By Ashley Sweigert, Imagine Tempe Teacher
Why do I love to teach?
For me, it’s that moment when you’re with your students and they are learning something new. That moment when they are struggling with a problem, but work together as a class to figure it out. You’ll see students jump up, start collaborating with one and other, using phrases such as “well I respectfully disagree with you because” or “I respectfully agree with you because.”
I enjoy being able to step back as their facilitator and watch my students as they take ownership of their own learning. Then you’ll notice that “lightbulb go off” and they’ll raise their hands in the air saying, “Miss Sweigert! Miss Sweigert! We figured it out!”
That is why I love teaching.
As an educator, it’s my duty to relate the concepts they learn in class to real life situations. Understanding the “why” provides students a lasting memory of their lessons.
After reading the fictional story titled, The Trial of Cardigan Jones, I took the opportunity to teach students about the U.S. justice system. We took a virtual tour of a courtroom, learned about trials and the different roles within a courtroom setting. This lesson truly became relatable when I was summoned for Jury Duty. My students were ecstatic to see that small jury summons postcard.
Accepting a position at Imagine Tempe four years ago was one of the best career decisions I’ve made.
I continue to teach because of the support provided by my principal and Imagine Schools administrators. They are in our classrooms, talking to students, providing us with feedback, and participating in lessons.
Beyond the classroom, Imagine Schools has provided me with numerous leadership opportunities, including running the ELL department, being an Academy Leader, mentoring first year teachers and contributing to the interview committee.
But Imagine’s support doesn’t stop there. Imagine selected me for their Grow Your Own Leaders program, which allows teachers to gain leadership experience through professional development, observing and shadowing administration from different campuses, and then taking that knowledge back to our own schools to create and lead a task force.
You see, teaching is more than the lessons in the classroom. Great teachers are supported by their schools inside and outside the classroom, and provided the opportunity to learn and grow. I look forward to continuing my journey as an educator with Imagine Schools, an outstanding and irreplaceable public charter school.
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Ashley Sweigert originally shared her story with Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee members on January 22, 2018. View her presentation here. Ashley is a third-grade teacher at Imagine Tempe, a non-profit K-6 public charter school in Arizona. A graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Ashley is the 2017 National Teacher of the Year for Imagine Schools, a national non-profit network of 56 public charter schools, and runner-up for the 2017 Arizona Public Charter School Teacher of the Year.
