They are parents who wanted to make a difference by getting involved, supporting their students in the classroom.
On this episode of the Supercast, find out why some passionate parents at Oakcrest Elementary School fell in love with the classroom, so much so that they decided to pursue a career in education to become teachers themselves.
Audio Transcription
[Music]Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are parents who wanted to make a difference by getting involved, supporting their students in the classroom. On this episode of the Supercast, find out why some passionate parents at Oakcrest Elementary School fell in love with the classroom, so much so that they decided to pursue a career in education to become teachers themselves.
We're here at Oakcrest Elementary with Veronica Holyoke, one of the administrators here. You're the assistant principal at Oakcrest. Introduce yourself a little bit and tell us why we're here for the podcast.
Veronica Holyoke:
Well, I joke that I'm Veronica Holyoke at Oakcrest Elementary on Hilltop Oak Drive. So, a lot of oaks.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.
Veronica Holyoke:
Yes, yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's right. The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
Veronica Holyoke:
Right, that's right. Yes, exactly. Exactly. We're here because I was noticing my instructional coach and I, her name's Marla Daniels, shout out to Marla. She and I spend a lot of time looking for the good that's going on in our school. And we have this draft of all the good things that our teachers and our aides and our support staff are doing all the time. And then we make a weekly shout-out video that we share with everybody to highlight all the good things we're doing.
And in doing that this past year, we noticed that we had so many aides that were pursuing education. The more we got to know them, the more that we created a community of teachers. And so I felt like that was so powerful that I wanted to share that with you, because now we're up to seven aides that are pursuing or have graduated with a career in education, and two, we've hired to teach at our school for this next year.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you emailed me, I think it was back in February to tell me about this story.
Veronica Holyoke:
It was on a snow day, one of our virtual snow days.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, hey, there's another silver lining to that snow day. There was time for you to pause and send me that email.
Veronica Holyoke:
I had time that’s right. Yes, correct.
Anthony Godfrey:
And we've been thinking about this story ever since and I know it has evolved even since you emailed me in February.
Veronica Holyoke:
Yes, 'cause I think it was only maybe five or something like that and now we're up to seven.
Anthony Godfrey:
And we are now in the media center here and there's nothing quieter than an elementary school media center in the middle of July.
Veronica Holyoke:
Yes, it's a little eery.
Anthony Godfrey:
And so we're here to talk with three of the employees here at Oakcrest and we want to talk with you about your path forward and your connections to Oakcrest. So just introduce yourself.
Natalie Slack:
My name's Natalie Slack. I'm connected to Oakcrest by my children go here. And then I started here last year as a math aide. I'm currently going to school to be a teacher. I've got about a year and a half left of school. Before this, I had been interested in education, but had never pursued past where I am now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Great. And tell us about your connection.
Natalie Osborne:
My name's Natalie Osborne. My kids go to Oakcrest, and I would volunteer in their classes. I had a different career, and I had a couple days off. So I would come in, and I just absolutely fell in love with elementary schools. So I decided to go back to school. I graduated in December and then was hired by Oakcrest to be a critical needs aid in December as well. And I did that throughout the year, and then I was hired to teach fifth grade at Oakcrest next year.
Anthony Godfrey:
OK, tell me about your path.
Megan Grossaint:
Hey, I'm Megan Grossaint. And when the boundaries realigned in 2020, my kids started coming here. My youngest was in first grade that year, and there was an opportunity to apply to be a literacy aid. And so I did that and I worked as a literacy aid. And within probably two months, I knew that it was time to go back to school and finish my degree and pursue elementary ed.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me about those two months, because I'd love for lots of people to have that exact same idea dawn on them, that yes, I need to go back to school and I need to be a teacher. Tell me what happened there. What made you want to do that after two months as a literacy aid? Tell people a little bit about what the job is like as a literacy aid and then why that led you to wanting to be a teacher.
Megan Grossaint:
So the first, we hadn't started the Walk to Read program that year, so that year I would just work with three classes and work with individual students that needed some extra help with literacy and I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with being with the kids, with helping them to grow. And I was always constantly trying to think of new ways to help. And I wanted I just didn't want to leave. I wanted to be with them all day. So it led me to jump right in and get my degree. And now I get to be with them all day.
Anthony Godfrey:
Your brain and your heart, it sounds like, just started firing and you couldn't turn it off. That's really what happens is you get with the kids and you can't turn it off.
Megan Grossaint:
You can't.
Anthony Godfrey:
The teachers that you worked with had an impact on that as well.
Megan Grossaint:
Oh yeah, the teachers here are awesome.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me, you have now been hired as a teacher for the coming fall. What is on your mind? It's July, they're coming next month. So I remember the feeling. It was a long time ago, but I still remember it.
Megan Grossaint:
Yeah, I'll be teaching sixth grade in the fall. And so right now there's a lot in my brain from what my classroom's going to look like to what I'm going to be teaching. So I'm just trying to get it all on paper and organized and look at the curriculum and really kind of try and break that down and figure out what I'm going to be teaching this year.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I'm sure you're thinking back on your student teaching as you prepare for next year. Tell me about the student teaching experience.
Megan Grossaint:
Well, I student taught in second grade. So the curriculum is much easier for me to grasp than the sixth grade is. So I did my student teaching in second grade and it was awesome. It was just being with them all day and getting to really dive into different subjects and figure out different ways that I can teach and introduce them to a curriculum. And we did a lot of fun things together and it was a good time.
Anthony Godfrey:
I've always admired elementary teachers' ability to keep kids going for the whole day. I was a secondary teacher and I had to make it work for 50 minutes. And I just, you know, the last 15 minutes, if it's tough, we struggle through and I get a fresh batch the next hour. But that whole day with students, and I know there are rotations and there are some other things happening, but it really takes a special person and a unique approach to make sure that you're connected throughout the day and effective throughout the day. But you also have deep relationships that you don't get when they leave every hour. You really get to know them in a different way throughout the day. You've experienced that as an aide and as a student teacher, I'm sure.
Megan Groissant:
And those relationships, it actually, your day goes really fast because you have the kids that finish faster and the kids that don't finish as fast and you find time to fill in those last 15 minutes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yes.
Megan Grossaint:
You're working with different students on different things.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'm excited for you and I'm really excited that you've pursued a career in education. And you did your student teaching here, right? You were an aide here, your children are here, and you're teaching here.
Megan Groissaint:
I'm here for life.
Anthony Godfrey:
You are here for life. All right, I'm going to hold you to that.
Stay with us. When we come back, we'll talk with Natalie Osborne and Natalie Slack.
[MUSIC]Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now let's talk with Natalie, this Natalie, not that Natalie, this Natalie for right now. Tell me about your path. You said you had a previous career as you started volunteering. You had some time available. Tell me about that career.
Natalie Osborne:
I went to college for one semester, and I was working at a title company. And I fell in love with title, doing closings on homes. I'm licensed to still do that. I worked for the best title company in Utah. But I just kind of got bored with it. I felt like I needed a different challenge for myself. And I felt like I needed to make a difference. I was watching all these choices. I was watching all these teachers and the difference they were making in my kids' own lives when they would come home, and watching the growth in my children. And when I would volunteer, I wanted to be part of that. Just to see the light come on in a student is the most amazing thing. It's like parenting, teaching so hard, just like parenting. But those little glimpses is what makes everything worth it to me. So I worked full-time and went to school full time and finished up. I did my student teaching at Fox Hollow, so just around the corner. Shout out to Fox Hollow. I still love you guys. And then I got hired here. I was on the School Community Council, so I kind of already had some connections here. And my kids have always attended here. So it was just a great opportunity for me.
Being a critical needs aid, I felt like I learned so much about behaviors and behavior plans. And I fell in love with my student that I worked with. And he was difficult sometimes. But you just learn so much. And you learn to create those relationships. And I could see the difference in him when I created that bond. So it's something that I plan to do with my own students. It's really important to cultivate that relationship so that they'll learn from me.
Anthony Godfrey:
You described what it feels like to be a teacher very well. That's exactly how it feels. And I love the idea that you saw the impact on your own kids. Tell me about that.
Natalie Osborne:
Yeah, my kids, I have two– well, they just graduated from sixth grade. I have twin girls and then a son in first grade going to second grade. And my girls struggled in kindergarten and first grade and it was really hard because as a parent I felt like, "Man, I don't even know how to help them. We read at home or we do this at home." I didn't know. Their teachers, when I would go to parent-teacher conference, the care that they had for my kids, they really wanted to help them. It wasn't just a job, right? I don't know any teacher out there, that it's just a job to them. If you're going to do this, you're going to care.
And just seeing all the growth that I would work with the teachers and be like, hey, what can I do at home to help these guys be more successful in school? And they were always there to be like, try this, this, and this. And we would work on it. And it was just a team effort. And the growth in my girls from not being on grade level to now being on grade level and being set up for success in middle school has been amazing.
And I mean, my son, literally the snow days that we talked about earlier would cry because he couldn't go to school. He had the most amazing teachers so far.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's a great endorsement.
Natalie Osborne:
Yes, like he-- his first grade teacher was amazing. So he absolutely loved it. And just to see them grow, not only academically, but socially too. His first grade teacher taught them so many social emotional skills that I did not think I would deal with in first grade. All the drama.
Anthony Godfrey:
Sure.
Natalie Osborne:
But it's just amazing to see your kids grow and to have a community that cares about them, right? It's not just their parents that care about them, but everybody here at Oakcrest, all the aides, the administration, their teachers, it's amazing.
Anthony Godfrey:
It is an exceptional school, that's for sure. Tell me about being a critical needs aide. Some might not understand exactly what that involves.
Natalie Osborne:
I was assigned to help a student that needed an aide with him at all times for behavior reasons. So we kind of set up our own curriculum. Marla Daniels had some work that we could do together. We worked a lot on his reading and math skills. One thing I noticed for him is because he wasn't on grade level, we have a Hot Reads Challenge here, and so I just let him choose whatever book. And he was able to earn pins for that and the difference it made for him to feel like he had achieved something was huge right? It didn't matter that it wasn't on his grade level but it made such an impact on him and I think to the aids that worked with him. We all just cared about him and we rallied around him and it just made such a huge difference in his life. I hope. I hope it made a huge difference in his life.
Anthony Godfrey:
I have no doubt that it made a permanent impact on his life in a positive way. Thank you for that. That's awesome. Tell me, what are you teaching next year?
Natalie Osborne:
I'll teach fifth grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
Fifth grade? Okay. And how are you feeling right now? Mid-July, looking forward to next month?
Natalie Osborne:
I'm like excited because I'm ready to just get in there. Right? Like I'm like Megan, where I've thought about things a billion times over and over and over and now I'm like, I just need to do it. Like I just need to do it.
Megan Grossaint:
We've been hired since February. It’s time to teach.
Natalie Osborne:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that's a long time.
Natalie Osborne:
So we're just like ready to get in the classroom and meet our students.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a lot of anticipation. Yeah. Now, it'll be great to have a week under your belt. And you know, I got week one, we're set and here comes the month. Next thing you know it'll be Halloween, then it's Christmas, and then it's February again, you know? But that's awesome. Okay, Natalie too. Now, not Natalie T-W-O, Natalie T-O-O, you're also Natalie.
Natalie Slack:
Exactly.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your path forward.
Natalie Slack:
So my path is kind of one of those where I started college right out of high school, and I knew I wanted to be a teacher then. I used to, in high school, I went to the elementary school for one of my classes. And I actually went to Welby Elementary and her name was Miss Loeffler. She made me want to be a teacher. That lady was awesome. I helped her all year for first grade. She was my host teacher, loved it. And I was like, this is what I'm supposed to do. I got out, started college and I got married, bought a house and life kind of got in the way.
And then I was like, I was done. I didn't like the job I was in. And so I was like, I'm gonna try something new. And I talked to Mr. Westwood and I got hired on here last year. And as soon as I did it, I was like Megan, you do it for two months and you're like, “I'm not leaving, I am staying here. I love it here.” And so I started going back to school. And working here while you're going to school, I think, is a really huge advantage. Because when I have questions, what better group to ask than the teachers here?
Anthony Godfrey:
Right. You're surrounded by experts at all times.
Natalie Slack:
Yes. So it's been amazing to have all the support. They egg you on when you're like, “Oh, I don't know if I can do this anymore.” And having my children here, being able to work and see my kids more, and be, like Natalie said, be able to participate in my kid's schooling. Where before when I worked I didn't get to do that all the time you know. Some jobs you just it's that nine-to-five thing and you're stuck there. I don't feel like that here and I love what I do. Being a math aide. I was a little hesitant to do that because I'm like, I don't know if I'm an expert at that, but I have definitely learned a lot over the last year. I feel like I have an advantage where I get to work with all the kids first, second, third, the whole shebang, so I get to meet all these kids and experience all the curriculum and it's just been, it's very eye-opening.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you're a celebrity walking down the hall then. Lots of thumbs waving.
Natalie Slack:
Yeah, yep, or in the grocery store.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's right, in the grocery store.
Natalie Slack:
Everywhere, the gas station.
Anthony Godfrey:
Everywhere you go, yeah. When I was a high school teacher, I was always envious of the driver ed teacher for the same reason, because he had every student for one quarter. And as a result, he knew everybody in the school. And I was always envious of that, walking down the hall with him. He knew everybody. He was a central part of the school, and that's you getting to be a math aide as well.
Natalie Slack:
When these guys got their list for next year, it was like, "Look! Who are these kids? Can you tell me about them? Who's this?"
Anthony Godfrey:
'Cause you knew all of them.
Natalie Slack:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome.
Natalie Slack;
It's nice to, like I said, it's a good place to learn while you're in school.
Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about your school. Where are you going?
Natalie Slack:
So right now I am going to– I just graduated with my associates. So now I'm going to Western Governors University, which I had a lot of the teachers, including these two, suggest because it's online. So I'm able to work here. It works with my schedule. And I've had a lot of teachers here say that's the path that they went down. I've only been there a few weeks, and it's been great. So I'm looking forward to progressing through.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you have some friends here that are paving the path a little bit ahead of you. So now you get to talk with them and learn from them as they start teaching this fall.
Natalie Slack:
Yes, Natalie is actually my next-door neighbor.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. The web of connection is deepening here.
Natalie Slack:
It's deep, it's deep. It's nice and Megan doesn't live very far away. And so it's nice, like I said, to have all these resources at your fingertips. And they're really great about, you know, look, you should try this while you're in school or this. And it's just nice to have a path.
Anthony Godfrey:
And by the time you graduate and you're hired as a teacher, you're just gonna be exactly like they are right now. Get me in that classroom, I'm ready to teach, let's go.
Natalie Slack:
Yeah, there's not a doubt in my mind.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's awesome. So tell me, if someone listening is thinking, you know what, I wanted to be a teacher and I've thought about that. I’ve volunteered or I've been an aide and maybe I should do that. What advice would you give them? What would you say to them?
Megan Grossaint:
Just do it, just go for it. I went through Western Governors University too and it's awesome because you can go at an accelerated pace because I'm not getting any younger and I wanted to get it done. I was able to push through it really fast. I mean if you're at the school, if you're volunteering, if you love it, if you love it, I just say go for it.
Natalie Osborne:
I also went to Western Governors and I can't say enough good about it. It was amazing. I was able to work full-time and then in the cracks of my life, go to school full-time. And like Megan said, you can really accelerate it, which helped get through school faster for us. I feel like it prepared me as much as you can be prepared for your first year. But yeah, go for it because I was so worried. I used to think that I couldn't make it through college like I was too busy or I was not smart enough or all these things and it's not true at all. Go for it and it's amazing. It pays off in the end and you get to teach amazing little humans.
Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely.
Megan Grossaint:
What kind of stopped me for a while is I kind of felt like I was too old. I'd missed the boat starting a new chapter.
Natalie Osborne:
It's never too late.
Natalie Slack:
Yeah, if you're willing to apply yourself to the group, the atmosphere for this, for teaching, it's totally worth it. And if you have that, I don't know, the feeling inside that this is where you're supposed to be, then you need to do it, 100%.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love that, I love that. So dive in, cast the fears aside. And if you're excited about it, then do it. And obviously, it's energizing to do something you didn't expect to do and something new that maybe you'd written off and thought was no longer available to you. Thank you for taking the time today. This has been, it's been awesome talking with you and getting to know you and I'm definitely going to drop in a few months into the school year and say hi.
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We’ll see you out there.