Outtake: A Remembered Story of a Teacher’s Best-Loved Self

For my dissertation research (conducted decades ago), I had the good fortune to shadow several seasoned public-school elementary teachers in their daily practice as they simultaneously implemented three new reform programs (i.e., mathematics, reading, and classroom management) at an inner-city school site comprised of a significant Latinx student population (94%). One devoted teacher, Ms. Rogers (pseudonym), taught Kindergarten for nearly 30 years with the heart and soul of a doting maternal figure. She came from a low socioeconomic background, growing up in an African American farming family with an illiterate father. She shared how attempts to teach her resistant father how to read inspired her longing to become a teacher. In short, her deep-rooted desire for a college education prevailed over financial hardships and other challenges she faced to complete her degree.