6 minute read
From Parent to Teacher
AUTHOR: JON SHELDON
Region 10 Digital Media Producer
IT is a little after eight o’clock at Wilson Elementary in Crandall ISD, and Serena Johnson is welcoming her Head Start students into the classroom. As the last student arrives, they all sit down to enjoy breakfast in the classroom - family style. They talk about the previous day, what cartoons they were watching, and what makes an insect an insect. After breakfast, it’s carpet time and Johnson leads her students in song before she goes over what’s in store for the day. Johnson’s classroom is divided into little learning nooks where students can master the lesson of the day, insects. There’s a tent with vines hanging above it where students can use flashlights, learn about insects, and read to each other. In another section of the room there’s an ABC station that challenges students to learn how to spell and write out the names of insects. One corner is dedicated to a science and math station with real, preserved insects where students can look at them up close with a magnifying glass and count the number of legs. There’s even a little sand box where students use fine motor skills to solve problems. Her classroom is anything but boring - it is designed and intentional - learning through play. Johnson has a unique understanding of the importance of creating an exciting environment where the littlest of learners will thrive. She began her journey in the Head Start program as a Head Start parent 16 years ago when her family needed additional support.
“Our family was really struggling. My husband at that time had been laid off from his job…and so I really wanted to work,” Johnson recalled. “In order to go back to work, I needed help with childcare for my daughter, and thankfully a spot opened up on the wait list for the Head Start program.”
Johnson’s involvement with Head Start did not end at being a parent. Almost immediately, she got involved in the classroom as a volunteer, and she soon became the classroom's de facto mom. From there, her love of children and desire to do more flourished. Her daughter’s Head Start teacher, Ms. Harrell, noticed this budding drive and nurtured it.
“Head Start is not only a program that provides for the children, it also supports and provides for the families.”
“[Ms. Harrell] was like, ‘You know, we really need substitutes. Would you like to sub?,’” Johnson explained, beaming with enthusiasm. “I never wanted to be a teacher. If you were to ask me growing up, I would have said, ‘No, not doing it.’ But I actually love it. I fell in love with it.” Her journey continued from room mom to substitute teacher, but before long she knew she wanted to be more than an occasional substitute - she wanted to be in the classroom working with students every day. When an opportunity came to transition to being an instructional assistant, she took it. With support from her school’s Head Start program, Johnson earned the required Child Development Associates Credential to become an instructional assistant. She successfully balanced going back to school, working as a substitute teacher, and being a full-time mom of three. Nine years later, Johnson went on to earn her bachelor's degree so she could step into a leading role in the classroom and help students and families come together, just as she was helped many years earlier. It takes a passionate and driven person to become a Head Start teacher. It takes someone with a tremendous amount of empathy and love to serve vulnerable children and families. Thankfully, Johnson embodies all of those traits and more. She can relate to her students' parents because she has been where they are now. She understands what it is like to have to struggle and make impossible choices. Johnson’s parents did not graduate high school. She had been a single mom. She struggled to find work and support. It’s that shared experience that makes home visits and parent teacher conferences constructive and supportive. “Head Start is not only a program that provides for the children, it also supports and provides for the families,” explained Rhonelta Yarborough, Region 10 Head Start Facilitator at Crandall ISD. “Johnson’s dedication to her students and classroom is a reflection of Head Start’s philosophy. I've been around since she was a Head Start parent, and I’ve seen that when she puts a plan in place and sets her mind to it, she succeeds.” However, in typical Johnson fashion, there is always more to do. In the coming years, she plans on finding better ways to integrate the family into the classroom and instruction. Currently, Head Start parents are encouraged to work with their children to bolster the classroom curriculum, but Johnson knows she could do more.
“I really want to create a program where parents are welcomed into our classroom to share something with us about their family,” Johnson explained. “Even if it's reading their favorite book, or if they paint, maybe they can come in and show us how to paint a picture.” As the day winds to a close and Johnson’s students wake from their afternoon nap, they stretch, gather their things, and sit on the carpet waiting for one last story. Johnson sits at the head of the classroom with her stack of books and materials to encourage a little more learning
before gym class and dismissal. Today’s wrap-up lesson is on insects native to Texas. The students count aloud the number of legs, “One, two, three, four, five, six!” and mimic the sounds of crickets. Once finished, everyone lines up to head to the gym. Each student gets a big hug, fist bump, or word of encouragement. After dropping her students off at the gym, Johnson returns to her classroom for conference time where she plans out the next day's lessons, activities, and home visits.
“If we can help one family be successful in a year, then we know we are doing our job,” Yarborough said. “Our job is not a job, it is a ministry to families and we see it daily in our children's faces and parents' faces.” Johnson represents the very best in early childhood education and Head Start. She’s driven by a shared experience that she has with each Head Start family. Evolving from being a struggling parent looking for a job, to teaching a classroom full of some of the most vulnerable children, takes a unique person.
“I just love the Head Start program,” laughed Johnson as she tried to hold back tears. “We’re building a strong foundation not just for our students’ education, but also for strong relationships for the families. I met my best friend in Head Start, and my daughter is still best friends with someone she met in Head Start. The Head Start program, to me, is more than just teaching - it's about relationships.”
Head Start is a federally funded program designed to nurture school readiness in preschool-aged children from families who are economically challenged. The program is family focused, and teachers work directly with parents or key family members to foster positive relationships, encourage the family to be leaders in their child’s education, and provide stability and support for those who are most vulnerable. Head Start takes a holistic approach to education, understanding that a well-rounded education is not just reading, writing, and math - students need to be healthy, supported, and loved.
