Bianca and Chelsea from the NJAEA Pod Squad: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers

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Music.

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Recording yes the the and we are recording yes

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we are friend oh my goodness hey hey

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there mr vitali what do you say hey how

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are we i am burning the candle at both ends people um

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you know it's just it's it's life it's

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just the way it is we're really happy to be back with you here on the

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balancing act podcast um jamie how

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are you today i am aces you're

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asking you got some is there more stuff

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but i love your little set behind

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you thank you nope it's been the same for a few months

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now i noticed nothing did you cut your hair no you didn't i didn't although

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i will shout out the president of our fun lunch bunch um for this little gem

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over here everything happens for a riesling yeah for a riesling yes that was

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a christmas gift uh that she gave me um oh jesus It's got to be at least,

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I'm going to say 10 years ago, maybe. Dig it. Eight?

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I'll have to ask her. Yeah. So I'm pretty excited about today's episode, Mr. Vitale. I am abuzz.

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You know what? Me too. We have, you know what? And this is a first for the Bouncing

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Act podcast because we have two guests.

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Not one. Not one. The two. We love the double lifestyle. We have two shiny new

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people coming in to join us. Let's bring them in. Okay.

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Well, hello, Chelsea Berwick and Bianca Nicolescu How are you guys?

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So thank you very much for joining us today So awesome to have you.

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Thank you so much for having us. This is so exciting. We've never been the actual

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guests on a show before. We're always the one asking questions. This is new.

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Yeah. So, and we also want to take a moment to welcome anyone that is from the

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Aspiring Ed Pod Squad podcast listening, man, that's a mouthful, listening audience.

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We actually appeared on their show.

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So, just when this one drops, you'll find the episode on their podcast.

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They're on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts.

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We're going to link it down below in our description.

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We had a great conversation. We encourage our listeners to go on over and give

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it a listen and follow these guys because they're doing some awesome work.

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It's really great to have you guys with us here on the show.

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We had a great conversation, and we're looking forward to continuing it with you guys here today.

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Thanks for joining us. Thank you so much.

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Ladies, can you tell us what NJAEA stands for? Yes, of course.

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So NJEA is the New Jersey Aspiring Educators Association.

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It's actually a little bit of a new name. You know, we used to be called NJEA Pre-Service.

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So New Jersey Education Association Pre-Service because we were pre-service teachers.

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But, you know, we had some confusion with that name of people thinking,

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oh, you know, pre-service, that must be associated with the military in some

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way, which we're not. Okay.

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So we, and also an aspiring educator versus a pre-service teacher is much more

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inclusive and also so much more inspirational.

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So we changed our name to the New Jersey Aspiring Educators Association quite

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recently, just a few months ago.

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Wow. When was the original pre-service, when did that start?

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So how long has that been in action? Do you know?

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I want to say at least 20 years, but we recently changed it in August was kind

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of like the official move towards aspiring ed.

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I like it. I like the name. I didn't, I don't know that I was so aware.

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So, I mean, Joe and I both are teachers in New Jersey as you two are aspiring

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teachers in New Jersey. And I am a proud member of the NJEA.

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I wasn't really sure that there was, you know, a pre-service group.

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And I have had quite a few student teachers in my time and worked with some

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other, you know, training and helping to train future teachers.

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So I'm so glad now that I know about it, you know, to make sure that everybody

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can join and find, you know, a group to be part of before they even begin.

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It's such an important thing to do.

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Absolutely. And it's those three membership categories. So people know too. So it's NJAA.

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So anyone who's still in a teacher prep program, they're not yet in the field.

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Then it's the active members, which is you guys. And then after that,

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it's retirees, the retirees association.

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So it's sort of those three subdivisions of the unit. So if that kind of helps

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people categorize it in their mind. Yeah, absolutely.

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So I actually want to jump into your show Like where did the idea or the impetus come from you guys,

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Starting your own podcast for the NJAEA We're kind of going in reverse order

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Because we asked kind of our last question in our discussion So now we're jumping

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right into it We'd love to hear how the idea came about And what you guys, why you put it together.

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Well, let's start with Bianca. So, Bianca, that's all you have.

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Well, I guess, okay, I'm going to start the story and I'm going to let you continue

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the story. We'll do a little tag team here.

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It started at NJEA and both of us joining this organization, NJEA, pre-service.

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And, you know, we had both been involved as leaders on the leadership team for the state.

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And we were always looking for ways to engage

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with our membership on a deeper level because you know

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sometimes it's difficult to have this expectation that aspiring

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educators can you know attend professional development

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sessions can go to this event somewhere

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in the state or engage the way that NJEA members regularly do which you know

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we have our own life on our college campuses and often that's not the case so

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us creating this podcast was kind of a way to reach members like in a virtual

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space and still be able to provide those resources for people,

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but really this started as an idea from our

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former staff contact Hannah Pollack and she had approached me about the idea

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and I was super excited about it because I'm like that's that's a really really

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cool initiative and so i kind of spent like november december of 2022 planning or 2023,

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kind of planning you know what kind of episodes could we like what what does

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this look like what should it look like um and that's when i came on to a leadership

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team meeting and i had you know

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presented the idea um and that's where i'm going to let chelsea take over.

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Bianca mentioned the idea, and I thought it was a really cool concept.

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And I reached out to her, and I said, if you need help writing questions or

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inviting guests, just let me know.

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And she texted back, and she was like, well, I need a co-host if you want to join me.

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So that's kind of how it started. And we did a test run of it in, I guess, January 24.

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We were filming episodes over

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winter break and just kind of testing it all over Zoom in our bedrooms.

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Bianca is laughing, so apparently there's definitely a story there, I'm sure.

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It just took a while to figure it out and to get it right. And I think we re-recorded

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the same episode like three or four times of like trying to figure out audio

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and just how to get it to work.

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And we basically said to the people who we work with at NJA,

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kind of like a pilot thing and just said, you know, this is the vision.

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Is this something that we could definitely work on?

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And they were all in. They said, absolutely. So we've worked very closely with NJA Communications.

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And a special shout out to Chris Curto, who's our videographer,

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producer, editor, everything all in one.

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It would not be possible without him. So we actually do have a studio in NJA

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headquarters. That's where we go and film in Trenton.

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And it used to be like, it used to be a studio. Then it was turned into like

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a little storage closet.

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And then we revived it in 2023 and turned it back into a podcast studio.

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But it's some high tech. We have a two camera setup.

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We have like mics above the ceiling, a lot of lighting. And then that little

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like styrofoam thing on the wall. So like insulate the noise.

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And actually if you go outside in the NJA communications hallway there,

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there's a little sign that lights up when we're in there and it says on air.

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It's legit It's legit You guys are rolling deep with the technology And we're jealous Because,

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You're looking at the team. Hey, Jamie. So that's the two of us.

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But no, it's really great that you guys are doing. I think there is so much

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space for different voices in the education world, especially because of what

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we are all experiencing, right?

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We're all experiencing different challenges and things that are definitely difficult in our profession.

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So whether you're a seasoned veteran teacher like Jamie and myself or someone

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aspiring to be a teacher like these two wonderful young ladies,

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definitely give them a listen and check it out.

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Because I think there's learning opportunity for everyone, right?

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You guys are the shiny new model, right? So we get to like, hey,

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check out what you guys are learning all about.

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And what I'd love to know because we actually didn't

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discuss this on our episode like you are both juniors or seniors at this point

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can I answer wait can I answer okay let me answer Chelsea's a junior and she

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wants to be a history teacher yeah girl and Bianca is a senior and she wants to be a math teacher yes,

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I know we do need math teachers although you know math.

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We just we didn't have a Bianca that was our problem yes and Chelsea and Bianca

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Chelsea I was a history major myself at TCNJ so go Lions,

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which is a little bit self-serving because I know that's where you guys go to

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school as well so I'd love to ask like what,

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Is this what you always wanted to do? Or are you like, I want to be a teacher?

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Like, what was your, like, you know, driving force to get your,

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to want to be aspiring into the classroom?

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I mean, for me, it took me a while to figure it out. I really wasn't sure through most of high school.

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There was one point where I thought I was going to be a physical therapist.

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And then I realized how much science was behind it. And then I was like, no, that's not for me.

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But I think it was the teachers I had in my junior and senior year of high school.

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So shout out to Mr. Johnson, my APUSH teacher, junior year. And junior year

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was a tough year. it was COVID.

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So I was in and out of the building a little bit. And I chose to be in the building.

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And then there's like a hybrid model.

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But I went through a push sort of in that tough year. And he was amazing.

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I also had Miss Horton, who we've talked about in the podcast.

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So I had her in the end of my sophomore years when COVID sort of shut everything down.

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But even though it was like an asynchronous model for my school,

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she still held zoom meetings, sort of after the regular school hours just in

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case anyone wanted to log on and talk.

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And so a bunch of times I did that. And even though I was the only student with

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her, it was just nice to be able to see one of my teachers again. So definitely cool.

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And then senior year, I took APGov, and that was with Ms. Gregor Atkus.

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So shout out to her. And I worked very closely with her that year.

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And so I would say it was like the three of them that really inspired me to go into it.

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And I realized that I was very passionate about the content,

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but it was also just being in that school setting and being surrounded by students.

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And there's a lot of layers to it, right? Like a lot of the teachers that I've

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had, they're advisors for the clubs I was in.

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For Ms. Gregorakis senior year, she was the advisor of the National Honor Society.

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So I worked closely with her to put on events and organize the induction.

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And so I think I'm just excited about the content and being around students

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and being in the classes, but also just being involved in like the extracurriculars

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and events at the school.

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And they sort of opened my eyes to what that could look like.

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That's awesome. Bianca, what about you?

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I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher.

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I just think back to when I was little, I was that one kid who always wanted

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to play school to the point where I would call my friends on the home phones.

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I would call them at home and they would be like, okay, I'll come over,

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we'll play, but we're not playing school.

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They knew that that's what I wanted to do and it became a conversation of like,

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I'm only hanging out with you if we don't and I rub

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them into it anyhow but um eventually I

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was left to just my stuffed animals so you know I

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would play I had my own little chalkboard and easel and I would just like sit

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down and meticulously like look up worksheets and you know try to like mimic

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what my teachers were doing at school while also wasting insane amounts of printer

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paper on my like beanie boo stuffed animals that would not you know communicate

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That's amazing. That's okay.

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I always say that they're the best students I've ever had. So quiet. So quiet.

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So well-behaved, in my personal opinion. I mean, so well-trained by me.

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But no, that's where it really all began.

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And I didn't know necessarily that I wanted to do math.

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But I've always known that I wanted to be a teacher. Of course,

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there was always moments I was like, oh, I would like to be a marine biologist. I don't know.

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That was a very short phase and I was always like

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in the mindset of becoming a teacher and I think I chose math just because I

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like critical thinking and I like problem solving it's always been you know

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one of my strengths and I just always wanted to share that with me but surprisingly

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enough I think some of the teachers who have inspired me the most or who have like motivated

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me along the way to stay with this pursuit of becoming a teacher have been my

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history teachers and not my math teachers. So...

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Shout out to all the history teachers who have really showed me,

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like, you know, what teaching is all about and how to really connect with students

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outside of just the content that you're learning and teaching.

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Yeah, I wonder, too. So I used to teach language arts.

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And now I teach social studies. And there was a point in time when,

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like, testing started to get so pressure filled and so out of control.

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And I wonder, like, if there's any kind of a correlation between the,

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like, attitude and behavior of the social studies teachers because,

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like, we're the last of the non-tested subjects, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to do it.

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So I almost wonder, like, you know, and I think that I can see myself when I

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taught language arts and there was just so much pressure.

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So I wonder if that, you know, leads them to, like, still, like,

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love teaching in its purest form because there wasn't necessarily that same

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connection to the pressure of getting everybody to pass the test, you know.

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Was COVID your senior year of high school or did you get out,

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Bianca, and what was, like, what was the biggest, like, year affected for you?

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I would say my junior year. So I had 2020 in March, that was like the end of my junior year.

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And then my senior year was hybrid, but I was the class of 2021.

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So, um, you know, my freshman year of college was still with masks,

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but in person. And I know a lot of students who graduated high school in 2020

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didn't necessarily have that same experience.

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Yeah. I always felt bad for those kids, to be very honest, like,

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like to lose, especially as like seniors,

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like to lose like graduation and, and, you know, with, which,

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which they just didn't have that regular experience with like all their family

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members in the stands and, you know, all that stuff.

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It, that was heartbreaking to me because I remember how, you know,

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how important that was to me, um, you know, to, to my family and,

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you know, just to spend that time with my, with my friends and,

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and do all those things that you do as a senior, the prom and the,

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the, the senior, you know, sporting events and all that stuff. I, I feel, I,

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Always felt bad for those kids, knowing that they missed out on that very important time.

00:16:08.593 --> 00:16:12.353
But no, it's also good to hear that a lot of your teachers still through that

00:16:12.353 --> 00:16:19.753
period were engaging and helpful and, you know, still held meetings and stuff like that.

00:16:19.993 --> 00:16:23.333
I know Jamie and I did some of the same and had some, you know,

00:16:23.393 --> 00:16:27.713
I had some great experiences and some great kids while doing virtual learning

00:16:27.713 --> 00:16:30.193
and really thought that I did some good and fun stuff.

00:16:31.253 --> 00:16:33.533
It was really a difficult time,

00:16:33.613 --> 00:16:38.013
but one that was, I think, almost kind of reinvigorated me a little bit.

00:16:38.133 --> 00:16:39.713
You know, when I got back into the classroom, I was like, all right,

00:16:39.733 --> 00:16:40.553
we're back in the classroom.

00:16:40.753 --> 00:16:43.573
Like you kind of like had that little bit of a bounce in your step again.

00:16:44.033 --> 00:16:48.173
And that was a nice feeling. It was good to kind of go back to that. Yeah.

00:16:48.693 --> 00:16:52.893
I know. Unpopular opinion. I'm like one of the very few. I loved it.

00:16:53.673 --> 00:16:59.273
No, I 100%. I loved it so much. I loved like my being home with my family and

00:16:59.273 --> 00:17:02.953
I, we were all here and we were here for the entire school year that year.

00:17:02.993 --> 00:17:07.673
So, um, we all had to be on like strict lockdown and I, um, and I really enjoyed

00:17:07.673 --> 00:17:11.853
my classes and my kids and I used to have like lunch bunch with students.

00:17:11.973 --> 00:17:16.293
Um, you know, we would eat lunch virtually with each other and stuff like that. Yeah.

00:17:16.433 --> 00:17:20.813
So, um, and I also thought like, geez, I've been doing this job for 20 years.

00:17:21.013 --> 00:17:24.633
I'm, I have to do it for another 20. So if this is a little bit different than

00:17:24.633 --> 00:17:28.233
what I'm used to, you know, then that's OK.

00:17:28.393 --> 00:17:31.953
But I also like our own children were in seventh grade.

00:17:32.173 --> 00:17:35.113
So that's, you know, it's like seventh grade and third grade.

00:17:35.313 --> 00:17:38.033
It wasn't anything, you know, like monumental that they were.

00:17:38.253 --> 00:17:43.253
And I also I also think we got lucky because seventh grade is the worst.

00:17:43.433 --> 00:17:44.993
Ready, Jamie? The worst.

00:17:45.853 --> 00:17:49.933
It is the worst. Shout out to John Raphael.

00:17:51.133 --> 00:17:54.073
Are you Parks and Rec fans? Carson Reck, it's like our... No,

00:17:54.153 --> 00:17:55.313
they're too young. They don't watch TV.

00:17:56.393 --> 00:18:01.233
You now have homework because... I've heard of it, but... Got to start. All right.

00:18:01.453 --> 00:18:05.153
I'm going to tell you Jamie's thing. Start with season two. Skip season one entirely. Skip it.

00:18:06.532 --> 00:18:11.172
And you will enjoy every moment, I guarantee you. Amy Poehler is a genius.

00:18:11.472 --> 00:18:14.892
Amy Poehler just started her own podcast. I know, and I love everything about it.

00:18:15.012 --> 00:18:18.292
She had Rachel Dratch on, and I was like, crack him up. Well,

00:18:18.352 --> 00:18:19.672
good hang. Highly recommend.

00:18:20.012 --> 00:18:23.332
So good. We need her on here then. Yes, we do.

00:18:23.592 --> 00:18:27.112
Come on, Amy Poehler. And you want to know, sorry, Joe, as the only boy here

00:18:27.112 --> 00:18:32.932
today, but did you hear what she said about why she started a podcast?

00:18:33.332 --> 00:18:37.932
No. So her ex-husband is Will Arnett, And he does SmartList with Jason Bateman.

00:18:38.272 --> 00:18:41.032
I didn't know there were divorcees. Oh, divorcee. Yes.

00:18:41.512 --> 00:18:46.532
And she said, like, they don't really do anything. And like so many men,

00:18:46.692 --> 00:18:51.272
they really only give about 25%. So maybe I should also do something where I

00:18:51.272 --> 00:18:55.112
only have to give 25%. Let me do a podcast. Oh, damn.

00:18:56.132 --> 00:18:59.632
That's amazing. It's really funny. She actually told them to their faces when

00:18:59.632 --> 00:19:03.412
she was just on an episode of SmartList. So highly recommend. That's great.

00:19:03.932 --> 00:19:06.812
Now I completely forgot what I was talking about. What was I talking about? I don't remember.

00:19:07.292 --> 00:19:13.692
We were talking about their road to education and choosing the path that they are now on.

00:19:13.952 --> 00:19:17.692
And so you both are currently students at TCNJ.

00:19:18.052 --> 00:19:22.392
Can you tell us what was the deciding factor for you going there?

00:19:23.412 --> 00:19:27.392
Well, I'll take this one first because I'm a tour guide, so I definitely have

00:19:27.392 --> 00:19:30.672
this one rehearsed. You are? You're a tour guide?

00:19:31.512 --> 00:19:34.492
Funny enough last week i took

00:19:34.492 --> 00:19:37.992
my son and his friend on a tour of tcnj because

00:19:37.992 --> 00:19:41.492
i was trying to maximize my travel time and

00:19:41.492 --> 00:19:45.892
um you know because i also had to record a podcast for the njaea aspiring ed

00:19:45.892 --> 00:19:54.012
pod podcast um and um who knew that my tour guide was also going to be the student

00:19:54.012 --> 00:20:00.532
that i was on her podcast smallest of small worlds so i mean and you were excellent and you were

00:20:00.672 --> 00:20:03.892
really good at walking backwards thank you it

00:20:03.892 --> 00:20:06.692
takes a lot of work but you get

00:20:06.692 --> 00:20:09.952
to know the different parts of the sidewalks oh wait a

00:20:09.952 --> 00:20:12.732
minute when she i'm okay i know now when you

00:20:12.732 --> 00:20:18.212
are saying the walking backwards oh yeah when you when you are a senior don't

00:20:18.212 --> 00:20:23.052
you like jump in the fountain at your last like oh wait i also went on a tour

00:20:23.052 --> 00:20:27.032
with with like they didn't have fountains when i went to that school it was

00:20:27.032 --> 00:20:30.292
still it was still there was no water then there was no water there.

00:20:30.732 --> 00:20:34.532
Were only wells um so so but

00:20:34.532 --> 00:20:37.452
you you like that there's like a big fountain on campus which wasn't there

00:20:37.452 --> 00:20:40.272
when i was there and you guys like at your last tour you

00:20:40.272 --> 00:20:43.092
like jump in the fountain that's like a thing right it's in

00:20:43.092 --> 00:20:45.972
the size complex and i was actually just at a fountain jump today shout out

00:20:45.972 --> 00:20:48.752
andrew bellows i don't know he's definitely not listening to this but it was

00:20:48.752 --> 00:20:53.072
his last tour today and he jumped in so i started following you guys on instagram

00:20:53.072 --> 00:20:58.572
to watch some of the fountain jumping oh it's so cute you guys i mean it's really

00:20:58.572 --> 00:21:01.332
yes and chelsea She did inform us of the fountain jumping on the tour.

00:21:01.697 --> 00:21:05.637
Yes. Anyway, Chelsea, you were saying about your reasoning behind it.

00:21:05.737 --> 00:21:07.157
Yes, it's a perfect setup.

00:21:07.377 --> 00:21:10.197
And, you know, I really chose TCNJ because of the community.

00:21:10.277 --> 00:21:13.037
And a lot of that stems from like we're talking about, like traditions,

00:21:13.217 --> 00:21:13.997
like jumping in the fountain.

00:21:14.357 --> 00:21:17.397
I just felt like whenever I came to campus for an open house,

00:21:17.577 --> 00:21:22.977
a Lions Day or a tour, it's just a very thriving, passionate community of people

00:21:22.977 --> 00:21:26.997
who are very invested in their studies and extracurriculars.

00:21:26.997 --> 00:21:30.857
You know, people here are not just kind of going to class and then going back

00:21:30.857 --> 00:21:32.157
to their room for the day.

00:21:32.317 --> 00:21:34.957
Like people want to create, people want to be involved in research,

00:21:35.097 --> 00:21:36.537
people want to start their own organizations.

00:21:37.257 --> 00:21:41.417
They're very passionately driven. And I think the reputation of the School of

00:21:41.417 --> 00:21:44.437
Education was a big thing for me as well. Whenever I talk to people about that.

00:21:44.737 --> 00:21:49.577
And actually, a week before I had your tour, Jamie, I was doing a tour and I

00:21:49.577 --> 00:21:51.757
met my middle school vice principal.

00:21:51.997 --> 00:21:55.477
And she came and she said the exact line that we say, so we don't make this up.

00:21:56.077 --> 00:21:59.137
She said it, that whenever they see a resume of someone applying to work in

00:21:59.137 --> 00:22:02.237
the district, if it says TCNJ, it goes to the top of the pile.

00:22:02.377 --> 00:22:04.457
That's the exact line that I say, and she said it herself.

00:22:05.017 --> 00:22:08.237
So definitely that piece as well, the reputation that we have for academics,

00:22:08.477 --> 00:22:10.077
and specifically the School of Education.

00:22:10.397 --> 00:22:14.777
Not every school gives students two semesters of clinicals. Not every school

00:22:14.777 --> 00:22:16.837
puts students in practicum earlier on.

00:22:17.837 --> 00:22:20.037
There's definitely states out there that don't do student teaching.

00:22:20.217 --> 00:22:23.637
You just finish short of your education-related classes, and then your content,

00:22:23.777 --> 00:22:27.757
and then you go into the classroom. And that's my mind.

00:22:27.977 --> 00:22:29.437
Like the wolves. Right.

00:22:29.837 --> 00:22:33.437
So, I mean, TCMJ prepares you so, so well. And it's the in-classroom experiences.

00:22:33.437 --> 00:22:37.217
It's the professors who are dedicated to doing research and helping you do research.

00:22:37.677 --> 00:22:41.557
So there's a lot of layers to it, but it's really the community. Nice.

00:22:42.739 --> 00:22:47.759
And I knew a girl from Oklahoma exactly with that story, like three years in school.

00:22:47.959 --> 00:22:51.859
And then she was out because they had such a bad teacher shortage in Oklahoma

00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:55.079
that it wasn't even possible for her to have any student teaching experiences.

00:22:56.179 --> 00:23:01.639
Wow. I can't imagine not doing it. Bianca, what was behind your your choice

00:23:01.639 --> 00:23:04.659
to go to TCNJ and wind up there in their education department?

00:23:04.659 --> 00:23:12.079
Yeah so I mean for me I didn't really I mean now I can say how much I you know

00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:16.039
I can speak to how much I love the TCNJ community but for me it was really more

00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:20.419
so the academic side of it because I didn't have a chance to tour the school

00:23:20.419 --> 00:23:22.839
so you know me touring the school was.

00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:28.439
My parents and I driving our car around campus oh that's right because there

00:23:28.439 --> 00:23:31.059
like it was just Because it was because it was COVID. That's right.

00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:32.639
I didn't even think of that. Yeah.

00:23:32.979 --> 00:23:38.559
So any school that I applied for was like, oh, yeah, I guess Boston University

00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:39.839
sounds like a good choice.

00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:43.099
Like, let's submit an application there, too. Why not?

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:48.019
But no, TCNJ, I think the pull for me was definitely their global student teaching

00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:52.759
program because they have this opportunity for student teachers to teach abroad,

00:23:52.999 --> 00:23:56.399
which going in, I knew that that was the fit for me.

00:23:56.399 --> 00:23:59.599
Like, that was exactly what I wanted from my student teaching. Oh, wow.

00:24:00.059 --> 00:24:03.099
And like Chelsea said, like the reputation of the program is,

00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:07.259
you know, just hearing how many of my teachers went to TCMJ and loved their

00:24:07.259 --> 00:24:10.399
experience, like my middle school teachers and my high school teachers,

00:24:10.539 --> 00:24:16.919
that I kind of wanted to walk in their footsteps and also go to such a great

00:24:16.919 --> 00:24:17.799
school, at least in my opinion.

00:24:17.919 --> 00:24:21.599
So are you, are you currently student teaching, right? You're currently student teaching.

00:24:21.979 --> 00:24:26.839
Yeah, some currently. So are you going to be going abroad and doing something else additional?

00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:33.079
So I just came from being abroad. I was abroad for half the semester and now

00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:36.799
I'm doing like a domestic placement for the other half of the semester.

00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:39.319
Wow. Where were you placed overseas?

00:24:40.719 --> 00:24:46.719
So I was at Marymount International School in Paris and they do have like different

00:24:46.719 --> 00:24:49.599
locations in Italy and in Chicago, New York.

00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:56.019
But I was at the school in Paris for about eight weeks to like two months yeah.

00:24:57.548 --> 00:25:01.588
And that was just a fantastic experience i'm so jealous.

00:25:03.908 --> 00:25:06.828
I wish i could do it again um like the teach the

00:25:06.828 --> 00:25:09.568
person who i went with um she is in

00:25:09.568 --> 00:25:13.528
a five-year program so she gets to do it a second time i'm

00:25:13.528 --> 00:25:19.968
so jealous i am ultra jealous i did not even know that they that they now offered

00:25:19.968 --> 00:25:25.448
that i think that's amazing um yeah what experience that is and another feather

00:25:25.448 --> 00:25:30.248
in your cap when you go to apply for jobs when the time comes for that.

00:25:30.408 --> 00:25:32.808
So you're graduating this May?

00:25:33.348 --> 00:25:38.228
Yes. A few more weeks and then that's it. Do you have a job lined up already

00:25:38.228 --> 00:25:40.888
or are you in that mode looking for something?

00:25:41.468 --> 00:25:47.288
So I'm currently not on the job search. I got into a master's program.

00:25:47.488 --> 00:25:52.128
Oh, great. I'll be going for a master's of science and math education.

00:25:52.968 --> 00:25:58.328
So I just am going to do two more years of schooling and then I'll apply for jobs.

00:25:58.868 --> 00:26:03.068
And where's the master's program also at TCNJ or is it somewhere else? No.

00:26:03.388 --> 00:26:07.568
And I wanted to, if I was able to stay at TCNJ, I definitely would have,

00:26:07.728 --> 00:26:10.368
but they don't have a math education program, unfortunately.

00:26:10.368 --> 00:26:13.108
So I had to apply outside of TCNJ

00:26:13.108 --> 00:26:18.608
and I chose to go to Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.

00:26:18.868 --> 00:26:22.448
So I'll be in New York starting in the fall. That's awesome.

00:26:23.688 --> 00:26:26.508
What a breath of experience is too. That's great.

00:26:26.808 --> 00:26:28.568
And Chelsea, do you already have

00:26:28.568 --> 00:26:31.888
your student teaching placement for next year or is that still in flux?

00:26:32.028 --> 00:26:34.128
You don't know what's going on yet? I think they're working on it,

00:26:34.188 --> 00:26:37.708
but yeah, it'll be clinical one in the fall and clinical two in the spring for next year.

00:26:38.348 --> 00:26:41.708
That's great. I'm glad that they've changed certain things to give you guys

00:26:41.708 --> 00:26:43.288
so much more experience in the classroom.

00:26:43.428 --> 00:26:46.728
I think it lends itself to really being able to hit the ground running.

00:26:49.228 --> 00:26:52.848
When you guys get your own classroom and that door shuts and you're all by yourself,

00:26:53.148 --> 00:26:57.408
you'll know that you have a good amount of tools in your toolbox to be successful.

00:26:57.568 --> 00:27:00.408
I think that's awesome. What does clinical one look like?

00:27:01.568 --> 00:27:04.648
Yeah. So for me, for clinical one, it's going to be half days.

00:27:04.988 --> 00:27:09.028
I think every day of the week. And then you do teach a two-week unit in the

00:27:09.028 --> 00:27:09.928
back end of the semester.

00:27:10.528 --> 00:27:14.268
And then clinical two is full day every day and you're teaching full time.

00:27:14.448 --> 00:27:18.028
They did that for us. They did a junior practicum when I was in.

00:27:18.228 --> 00:27:20.848
So it was like you did that your junior year and then your senior year,

00:27:20.988 --> 00:27:27.328
you did a full semester starting like the middle of January until the beginning

00:27:27.328 --> 00:27:29.928
of May when your semester was going on. And that's what you did.

00:27:30.668 --> 00:27:34.188
But it's interesting that they now do it fall and spring, which I think is good

00:27:34.188 --> 00:27:37.588
because then you're backed up with like, OK, I'm already in this building.

00:27:37.748 --> 00:27:40.828
I'm already in that headspace. I think that that's that's really a good way to go.

00:27:41.168 --> 00:27:44.528
Yeah. And that's a requirement that you have it with those two consecutive semesters.

00:27:44.528 --> 00:27:47.908
You can do it in the spring of your junior year and then the fall of your senior

00:27:47.908 --> 00:27:49.668
year. But they just have to go back to back like that.

00:27:50.068 --> 00:27:53.348
And ours was you did it spring of your junior year and then.

00:27:54.334 --> 00:27:58.974
You could either, again, do either fall or spring student teaching.

00:27:59.274 --> 00:28:02.854
But I did spring of my junior year and then spring of my senior year for my

00:28:02.854 --> 00:28:08.174
student teaching, which I think it's great that they give you that experience

00:28:08.174 --> 00:28:09.594
back to back. That's awesome. Yeah.

00:28:10.074 --> 00:28:14.194
We started at sophomore year and did like six visits sophomore year.

00:28:14.514 --> 00:28:18.114
Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Which is good. You know, I'm always amazed at people

00:28:18.114 --> 00:28:21.414
who graduate from school and haven't had any experience, whatever the field

00:28:21.414 --> 00:28:25.434
is, without actually experiencing it and then going like, oh, I don't know.

00:28:25.714 --> 00:28:28.674
It's like, how do you you didn't do it while you were in school?

00:28:28.894 --> 00:28:32.514
You know that. But that it that does happen. It happens more than, you know.

00:28:32.934 --> 00:28:38.034
So I have a question for you ladies. When I was becoming a teacher,

00:28:38.674 --> 00:28:42.014
you know, if you told somebody that you were going to school for education,

00:28:42.014 --> 00:28:46.154
it was a very difficult time to get a job.

00:28:46.154 --> 00:28:50.374
There were hundreds and hundreds of applicants, you know, for one opening.

00:28:50.814 --> 00:28:54.614
It was really difficult to find jobs. And people were often,

00:28:54.934 --> 00:28:57.294
you know, if you said you were going to be a teacher, oh, my God,

00:28:57.394 --> 00:29:02.034
you know, it was met with a lot of, like, really positive response.

00:29:02.034 --> 00:29:08.074
Do you find that there is, because the space is so different now with so many

00:29:08.074 --> 00:29:12.894
job openings and so many ups and downs in education right now,

00:29:13.074 --> 00:29:17.694
do you find that people ask you in a negative way, like, why?

00:29:18.294 --> 00:29:22.434
Or are you met with, like, the same kinds of responses I had?

00:29:23.414 --> 00:29:29.394
I would say it's mixed, but it's probably a little bit more on the negative side of people.

00:29:29.614 --> 00:29:32.354
When you say that that's what you're going into, people are saying,

00:29:32.474 --> 00:29:34.934
oh, why would you do that? Choose something else.

00:29:35.214 --> 00:29:39.414
Or if they're actually currently a teacher, they'll say, oh, pick a different path.

00:29:39.594 --> 00:29:43.574
So it can feel a little discouraging, but then you also get positive responses

00:29:43.574 --> 00:29:46.854
of people saying, oh, what a notable profession.

00:29:47.414 --> 00:29:51.014
That's great that you're going into it. I've love my career. So it can be mixed.

00:29:51.094 --> 00:29:53.434
And definitely in those moments when you're hearing the more negative side of

00:29:53.434 --> 00:29:56.594
things, it can make you start to rethink like, oh, why are all these people

00:29:56.594 --> 00:29:58.034
telling me to turn around now? Right.

00:29:58.354 --> 00:30:01.734
But you just kind of have to rethink of, you know, what caused you to actually

00:30:01.734 --> 00:30:03.894
want to do it in the first place. There had to have been something.

00:30:04.134 --> 00:30:05.034
There was something there.

00:30:05.514 --> 00:30:08.114
So obviously, you know, it's something that you're passionate about.

00:30:08.274 --> 00:30:11.554
It's something that you you felt passionately about at some point.

00:30:11.854 --> 00:30:15.614
And that's why you made the decision. And so you can definitely start to rethink

00:30:15.614 --> 00:30:17.674
for a second when you're getting all those responses.

00:30:17.954 --> 00:30:21.274
But I mean, I just try to remember sort of why I chose to do it.

00:30:21.354 --> 00:30:23.994
But I would say it leans a little bit more heavily on the negative side.

00:30:25.455 --> 00:30:28.415
I think I agree with Chelsea I think it's definitely been mixed

00:30:28.415 --> 00:30:31.195
and depends who you're talking to but I think it's

00:30:31.195 --> 00:30:34.095
funny how sometimes in the buildings that I've been in teachers will

00:30:34.095 --> 00:30:37.015
be like almost joke like it becomes a

00:30:37.015 --> 00:30:40.375
joke of like oh like are you sure this is what you want to do and they're you

00:30:40.375 --> 00:30:43.575
know they're laughing about it and I'm like nervously chuckling about it too

00:30:43.575 --> 00:30:48.875
but um you know I think there's a lot of burnout that teachers experience and

00:30:48.875 --> 00:30:55.575
that always maybe those like those jokes are kind of hiding deeper problems yeah yep.

00:30:57.935 --> 00:31:03.615
For me I think more so growing up like um there was definitely always like family

00:31:03.615 --> 00:31:08.315
members or friends just saying like oh like why do you want to be a math teacher

00:31:08.315 --> 00:31:12.575
you know like if you're so good at math like why don't you go do something else

00:31:12.575 --> 00:31:15.555
on like IT or like computer science it's like,

00:31:16.295 --> 00:31:19.135
i'm sorry but i can't sit behind a computer for my entire

00:31:19.135 --> 00:31:21.955
life like that's just not the person i am and also

00:31:21.955 --> 00:31:25.555
don't we want our teachers to be experts in

00:31:25.555 --> 00:31:29.815
their field be very bright intelligent individuals you know i think absolutely

00:31:29.815 --> 00:31:35.975
exactly yeah what a teacher should be um but yeah now i think it's this has

00:31:35.975 --> 00:31:41.075
just been more mixed like chelsea was saying for me but definitely not always

00:31:41.075 --> 00:31:43.355
immediately positive. Yeah.

00:31:44.595 --> 00:31:49.155
Joe and I are both, because we started before 2007, you know,

00:31:49.235 --> 00:31:51.755
now we have the tiers system in New Jersey.

00:31:52.035 --> 00:31:54.175
And so we're both tier one.

00:31:54.535 --> 00:32:03.015
And now there are five tiers, which takes the retirement age for us. We're at 55 years old.

00:32:03.135 --> 00:32:13.135
And for you guys, 65 years old, what does that feel like for you?

00:32:13.315 --> 00:32:19.115
Because we also, when we started, we had full medical benefits that were free.

00:32:19.695 --> 00:32:24.235
And then along the, you know, along the way, these things were pulled back.

00:32:24.235 --> 00:32:26.675
And, you know, we have, obviously, we have to pay into that.

00:32:26.835 --> 00:32:31.775
So a lot of, like, my feeling is, like, the deal that I entered into was changed.

00:32:31.855 --> 00:32:35.335
And I, as, like, someone who has, like, a, you know, a very strong sense of

00:32:35.335 --> 00:32:39.055
justice, just like all the middle schoolers I teach, I feel,

00:32:39.275 --> 00:32:40.875
you know, it was like, no, it's not fair.

00:32:41.515 --> 00:32:46.115
So what do you think about that, or does that come up for you in your discussion

00:32:46.115 --> 00:32:52.675
amongst rising educators for, you know, trying to fight to change it, to change the system?

00:32:53.535 --> 00:32:56.435
Well, I think, first of all, to answer the second half of your question,

00:32:56.475 --> 00:32:59.555
I think sometimes, you know, it's a real issue,

00:32:59.595 --> 00:33:03.115
but maybe aspiring educators aren't yet there

00:33:03.115 --> 00:33:07.575
where they realize how big that issue is you know if we're talking about first

00:33:07.575 --> 00:33:11.275
year second year students in college they're not even they're not even there

00:33:11.275 --> 00:33:15.635
they're not even close to like thinking about that um and even for seniors or

00:33:15.635 --> 00:33:16.955
like juniors and seniors who

00:33:16.955 --> 00:33:22.955
are closer to that student teaching time are not really like seeing how,

00:33:23.871 --> 00:33:28.091
bad this tier system is going to be for us entering the career now.

00:33:28.971 --> 00:33:32.791
So I think some of us will be having a wake-up call once we actually,

00:33:32.791 --> 00:33:39.171
you know, accept the job and realize like, hey, this is not just.

00:33:40.531 --> 00:33:44.571
So it can kind of be difficult to start that conversation with aspiring educators,

00:33:44.731 --> 00:33:48.151
but I know our leadership team definitely tries to say like,

00:33:48.331 --> 00:33:53.711
listen, NJA is holding this pension Justin webinar, like join, learn more about it.

00:33:53.871 --> 00:33:56.411
Like this is a serious issue that you have to be worried about too,

00:33:56.551 --> 00:34:00.131
even if your pension is something you're not thinking about right now.

00:34:00.331 --> 00:34:03.511
Right. And that's, and that's why we need like the reforms are needed.

00:34:03.511 --> 00:34:07.151
So we can attract viable candidates like yourself, Bianca and Chelsea,

00:34:07.431 --> 00:34:09.671
who, you know, might decide, you know what?

00:34:09.731 --> 00:34:14.431
I have a wealth of talent. I can make more money going into a different field. I'm out.

00:34:14.891 --> 00:34:18.071
Which is what a lot of, unfortunately it happens to a lot of people.

00:34:18.271 --> 00:34:21.751
So people like Nick Ferroni, who's been on your show, who's talked often about

00:34:21.751 --> 00:34:24.871
advocating for, you know, tier one for everyone. Right.

00:34:25.451 --> 00:34:29.331
Um, which is kind of like the movement and some of the bills that are on the

00:34:29.331 --> 00:34:30.931
house and Senate floor right now.

00:34:31.151 --> 00:34:36.431
Um, and also a friend of our show, um, um, teacher pay with K Kristen,

00:34:36.651 --> 00:34:38.871
who's, who's been on and talked and talks.

00:34:39.011 --> 00:34:42.531
She is a fantastic, fantastic, fantastic follow on Instagram.

00:34:42.851 --> 00:34:47.251
She's posting constantly about pension reform and what politicians are supporting

00:34:47.251 --> 00:34:50.111
it and why it's important that we do it. What does it look like in other states?

00:34:50.351 --> 00:34:55.911
I mean, she's fantastic. And definitely for anyone who's listening from the

00:34:55.911 --> 00:34:59.851
NJAEA side of things, definitely give her a follow.

00:34:59.971 --> 00:35:03.191
Because if you're interested in going into the profession knowing that,

00:35:03.454 --> 00:35:06.294
you know, what that pension system is going to look like and what it's going

00:35:06.294 --> 00:35:11.234
to look like for you in retirement is very important to kind of know going into

00:35:11.234 --> 00:35:14.614
the job because you're like, ah, you know, I'm young.

00:35:14.774 --> 00:35:18.394
I'm not going to be doing it like you will blink your eyes and then you will

00:35:18.394 --> 00:35:24.714
be 49 years old on a podcast with your good teacher friend and two lovely young

00:35:24.714 --> 00:35:27.394
ladies at another school. And you'll go, where did the time go?

00:35:27.674 --> 00:35:28.894
Old man shakes fist at sky.

00:35:29.234 --> 00:35:35.134
Like literally, do we really like, do we want people that old and not for life,

00:35:35.134 --> 00:35:37.974
just for the classroom, like with our children all the time?

00:35:38.014 --> 00:35:40.994
Because that for me even is an issue.

00:35:41.114 --> 00:35:43.854
I think like I, this is my 24th year teaching.

00:35:44.214 --> 00:35:46.374
I'm not yet 46 years old.

00:35:46.754 --> 00:35:52.194
I was not able to take maternity leaves. So I went back really quickly after my kids, right?

00:35:52.294 --> 00:35:56.074
The opposite story of that is like, there's also a lot of women who are gone

00:35:56.074 --> 00:35:58.634
for a really long time and then come back to the profession.

00:35:58.634 --> 00:36:02.894
So I've had people who had to keep working because they didn't have the years,

00:36:03.054 --> 00:36:04.454
right? They had the age, not the years.

00:36:04.614 --> 00:36:09.334
But so at this point, like I would need to be working another 10 years,

00:36:09.414 --> 00:36:12.714
which to me like seems completely and totally reasonable.

00:36:13.374 --> 00:36:21.534
The idea in my head of having to work another 20 years would put me at 44 years in the classroom.

00:36:21.894 --> 00:36:25.314
Yeah. And that. You want to talk about burnout? You know, I mean,

00:36:25.374 --> 00:36:28.554
talk about, you know, how much gas do you have in the tank. I don't know.

00:36:28.854 --> 00:36:32.114
Uh, you know, I, obviously every year is, is different and all the groups of

00:36:32.114 --> 00:36:34.934
kids are different, but, um, even like as a parent, um,

00:36:35.334 --> 00:36:38.754
I don't know that, do I think that, you know, someone who's been doing something

00:36:38.754 --> 00:36:45.614
for 45 years is, are they, you know, are they full of enough energy to be on

00:36:45.614 --> 00:36:46.874
the floor with the kindergartners?

00:36:47.114 --> 00:36:51.154
Um, you know, they're the exception and not the rule. Um, and not that there

00:36:51.154 --> 00:36:55.494
aren't some, but to make everyone, you know, So that's tier one.

00:36:56.274 --> 00:37:01.194
We rally. We agree. We think everybody should be tier one together.

00:37:01.494 --> 00:37:03.414
The expression, what is it? Youth is wasted on the young.

00:37:03.878 --> 00:37:07.778
Like, you know, I'm in class and I'm doing stations and I'm running around and

00:37:07.778 --> 00:37:10.878
I'm, you know, using brain rot speech. Like, what up, fam?

00:37:11.478 --> 00:37:15.538
Skibbity toilet, Rizzler, Ohio, all that fun stuff. And now there's like Italian

00:37:15.538 --> 00:37:17.798
brain rot. And I'm like, please leave me alone.

00:37:17.978 --> 00:37:21.558
Leave me. Why? Why are there more things that I now have to learn? I'm trying to.

00:37:22.278 --> 00:37:26.538
So maybe. Oh, it's new. You bet. Listen, you two better bone up.

00:37:26.838 --> 00:37:30.918
Are you. Are you glazing? Are you. I'm like, glaze. I'm like, I'm glazing.

00:37:31.338 --> 00:37:33.378
Yeah. Glazing. You're a glazer.

00:37:34.018 --> 00:37:36.798
I low-key crashed out bro i'm like okay can you

00:37:36.798 --> 00:37:40.518
stop i know yeah yeah why are

00:37:40.518 --> 00:37:43.298
we yelling chicken jockey in class can we just stop it and they love it

00:37:43.298 --> 00:37:46.018
when i use it because they just laugh at me because i'll always look at someone

00:37:46.018 --> 00:37:49.058
i'll be like did i use that right did i do it and they'll be like no or sometimes

00:37:49.058 --> 00:37:54.818
or my favorite from last year yeah that was her favorite i know chelsea's cracking

00:37:54.818 --> 00:37:59.318
up right now um like don't say it i'm like i know i mean like the idea of youth

00:37:59.318 --> 00:38:00.518
is wasted on the young, right?

00:38:00.658 --> 00:38:03.498
Like, you know, the energy you have to put into the job, like,

00:38:03.618 --> 00:38:07.658
and the enthusiasm and the, you know, constantly staying on the cusp of like

00:38:07.658 --> 00:38:10.798
new things and how it's going to be incorporated in the classroom and,

00:38:10.958 --> 00:38:13.918
you know, curriculum changes and all, all the things.

00:38:14.658 --> 00:38:17.898
And then, you know, like we talk about on this show about how we balance it all.

00:38:18.238 --> 00:38:21.378
You're, I don't know what your plans are for your futures, but,

00:38:21.558 --> 00:38:23.278
you know, having a spouse.

00:38:24.058 --> 00:38:27.158
Starting a family, you know, I will, you know, are you guys,

00:38:27.258 --> 00:38:30.218
do you guys want to coach sports and be involved in that realm of things like,

00:38:30.438 --> 00:38:34.118
you know, like Chelsea, you had said about like national junior honor or national honor society.

00:38:34.418 --> 00:38:37.558
And like, maybe that's something you want to do. That's all extra things.

00:38:37.658 --> 00:38:40.998
Like, yeah, you might get paid for it, but they're labors of love in a lot of ways, right?

00:38:41.678 --> 00:38:46.298
Like you're not making stacks on stacks coaching a JV soccer team,

00:38:46.318 --> 00:38:50.538
but you're putting a lot of time and effort and energy into doing that.

00:38:52.463 --> 00:38:55.403
Anyway, that's just me waxing poetic about the profession.

00:38:55.623 --> 00:38:59.643
I think it's very important for young people. You know, if new people going

00:38:59.643 --> 00:39:03.563
into the profession get loud and speak their voice and say like,

00:39:03.623 --> 00:39:06.183
hey, this needs to be changed so we can keep people in the profession,

00:39:06.583 --> 00:39:07.403
changes are going to happen.

00:39:07.583 --> 00:39:10.563
If it only comes from, you know, old man shakes fist at sky.

00:39:11.343 --> 00:39:18.043
Then the work, I mean, there's still noise happening, but it doesn't happen as quickly as it should.

00:39:18.043 --> 00:39:20.923
So and if we could just you know

00:39:20.923 --> 00:39:23.923
put a little more energy in that space i mean the tier

00:39:23.923 --> 00:39:26.723
system is already like a slap across the face of like

00:39:26.723 --> 00:39:30.623
okay teachers are not valued as

00:39:30.623 --> 00:39:34.023
much as they should be um and that

00:39:34.023 --> 00:39:37.063
especially goes for new teachers now coming into the field but then

00:39:37.063 --> 00:39:40.223
once you add on top of it once you're in a teacher preparation

00:39:40.223 --> 00:39:43.083
program and you're asked to do your student

00:39:43.083 --> 00:39:46.383
teaching that internship that gas

00:39:46.383 --> 00:39:50.143
money that food everything that goes into presenting yourself

00:39:50.143 --> 00:39:53.263
as the best teacher as you possibly can in these student teaching experiences

00:39:53.263 --> 00:39:56.303
is not compensated in any way yeah and

00:39:56.303 --> 00:39:59.363
so that acts as a humongous barrier for

00:39:59.363 --> 00:40:02.563
someone who doesn't have you know x amount

00:40:02.563 --> 00:40:05.783
of dollars to do x amount of things like for instance

00:40:05.783 --> 00:40:09.263
i for clinical one for my junior practicum which

00:40:09.263 --> 00:40:12.123
is my senior practicum I guess my first

00:40:12.123 --> 00:40:15.283
practicum right my first student teaching my school was

00:40:15.283 --> 00:40:17.963
a 30-40 minute drive so I had

00:40:17.963 --> 00:40:21.703
people carpooling with me who didn't have their own vehicle were splitting gas

00:40:21.703 --> 00:40:27.383
money stuff like that but you know how was that an expectation of me when other

00:40:27.383 --> 00:40:33.503
student teachers had their placement in Ewing High School which is like a 10

00:40:33.503 --> 00:40:37.243
minute drive you know so it's definitely a big question of like Like.

00:40:37.343 --> 00:40:42.123
How are we going to support student teachers and show them that, you know,

00:40:42.283 --> 00:40:46.843
we want you coming into this field with everything that you got being the strongest that you can.

00:40:47.263 --> 00:40:50.103
And we're willing to compensate you to do that. And that has to come from the

00:40:50.103 --> 00:40:54.303
state. Like, that has to be, you know, something that we have that's permanent.

00:40:55.763 --> 00:40:59.083
So, yeah, like Chelsea and I are big advocates for paid student teaching because...

00:41:00.772 --> 00:41:03.132
It's one of the only internships where we're not compensated.

00:41:03.292 --> 00:41:05.152
And that's, at that point, exploitation.

00:41:05.612 --> 00:41:09.432
So we really, like, that needs to change. That's an interesting point.

00:41:10.512 --> 00:41:14.812
There's also this, I think there's this prevailing opinion of like,

00:41:14.972 --> 00:41:18.212
well, I went through it that way, so they should do it the same way.

00:41:18.332 --> 00:41:21.672
Like, no, we can change things and make it better.

00:41:21.852 --> 00:41:27.752
We can make it more equitable for people that are good.

00:41:27.912 --> 00:41:33.712
And that's yet another incentive for people to stay in the profession.

00:41:33.932 --> 00:41:38.572
Like, hey, a little bit of extra. You know, and so it goes towards your,

00:41:38.692 --> 00:41:42.472
you know, your tuition bill might be a little bit different or maybe like,

00:41:42.552 --> 00:41:44.292
oh, you're going to go into teaching and you're going to do this.

00:41:44.432 --> 00:41:49.912
Then, you know, you know, you get some kind of subsidy or gas taken care of or mileage on your car.

00:41:50.032 --> 00:41:53.612
Like, I get it. That's another important thing and something that,

00:41:53.692 --> 00:41:57.912
you know, young people with your voice can definitely continue to fight for.

00:41:58.992 --> 00:42:02.032
Yeah. And we've had a couple of meetings with some legislators in New Jersey

00:42:02.032 --> 00:42:06.252
just to talk about this. And most importantly, we brought to them some testimonials

00:42:06.252 --> 00:42:08.972
that come directly from student teachers in New Jersey.

00:42:09.472 --> 00:42:13.772
And they tell some very powerful stories of, you know, being up at night and

00:42:13.772 --> 00:42:18.892
doing your lesson planning while also like clipping coupons to be able to pay

00:42:18.892 --> 00:42:20.072
for groceries the next day.

00:42:20.632 --> 00:42:23.732
You know, so we've heard a lot of those stories and we've brought those directly

00:42:23.732 --> 00:42:27.712
to some legislators in New Jersey. So we've been working on that campaign through

00:42:27.712 --> 00:42:32.232
NJAA, but obviously you need the support of, you know, the state as a whole

00:42:32.232 --> 00:42:34.512
and the state legislature to be able to push that forward.

00:42:34.712 --> 00:42:38.992
So it's something that's sort of in progress and we've seen it be improved in

00:42:38.992 --> 00:42:41.912
other states. And so we're trying to catch New Jersey up to speed a little bit with that.

00:42:43.552 --> 00:42:47.192
So what are the two of you, not the change focus, but like, what are the two

00:42:47.192 --> 00:42:52.832
of you most excited about to like, once you start your career?

00:42:52.952 --> 00:42:56.252
And I've said before, when that door closes and you are all on your own,

00:42:56.492 --> 00:43:00.312
what excites you the most about that experience? Like, what are you most looking forward to?

00:43:01.632 --> 00:43:05.452
I mean, I think it's the connections with the students in a lot of my classes.

00:43:05.672 --> 00:43:08.552
Like over the course of the year, you definitely just become like one tight

00:43:08.552 --> 00:43:12.332
knit family. And so I'm excited to be a part of that and really to see like

00:43:12.332 --> 00:43:15.432
the students grow into their own, especially like at the secondary level,

00:43:15.512 --> 00:43:16.332
middle school or high school.

00:43:16.532 --> 00:43:19.272
I think the students like change a lot over the course of the year and they're

00:43:19.272 --> 00:43:20.112
growing, they're developing.

00:43:20.732 --> 00:43:23.692
So I'm very excited to see sort of, you know, how they progress throughout the year.

00:43:23.832 --> 00:43:27.472
And, you know, you might have students like throughout multiple years of high school.

00:43:27.612 --> 00:43:30.092
You might have someone in their freshman year of high school and then see them

00:43:30.092 --> 00:43:32.232
again and have them in class again in senior year.

00:43:32.412 --> 00:43:35.712
So to see those four years of growth, I think that's very rewarding and you're

00:43:35.712 --> 00:43:39.252
proud of them. And selfishly, it's also like rewarding for you to see that you've

00:43:39.252 --> 00:43:40.312
sort of been a part of that journey.

00:43:40.512 --> 00:43:43.232
So I think that's the biggest thing for me. Awesome.

00:43:46.123 --> 00:43:50.743
I 100% agree. The connections with students, I think, is like the one thing

00:43:50.743 --> 00:43:55.083
that makes you feel like you make an impact on someone's life every single day.

00:43:55.303 --> 00:43:59.963
And for me personally, I think I just want students to see that math is not

00:43:59.963 --> 00:44:05.383
this, you know, like cloudy thing that, you know, you can't,

00:44:05.583 --> 00:44:07.563
you always have a rain cloud raining on you.

00:44:07.563 --> 00:44:13.023
Like, it's something that there is sunshine and I just want to have fun with it.

00:44:13.123 --> 00:44:16.463
Like, I don't want it to be that class that everyone dreads coming to.

00:44:17.203 --> 00:44:22.903
Well, too bad because you're teaching math. So I have to say one of like,

00:44:22.923 --> 00:44:28.423
you know, one of my most favorite compliments from kids because,

00:44:28.423 --> 00:44:32.063
you know, they'll tell you if your roots need to be dyed.

00:44:32.263 --> 00:44:35.703
Oh, they're so mean. If you look tired or your shoes are ugly or whatever,

00:44:36.003 --> 00:44:39.843
they'll tell you all the things. But one of the things I, and it is a very generous

00:44:39.843 --> 00:44:43.923
compliment from a middle school child, like, whoa, this class went so fast.

00:44:44.243 --> 00:44:47.283
Oh, I love that. The class is over already? We didn't even do anything,

00:44:47.503 --> 00:44:50.143
you know? My response is always, time flies when you're having fun.

00:44:50.263 --> 00:44:51.563
Oh, my goodness. And it is true.

00:44:51.703 --> 00:44:56.063
It's like, so those little things, or like when you see them and they're just

00:44:56.063 --> 00:44:59.543
so excited to see you, like so genuinely happy to see you.

00:44:59.663 --> 00:45:02.503
And I, you know, and those are the things that I still get really,

00:45:02.843 --> 00:45:05.263
I mean, and don't get me wrong. Like, I love a clipboard.

00:45:05.743 --> 00:45:09.603
Like, there are some classic. I also played teacher in the basement of my house

00:45:09.603 --> 00:45:13.123
with my, um, and my dad was a principal. So he brought us like school desks.

00:45:13.263 --> 00:45:15.643
So like, yeah, I know. Yeah. I mean, it was all the things, right?

00:45:16.143 --> 00:45:19.083
It was, it was like the real, yeah. Um, but the.

00:45:19.812 --> 00:45:25.672
Like the excitement of like a new packet of like Post-its. There's just something.

00:45:26.032 --> 00:45:30.272
And when I did my student teaching, I loved my cooperating teacher.

00:45:30.452 --> 00:45:35.152
And he had my going away party with the kids was a teacher shower.

00:45:35.572 --> 00:45:38.712
And so it was like everything that a new teacher could need.

00:45:39.112 --> 00:45:43.252
And it was like I got a wastebasket and pens. I'm just all of that.

00:45:43.292 --> 00:45:48.392
I used that stuff for years. It was awesome. It was such a good idea.

00:45:48.392 --> 00:45:53.452
And, you know, and so I don't know, there is some like a thrill of like a good school supply too.

00:45:53.632 --> 00:45:58.712
I don't know if that's just, you know, and getting to decorate and design and the whole thing.

00:45:58.872 --> 00:46:03.352
So we hope that every single experience that you guys have, you know,

00:46:03.472 --> 00:46:08.272
and also don't forget to reach out to people who are still loving what they're

00:46:08.272 --> 00:46:11.732
doing, just like us, because we can get you through even,

00:46:11.912 --> 00:46:14.032
you know, some of the tough days. That's what we do for each other.

00:46:14.392 --> 00:46:18.532
Yeah. Well, I know that our profession is going to be when I'm old in a rocking

00:46:18.532 --> 00:46:21.732
chair drinking lemonade or bourbon,

00:46:21.852 --> 00:46:28.032
that our profession is going to be well taken care of by young people like yourselves

00:46:28.032 --> 00:46:30.432
and others who are also going into the profession.

00:46:31.312 --> 00:46:35.092
So, Bianca and Chelsea, we appreciate you very much for joining us today.

00:46:35.212 --> 00:46:36.452
Jamie, I appreciate you as always.

00:46:36.612 --> 00:46:41.092
No, Bianca, Chelsea, I appreciate you. I appreciate the NJAEA and the NJEA.

00:46:41.092 --> 00:46:44.452
Yeah and just if you love this conversation once

00:46:44.452 --> 00:46:47.972
again definitely go to um the njaea

00:46:47.972 --> 00:46:50.852
aspiring ed pod squad podcast it's on apple

00:46:50.852 --> 00:46:54.372
and spotify and youtube podcast and you can listen to our conversation with

00:46:54.372 --> 00:46:58.352
the many wonderful questions that bianca and chelsea asked us uh definitely

00:46:58.352 --> 00:47:03.232
join them and us over there to hear what they had to say so we will see everybody

00:47:03.232 --> 00:47:07.132
next time on the balancing act podcast thank you bianca and chelsea thank you

00:47:07.132 --> 00:47:10.372
all right see you next time.

00:47:10.480 --> 00:47:47.198
Music.