they graduate and still offer to babysit, send Christmas presents, FaceTime just to say “hi,” and even offer free baseball lessons. I am proud that I work in a district that cultivates and values relationship-building in and out of the classroom. In fact, it may just be my favorite part of teaching.
-Jenna Crosson, FHS English Teacher
