Growing up, I’d seen a lot of fun television shows about teaching. At the risk of dating myself, there were some truly iconic shows in the 1970s and 1980s, such as “Welcome Back, Kotter” and “Head of the Class”. I watched them with my brothers, laughing together and loving the characters. These shows made teaching seem fun and magical and even tough moments always wrapped up in a way that made sense. I knew that I wanted to be in those classrooms when I grew up to become a teacher.
Back then, I did not yet know about tv magic – the amount of time, people, and unlimited energy it takes to create 22 minutes of seemingly easy fun. I didn’t necessarily connect this with my own classroom experiences which did not look so easy. Even as a student watching my teachers, I could see how hard they were working. I knew that class conflicts existed amongst students, that life in schools wasn’t always perfect and easy and definitely did not include a well timed laugh track. And yet, I still believed that schools could be beautiful places.
And they can be. Schools can be beautiful and magical places filled with fun and laughter – but it takes so much more than what we saw happening on a short sitcom. Just like in television, there are so many people who help to create those spaces where the magic happens. From the classroom teacher to the designated early childhood educator to learning resource teachers to the educational assistants; it’s a whole cast of caring individuals who advocate for students daily. It’s an entire team of educators who are working behind the scenes to try and make those 22 or 45 or 100 minutes of learning seem easy and magical.
Sometimes the classroom laugh track is loud and fun and memorable, like when the classroom community comes together and students feel loved and experience joy. Maybe it’s a funny joke someone shares or maybe it’s a moment where students see themselves and who they have the potential to be. It’s also when we’ve worked hard on a concept, gone through a lot of emotions and tough learning before things finally start to make sense.
It can happen during moments in the staffroom, too. It’s those moments at break time sharing treats or chatting about our lives when staff build a community of educators with one another. It’s truly special when colleagues lean on each other for support or rally around one another when sharing in celebrations. Though not always visible to students, that work is still meaningful to humanize one another as educators, push each other as learners, and build a staff that is a family.
Creating this ‘magic’ isn’t easy. In fact, it’s a lot of consistent work and relationship building and intentionally making time for these important moments we can experience together. Sometimes it’s making mistakes and forgiving them; other times it’s organically beautiful and just comes together with ease. While I now know about ‘tv magic’, I think about it differently these days. Instead of framing those sitcoms as irrelevant because they’re fictional and fabricated, I see them as beautiful and idealistic. Imagine a team of people who come together to bring a little joy, create some positive experiences, and help others learn about the world along the way. It doesn’t sound so far off from what schools are, after all.
