Beyond My Years

Teaching takes joy, starring Rebecka Peterson

• Amplify Education • Season 1 • Episode 7

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Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres delves into the wisdom offered by Rebecka Peterson, an educator whose journey began much like Ana’s: as a young immigrant to the United States. Rebecka shares all that she has come to love and appreciate about the K–12 environment after a tough transition from teaching college-level courses. She also reveals her most important lesson learned: Teach humans over content. Rebecka talks about her “One Good Thing” blog, where she documented daily positives in her classroom that transformed her perspective on teaching. She shares personal experiences of feeling like an outsider and how those experiences drive her to create an environment of belonging for her students. Rebecca stresses the significance of building authentic relationships with students as well as the impact of mentors in education. Taking all those lessons back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss strategies like “rebellious joy” that are essential to sustaining a long career in education.

Show notes:

Quotes:
“That's how we build our joy, how we build our resiliency—when we do the work together.” —Rebecka Peterson

“I thought…I had to earn my seat at the table. I don't want any kid to ever think they have to earn their spot. I want them to know they are in, exactly as they are. There is no need to perform. They are loved on their good days, their hard days, whether they make the 'A' or not—they are in. And more than that,  they are celebrated.” —Rebecka Peterson

“It takes a lot of courage to stand in the present. It is mindfulness. It is joy.” —Rebecka Peterson

“This was like training my brain to become a good noticer and to take delight in my students’ quirks, and their genius, and their goofiness, as well as their beauty.” —Rebecka Peterson


Rebecka Peterson: (00:00)
I think that's our superpower as teachers, is we see the invisible. You know, we see what others often miss.

Ana Torres: (00:08)
This is Ana Torres, and welcome to Beyond My Years from Amplify. On each episode, I speak with longtime educators who share chronicles from the classroom, and some lessons they like to pass on to newer teachers. Well, the only thing better than having one national teacher of the year on the podcast is having two! I'm so honored to follow our last episode with 2024 winner, Missy Testerman, by now featuring the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka Peterson. Rebecka is an experienced high school math educator from Union Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rebecka's going to describe a practice she discovered as a young teacher that truly changed her life. She and I also have so many things in common, including how we came to the U.S. at very young ages, and how we had to navigate this very interesting world of education and the cultural differences that were part of it. We're going to get really personal too, talking about what it was like to feel like outsiders and to see our parents judged because of their accents. Those experiences shaped who we became as educators. And, as the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka is just coming off a year of traveling the country and speaking as an advocate for the teaching profession. Just a quick note, the word "grace" is going to come up. Rebecka talks about how important it is for educators to give themselves a little grace, and to create a classroom setting where students and educators give each other some grace. Well, we're going to need to ask for a little grace from you heading into this episode. After we hung up with Rebecka, we were so disappointed to find distortions throughout my side of the recording. Luckily, we were running a backup. It's not the same quality that we normally have, but that's what you'll hear for this episode. I want to thank you in advance for your grace and your understanding. Now, here's my conversation with Rebecka Peterson.

Ana Torres: (02:39)
I'm going to get right to it. As you can tell, I am very excited about this particular episode, and I am going to now introduce and have you welcome Rebecka Peterson to the show. Welcome, Rebecka.

Rebecka Peterson: (02:52)
Thank you so much, Ana. I'm so excited to be here.

Ana Torres: (02:55)
I'm so honored that you are here with us today.

Rebecka Peterson: (02:58)
Oh, the joy is all mine.

Ana Torres: (02:59)
I'm going to start with the hardest question first, Rebecka. Okay? You ready?

Rebecka Peterson: (03:03)
I'm ready.

Ana Torres: (03:04)
How many years have you been in the classroom, Rebecka Peterson?

Rebecka Peterson: (03:08)
Uh, yeah, so this is my 16th year in education. Those first years of the classroom were actually at the college level. And then, very adorably, thought I could switch over to the high school level, but this is year 16.

Ana Torres: (03:20)
So year 16. Rebecka's already kicking us off with some similarities that we have.

Rebecka Peterson: (03:27)
Yeah, we have a lot.

Ana Torres: (03:27)
It's going to be an exciting episode of how we both—and there are some of you out there—started in a different profession first. We both started in higher ed first. We lived in a world of syllabus and all that fun stuff, to now, teaching children. But without a mentor teacher, I tell you, Rebecka, I wouldn't have made it. How did you, how were you able to navigate that first year?

Rebecka Peterson: (03:51)
Uh, not well.  I joke that, and really, I guess I don't really joke that I, you know, went from this classroom space where students were paying to hear what I had to say to this classroom space where students were forced to hear what I had to say. Man, it was a shock. It was just such a shock to my system. And I went from being—I was young, but I had become a pretty beloved college instructor. And I thought that was teaching. Like, if I can explain content well, then that is good teaching. So adorable. And I really, that first year of teaching high school was so hard for me. And I think part of it was this identity crisis, right? Of this, gosh, I thought I was good at this and now I'm not sure if I'm not good at it. Is it really what I'm supposed to be doing?

Ana Torres: (04:47)
I can so relate to that. Right. That almost imposter syndrome, right, Rebecka?

Rebecka Peterson: (04:52)
Oh, yeah. A hundred percent. A hundred percent of just like, "Man, it doesn't feel good," you know? To think that this is something you'd be good at and then all of a sudden you're confronted with reality and you're not so sure that you are cut out for it. And so, I, honestly, I was hanging on by a thread. I had applied to go back and teach at the college level.

Ana Torres: (05:15)
So that's how hard it was.

Rebecka Peterson: (05:17)
Yeah! A hundred percent. I had one foot out the door. And then, like really serendipitously found this community blog called "One Good Thing," and it was a collective of math teachers actually at the time who were just committed to writing something good that happened in their classroom every day. And they lived by this quote by Alice Morse Earle who said, "Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day." And that quote just hit me so viscerally, you know, because it gave me permission to be like, "Yeah, okay. It was not a great day." But then it also sort of challenged me to take ownership to find just something good, like one good thing. And so I joined the blog and about halfway through—probably my first year at Union—I wrote something good and got published.

Ana Torres: (06:07)
We are going to definitely dive a little bit deeper into that in a bit. But I want to talk about, we're going to like rewind a little bit and talk about how you got there, Rebecka.

Rebecka Peterson: (06:18)
Yeah!

Ana Torres: (06:18)
Let's start at Walmart of all places. And our listers are probably like, "Why Walmart?" Growing up, you actually had a very deep and profound experience at a Walmart. I would like for you to tell our listeners about that, and maybe like first explain why a trip to Walmart was a little bit out of the ordinary for you.

Rebecka Peterson: (06:42)
Yeah. So I am an immigrant to the United States. We moved here when I was really young. My dad is 100 percent Iranian. Like my maiden name is Kermanshahi. We come from Kermanshah in Iran. My mom's 100 percent Swedish. And so I like to joke that I'm what you get what you mix two very opposite geographical regions together.

Ana Torres: (07:06)
I love the 100 percent each. Just so everyone knows, both her parents are 100 percent their heritage. Right?

Rebecka Peterson: (07:15)
Yes. Like my grandparents on one side speak Farsi, and on my other side they speak Swedish. And so then my parents, when I was young, decided to immigrate to Oklahoma of all places. And I suppose because three cultures was not confusing enough, they were like, "Oh, well, let's go be medical missionaries." So by the time I was 16, I'd lived in four different countries. I was born in Sweden; we immigrated to Oklahoma; moved to Kazakhstan for a while; came back to Oklahoma; moved to Tajikistan, where I started my high school years, then moved back to Oklahoma. And then I became a U.S. citizen when I was in college when I was 20. And so when we came back that last time, we were coming back from Tajikistan, which at the time, 80% of the population lived below the poverty line. We're just talking abject poverty. It's hard for me to even describe to Americans, like, when you turn the faucet on, you get just mud coming out. Right? And then on top of that, like I am starting my high school years; I am figuring out who I am, what I want to do, and seeing what an impact, you know, my parents are having overseas. And so then we come back and one of my first experiences when we came back was we went to Walmart, right? And I remember taking just two steps in the door and feeling just this wave of nausea. And it was just on just this visceral feeling of like, "Where am I?" I'm thinking like, "This is more "stuff," like more consumption than this country I just came from has ever seen in its lifetime."

Ana Torres: (09:03)
Wouldn't you say you were just overwhelmed?

Rebecka Peterson: (09:05)
I was completely overwhelmed. And, you know, as a teenager then there's this dichotomy of why. Why? Right? Why do I have access to clean and healthy foods? Just because of where I was born, which I had no say in that. Right? All this to say is, I think it really planted a seed in me of, "What am I going to do about social disparity, inequality, and inequity, and how do I become an agent that helps open doors?"

Ana Torres: (09:36)
Can I pause you there to say, don't gloss over that Rebecka. Right? Because as a teenager you already had that sense of, like you just said, the inequities. Like you sensed that—that was very profound for you. I feel the heaviness in your spirit.

Rebecka Peterson: (09:55)
Yeah. It was very heavy.

Ana Torres: (09:56)
You know, kind of the welling in your eyes right now. How did that moment transform to you becoming a teacher?

Rebecka Peterson: (10:03)
Well, it didn't right away, to be honest. So for a long time I really struggled with this. How, what do I do with this? Right? And I thought like, do I need to follow in my parents' footsteps and pursue a medical profession? And I just really,  I just really didn't want to if I'm being honest. So I loved math and I don't know, I just told myself, "Do what you love," and became a college instructor. Did that for a few years. But then I just kept coming back to this idea of, "How do I open more doors for more people and how do we bridge this gap?" And I think it's just absolutely divine that my third year I was assigned some concurrent courses, so college classes, but I taught them at a high school—I had two high school students. And I remember walking the halls and seeing the algebra teachers at the high school were teaching basically what I was teaching. And I thought, "They get 180 days to teach this, and I get like 36. I just thought, "Wow, how cool to just really be able to dive into both the content." And then I thought, "You know, I bet you could like get to know your students a whole lot better." So I decided to make the switch. It became really clear to me like, oh...these are all the pieces coming together now, right? It took a long time, and you know, it was really untethering moving so much as a kid. But what was untethering as a kid now really tethers me to my students because I get to teach in one of the most diverse districts in our state. We're 80% free and reduced lunch. We have 62 languages represented. And so I get to teach kids who also often are bicultural. And they might be immigrants or kids of immigrants. And they know what it's like to have—to feel like they're in one culture at home and a different culture at school

Ana Torres: (12:13)
As promised, Rebecka, because I know folks are holding on, thinking, when are we going to get to the "One Good Thing" blog?

Rebecka Peterson: (12:21)
Yeah.

Ana Torres: (12:22)
And we're going to dive into that because, and listeners, you don't see the big smile from ear-to-ear here that Rebecka has because she loves to talk about her "One Good Thing" blog. And so I would love for you to take us back to that first year as a high school math teacher. Walk us through that a little bit.

Rebecka Peterson: (12:41)
Yeah, yeah. Like I said, it was just, I guess it was just a real shock to my system, because even teaching college classes at the high school turns out is different than teaching high school classes at the high school.  You know, I also have zero degrees in education. Like, let's call it what it is, "pedagogy." I didn't know what that word was. "Differentiation?" Like, I had not a freaking clue how to manage a classroom of, you know, 35 teenagers after lunch, 10 of whom are on an IEP, another five of whom are on an LIEP. You know, I'm just like, "What, what do these acronyms even mean?"

Ana Torres: (13:20)
I remember those feelings.

Rebecka Peterson: (13:22)
And so I was just like, I don't know that this is for me. ... So this blog, it was like a last ditch effort, if I'm being honest.  It was like, "Really, what do I have to lose?" This is not going, I didn't feel, I didn't feel like it was going great. I'll hit on this as well, but partially, I was in my own head, if I'm being honest. You know, like there was a story I was telling myself that maybe wasn't entirely true. So yeah, I just started documenting something good every day, and small but beautiful moments that—me at least, maybe not others—but really, I was missing them until I became intentional about documenting them. And after a decade of writing good things, I had written 1,400 good things.

Rebecka Peterson: (14:11)
And these were just like really small, but beautiful, everyday moments that quite frankly happened in the vast majority of classrooms all over our country. But they were moments that I was missing because I wasn't making space for them to land. And as I share this practice with educators, I want to be really clear that this is not toxic positivity. And this is not even really quite like gratitude journaling. This was like training my brain to become a good noticer, and to take delight in my students' quirks and their genius and their goofiness as well as their beauty. It was slowing down; it was following my curiosity. And honestly, it was a practice that allowed me to just become more gentle with myself. Because with teaching you're just inundated. You're inundated.

Ana Torres: (15:07)
Do you remember your first one?

Rebecka Peterson: (15:09)
So I've gone back and read my first ones, which are horribly painful. I think my first one was like about a seating chart going well, which yes, sometimes figuring out a correct seating chart feels a lot harder than solving an advanced calculus problem, if I'm being honest.

Ana Torres: (15:25)
Well, because it is! It is, Rebecka! You know how many times I've had to make seating charts and move children for whatever particular reason needed? I am so glad that was your first one, and wish that I would've been able to actually be part of this. I literally would spend hours on that all the time.

Rebecka Peterson: (15:43)
Yes! Yes! And when you're in secondary, you do it times, you know, five, six or seven hours, you know. Exactly. And you think you have it all good and then you're like, "Aach! Danny and José are by each other!" And then you have to start from scratch. But anyway, that's a detour. I think a key part of this though was the principal who hired me, Mrs. Lisa Witcher. She would read every single one. And every night I would write. Every night I would post, and every night she would at least like it. You know, my one thumbs up. ... I wasn't doing this for the followers, you know what I mean? I was doing it for myself. And then I was like, I think I'm doing it for Lisa, too, because if I wouldn't post for a couple days, she'd be like, Peterson, are you home sick?

Ana Torres: (16:31)
Where's your post?

Rebecka Peterson: (16:35)
Yes. ... Where's your post? And so in a way, it became this way for me to, first and foremost, tell myself, "Actually, there are good things happening." And then after a while I realized, "Oh, this is maybe important for a principal." Like it's sustenance for the principal, as well. Because they're inundated with all the things that are wrong as well, you know? So yeah, I just kept writing and writing and writing. Like my career depended on it. Maybe, and maybe it did, you know? But the more I wrote, the more I realized that I love who I am when I'm in the classroom.

Ana Torres: (17:20)
And just hearing you say that and actually observing your emotion right now, I'm so glad that you found value in that.

Rebecka Peterson: (17:29)
Yeah.

Ana Torres: (17:29)
I love, too, that whole, "What are the good things that are happening?" Because sometimes we can get caught up in the negative things that are happening.

Rebecka Peterson: (17:38)
Oh, yeah. A hundred percent.

Ana Torres: (17:40)
What connection did you see between having this experience and you developing as a teacher?

Rebecka Peterson: (17:47)
You know, at first I was in a really reactive frame of mind when I started writing. I would finish out my day, open the blog's platform, and think about my day, like "in the past," until I could think of something kind of, sort of, halfway-good-to-write-about, like a seating chart, right? Then there was this turning point, Ana, and I don't know how to—instead of reactively thinking about my day in the past, I started to actively notice good things in the present. I would find myself being like, "Oh, that's what I'm going to write about tonight." You know, never using kids' names, but just like I had a kid invite the new kid to lunch, or I had a kid ask me to come to his soccer game next week. Again, small, beautiful, everyday moments that I think happen in the vast majority of classrooms. But for me, I was not making space for those moments to land. And if you don't make space for them to land, it's really hard to tuck them in your heart. But because I started creating this space and I started tucking these moments into my heart, I started to build a sense of, I think, sustenance and resiliency. So that when the hard times came—and they will come—that I had this almost armor, you know? ...And, there's so much good. And I think that was really the evolution for me that it was, again, this is not toxic positivity. This is not, "Well, if you just focus on the good, the bad will disappear." It's actually kind of the opposite of that. Because like what happens is you become like a true noticer. And when you become a noticer, you don't just notice the good. Right? You notice the hard stuff, too. And I found myself seeing what other people often missed—both the good and then the parts that my students sometimes tried—understandably—to hide. I think it takes a lot of courage to stand in the present. And that's what this practice is to me. It is mindfulness. It is joy.

Ana Torres: (19:56)
Can you say joy again? Because I think that joy part is what we miss.

Rebecka Peterson: (20:01)
It is.

Ana Torres: (20:01)
And believe it or not, you say small, but for those babies, those are big moments. And the fact that you took it to be intentional about that. Would you say that's a great practice that we should actually engage in?

Rebecka Peterson: (20:17)
Yeah. And I think having...my principal affirm it and be like, "I want to hear this," was actually a really vital piece for me. It's not lost on me that someone seeing the practice and affirming the practice, I think, sustained the practice. And so what a lot of teachers have told me after hearing me talk about this, is they'll just find a partner and they just text back and forth every school day, you know? Or they have a group text or maybe it's a picture. But I think just this practice of being intentional about cultivating joy is—I really, I feel very strongly like joy is our rebellion. You know, and there's so many people not in schools  trying to say what schools are like. And I'm just like, "No."  "No, no." We're the ones in the work. This is our profession. I think it's time we reclaim it and we reclaim it with the sense of joy. We reclaim it with our stories. And we reclaim it by saying, "Listen. This is hard work. And this is really beautiful work. And that's what "One Good Thing" taught me...it was a, "Yes, and." Yes, I'm exhausted, and I am exhilarated. Yes. I'm ready to go home, and you better believe I'm going to be here tomorrow ready to give my whole heart and soul and mind again.

Ana Torres: (21:45)
I love that you're sharing this as far as the, "Yes, and."

Rebecka Peterson: (21:49)
That should actually be a hashtag.

Ana Torres: (21:51)
And also, you know, anybody want to be revolutionaries with Rebecka and I? Because I think that is literally my one word that whatever I am talking to, whether it be teachers or leadership, is we need to bring joy back in the classroom. Let's, like you said, reclaim the joy. We'll be right back with much more from my conversation with Rebecka Peterson. But let me quickly remind you that later on I'm going to be chatting with Classroom Insider, Eric Cross, and we're going to get his thoughts on my conversation with Rebecka.

Eric Cross: (22:32)
We talk about this in our students. We talk about grit mindset, we talk about resilience and focus on the whole child, which is really, really important. But as teachers, it's so important for us to have that.

Ana Torres: (22:40)
That's coming up later. Now, back to Rebecka Peterson. We're going to shift gears a little bit now and talk about your immigrant experience. Also how important community building is to you, Rebecka. So, I know there were times growing up that you felt like an outsider and honestly, so did I. You know, as a six-year old coming as an Afro-Latina to the U.S. I was a walking, I was a walking like ET. I literally was like, "Can I find someone to do the 'ET phone home' thing?" Like, you know, now in retrospect, because people would look at me and say, "You're black. You speak Spanish. What are you?" Like, "You know, it's pretty cool to know you, but we don't understand you." Right? And I know all of the experiences I had from being that six-year-old Afro-Latina coming from Panama, having a really tough time with self identity in school. And then as I became a teacher, really wanting to use my personal experiences to really make students feel like they belonged.

Rebecka Peterson: (23:46)
Yes. Yeah. I know. I just resonate with all that so much. I just remember, you know, taking, even at a young age, those standardized tests and being like, "What box do I check?" Or I often sensed that people would judge my parents' intellect based on an accent. And you know, that's hard growing up. It's hard, you know, mispronouncing things yourself and thinking that this is your country too, but still, you get made fun of for the lunch you bring. Or I remember being in college and it's a really common question I think for people to be like, "Where are you from?" You know? And I didn't know how to answer that question. And when you can't answer, "Where are you from?" then, yeah, you start to sort of have a bit of an identity crisis I think.

Ana Torres: (24:44)
Absolutely.

Rebecka Peterson: (24:45)
I realized, Ana, that my whole life I wanted so desperately to belong. Like no matter where we moved, I just wanted to belong. But I compensated, thank you Brené Brown, by fitting in. I learned how to dress like an American, talk like an American, make the grades to make my American teachers happy. But it was all, I thought at least, based on my performance, and then I had to earn my seat at the table. And as I evolved as a teacher, not that this hit me right away, I realized that that's the foundation of my educational philosophy right there. That I don't want any kid to ever think they have to earn their spot. I want them to know they are "in" exactly as they are. There is no need to perform. They are loved on their good days, their hard days, whether they make the "A" or not—they are in. And more than that, they are celebrated. And I really believe our differences make us beautiful. And I want every kid to know that their story matters to me. But I think, particularly with high schoolers, you can say that 'til you're blue in the face, but they're going to be like, "Okay, prove it." You know? And so I, probably seven years ago, I started this maybe—not maybe—definitely unconventional practice of sharing my story and then say[ing], "I would really love to learn your story." You know?

Ana Torres: (26:14)
I love that you're getting into that because I was literally going to have you go there. Because you have this passion and we—you know, and I'm actually getting emotional myself—because just hearing you talk about your parents and your...students and wanting that strong sense of belonging for your students in this practice and the strategy that you're going to share. Because my mom was often mocked—she was mocked, literally mocked—about her accent. And I remember not only wanting my students to feel really comfortable and like insiders, but also their parents and their families. That was super important to me because of what my mom had to go through and how she was mocked. And people would literally make her say things over and over just to make fun of her. And that would be—that was so hurtful to me. The children that we serve and that are in our classrooms, Rebecka, you know, they have an extended family that I also cherish and care about as well.

Rebecka Peterson: (27:13)
That's right. Who are a part of their identity.

Ana Torres: (27:15)
Sorry that I cut you off there. I got emotional with you as you were sharing the story about accents and what those, how certain accents are seen differently than others. And that's another TED Talk. So, Rebecka. Bringing your students together. What's this practice, this strategy that you call unconventional? And I think it's actually amazing.

Rebecka Peterson: (27:39)
Yeah. So I just would share, you know, a bit about my story and very similar to what I just did. I was just like, "I know. I know what it's like to be on the outside." And the truth is, when you're on the outside, you watch the inside very, very closely. And to me it all comes back to our stories. Because when we learn each other's stories, grace permeates. That saying of: "It's hard to hate up close." It's true. And so, yeah, I invite my students to sign up for either 15 minute time slots or to come share their story or they're welcome to submit it through writing, like in email. I just ask them to tell what makes them "them," you know? And what parts of their story do they want me to know about. It's really informal, really casual, but it just becomes a conversation. And sometimes it's really small, like, "Oh my gosh, I love Ted Lasso, too!" But then that becomes a thing of like, "Did you see the latest episode?" Then there becomes this trust over, in one moment talking about Ted Lasso, but then can really easily transition into algebra. Because there's that trust. But then other conversations are, you know, heavier. Because it has become clear to me that our high schoolers, man, the vast majority of them have gone through some stuff.

Ana Torres: (29:08)
The trauma. There's so much, there's so much trauma.

Rebecka Peterson: (29:11)
They've climbed some serious mountains and sometimes they're just looking for someone to say, "I see you." And I love this. I'm going to use it as a metaphor, but physicists have found that particles at the subatomic level, they move when they're seen. So that mirror act of bearing witness to them changes the trajectory of the particle. And I just think that's—at our best, on our good days, on my good days—that's what I do. When I see, I can change a trajectory. And I think that's our superpower as teachers, is we see the invisible, you know? We see what others often miss. And so when I learn my students' stories, it takes a good 10 weeks to sit with over a hundred teenagers. And...It's something I grew into. As I said yes to this, I learned what other things I could say no to. Because I think that protecting our time is really important, as educators as well.

Ana Torres: (30:14)
But you found it valuable, because?

Rebecka Peterson: (30:17)
Well, because there just becomes like atmospheric shift in the classroom when we know each other's stories. And when my students feel that there is this mutual trust and respect, they will let me push them academically. Because they know Mrs. P is not going to ask, she knows me, she is not going to ask me to do something she doesn't think I can do. And so these students who are—again, in a district that's 80% free and reduced lunch, 62 languages spoken—we are surrounded by suburbs who their median income is 30,000 more than what our median income is. They are scoring, their latest score for my students was an 89% pass rate on the AP Calc[ulus] exam in a state where everybody else, or the average, is a 45% pass rate. So when people say, "This is the 'extra' stuff," I have to push back on that. Because what it is, is, it's an investment. And when we invest into our students' stories, when we ask permission to enter into their lives, then we're able, we're able to soar.

Ana Torres: (31:25)
But isn't that, in my opinion, our job? Like I've always believed we're there to inspire; we're there to motivate. You can do this.

Rebecka Peterson: (31:35)
You can do this.

Ana Torres: (31:36)
"I see you; I know you." When you build that currency in students, I've seen students do that even in my classrooms. They will jump high for you.

Rebecka Peterson: (31:44)
They'll do anything for you. Yeah. They'll do anything for you.

Ana Torres: (31:46)
It's not a magic wand.

Rebecka Peterson: (31:48)
No, it takes time.

Ana Torres: (31:49)
It is seeing them, acknowledging them, and believing in them. And I'm so glad that you are just giving just a real simple nugget of wisdom: Take the time to get to know them.

Rebecka Peterson: (32:02)
Yeah. And do it in a way that fits you and your current time and space. It does not have to be 15-minute time slots, you know? ... It doesn't have to be that. It can be a digital check-in like on a Google form. Just these investments we make. But in the same breath, I also will say it is not a formula. Right? I guess I don't want it to come off prescriptive. Right? I really struggle and I used to say it too, but I struggle hard with this statement of, "Oh, building relationships is the best form of classroom management there is." Right? I can't get behind that anymore because I don't think building—I don't think it's transactional, right? I don't think we build relationships to get something out of them. We build relationships because it grows something in us. And like, "Yes. Yes." And I hope that the way I love is so radical that it changes the way my students love themselves and love each other. I hope. I hope with all my heart that is true. But even if it doesn't, it changes something in me and I am better because of this profession and because of my students.

Ana Torres: (33:18)
And you know, folks, there you have it. I mean, we're talking to someone who's been in the game 16 years and counting—we're going "dot dot dot."

Rebecka Peterson: (33:27)
That's right.

Ana Torres: (33:28)
She's not finished yet.

Rebecka Peterson: (33:30)
We're not done.

Ana Torres: (33:31)
One of the things too that I wanted to add—it's very interesting. I've interviewed quite a few guests who have, you know, really emphasized the importance of sharing their stories with students. Because I know that starting off, I was very hesitant to share who I authentically was because I, quite frankly, I thought it wasn't proper, Rebecka.

Rebecka Peterson: (33:52)
Oh, 100 percent. Yes.

Ana Torres: (33:54)
I'm the professional in the room, you know? I've got to set the stage and the tone. So as I'm hearing that trend of: "Show up as who you are. Share your story." And that will truly transform a classroom and build a strong classroom community.

Rebecka Peterson: (34:11)
It will. Yeah. Because what we ask kids to do? Show up every day. Make mistakes in front of me. Ask questions in front of me. Ask questions to your peers. That's some seriously vulnerable stuff we ask them to do. And so, if we are going to ask them to be vulnerable, we have to be willing to model vulnerability as well. And it doesn't have to be sad or dramatic; it just has to be true and authentic.

Ana Torres: (34:39)
Love that. This is one of those episodes where my heart is happy. Heavy and happy at the same time because of so many of the things that we share. And just the, to me, positive outlook we continue to have and just embracing every single child that shows up in classrooms today. And like, you know, again, bringing that joy back. So as we start kind of wrapping up, we can't let you leave without giving us the little "wisdom nuggets" as I call them. So Rebecka Peterson, if you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would that be?

Rebecka Peterson: (35:16)
Oh, I'm going to get emotional. I would cup her face in my hands, and look her in the eyes and say, "Rebecka, you are enough. And just take one day at a time. One day at a time, one kid at a time. The content will come. Focus on the kids."

Ana Torres: (35:38)
So, Rebecka, it sounds like you're saying, "Give yourself grace."

Rebecka Peterson: (35:42)
Give yourself some grace. And some space. And don't be so hard on yourself.  Don't be so hard on yourself.

Ana Torres: (35:53)
Any other advice, 2023 National Teacher of the Year? Like, let's not let that go by the wayside. That is a huge honor. And as you've lived that year, right? Any other wisdom nuggets that you would like to share with folks that are listening to this episode?

Rebecka Peterson: (36:12)
You know, I think scoot up close to the people who pull out the best in you. You know? Scoot up close to the people who teach in a way that is inspiring to you, who talk to kids in a way that highlights the kids' value and dignity, who talk to students with joy and humor and sincerity. I think, you know, this work is hard. And if we do it alone, quite frankly it's unsustainable. But if we do this work together, I think that's the only way our kids win. I think it's the only way we win. If we lock arms, learn each other's stories, and do this work side by side, that's how we build our joy, how we build our resiliency—when we do the work together. A realization for me as I've had the real honor of getting to travel our nation and talk to teachers and educators all over our country, is there is no magic policy or practice or initiative. It all—literally—it all comes down to our people. And so if you have the right people who are ready to do the work, magic happens. But, you better be ready to support those people. You know? I think our teachers hold story after story year after year, but sometimes I just look around and think, "Who's holding our teachers' stories?" So we have to have mentors. We have to have structures in place that allow—particularly our early career teachers—a little bit more bandwidth and time to get those early years right.

Ana Torres: (38:01)
Well, I'm actually sad that we've come to the end here.

Rebecka Peterson: (38:05)
This was so fun.

Ana Torres: (38:07)
It has been such an amazing time talking with you, Rebecka, and just, you know, giving folks an opportunity to get to know you, your trajectory, and how you've just been impactful in not only students' lives, but also teachers' lives. So before we sign off, we always end and we give our guests a chance to kind of shout out their home district. Would you like to do that right now, Rebecka Peterson?

Rebecka Peterson: (38:34)
I would be delighted to do that. Shout out to Union Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You've been just an incredibly soft place for me to land. Thank you for growing me as a teacher. Thank you for teaching me how to love big and take risks and to show up as my true self.

Ana Torres: (38:54)
Thank you, Rebecka, for being with us today.

Rebecka Peterson: (38:56)
Thanks for having me, Ana.

Ana Torres: (39:01)
That was 2023 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka Peterson from Union Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We'll have links to keep up with Rebecka in our show notes. And now you know what's next. Let's talk to Classroom Insider, Eric Cross. Welcome, Eric.

Eric Cross: (39:25)
Hey, it's good to see you.

Ana Torres: (39:27)
Wow. My heart was like 10 times bigger after I left that conversation.

Eric Cross: (39:32)
It wasn't just what she said, but you can hear it come through her voice and how she says things. How she cares about her students; her beliefs about teaching. And there's this through line that I'm hearing through all of the educators. So I really enjoyed it.

Ana Torres: (39:44)
I like what you're saying, 'cause I'm enjoying every single episode. And as I continue to have these amazing seasoned educators on this show, we have noticed some common threads. But we also are noticing some differences as well. And so you are my Classroom Insider and you know, we want to make sure that our listeners hear some of your takeaways. I know you've got a list, Eric.

Eric Cross: (40:08)
I always have lists. I love my checklist.

Ana Torres: (40:10)
He loves his checklist. So tell me what's first on your list.

Eric Cross: (40:15)
Yeah, the first one was when Rebecka said something along the lines of "cultivate joy as a form of rebellion." And actively pursuing the joy in what you do. And it sounds simple, but it really, it's coming back to that reflection if you're not being intentional about it. And when you find that joy, it's empowerment. And I looked up the definition of "joy," because I'm a teacher. And sometimes it gets confused with "happiness" and it's not the same. And so it said that joy is "a deeper emotion than happiness that comes from a sense of purpose and meaning, including finding meaning in suffering and from a relationship with others." And I read that. I was like, "Ooh! Boy, that's it right there."

Ana Torres: (40:51)
Yes.

Eric Cross: (40:51)
And one practical way that I've been finding joy is this practice called the 2-by-10 method. And so what that means is simply spending two minutes with one student for 10 days straight, talking about whatever you want, whatever they want to talk about, doesn't—it's not academic related. But you're being intentional about being with that one student for 10 days, two minutes each, just to build relationships. And it's been incredibly powerful after the 10 days how that dynamic with that specific student can change.

Ana Torres: (41:17)
And I love actually that you pulled up a definition of what joy means and that there is a difference. One of the things that I talk about in my current position as I am, you know, doing presentations about Amplify's literacy suite or biliteracy suite is, I oftentimes walk in classrooms, and I do find that void of joy. 'Cause we kind of really get caught up in, "I've gotta teach this content." "I've got "x" amount of days to teach it." But boy, when that deeper emotion of happiness, if we exude that, our students do, too. And I really think that, academically, that is important for students. So thanks for bringing that. And I feel Rebecka really did a great job of exuding that.

Eric Cross: (42:01)
I think you hit the nail on the head too, with the energy. That makes a difference. And that's not something that you learn in a teacher credential program. The art of teaching is a whole other thing that you often only learn when you have mentors or you're on the job.

Ana Torres: (42:12)
So that was number one. What is your second takeaway?

Eric Cross: (42:16)
Yeah, again, I was listening to it and hearing her say "building your emotional armor." Having this resilience, this ability to bounce back from setbacks. We talk about this in our students. We talk about grit mindset. We talk about resilience and focus on the whole child, which is really, really important. But as teachers, it's so important for us to have that. So doing things like writing or making mental notes, sharing moments with your friend or your teacher besties, those reflective moments are incredibly important because it's not one good day or one bad day really makes or breaks the job. It's over time. And so if you're not intentional about pouring in and building that armor and that resiliency and knowing, "Hey, this is going to come my way." Or, "I'm thinking about the 10 students out of my 100," or "the three students out of my 30 that are not getting it." And that's because you're a good teacher. That's why you're thinking about them. Right?

Ana Torres: (43:05)
Right.

Eric Cross: (43:06)
If that's only who you're thinking about, it's totally natural for it to come back on you. And you think about, "Well, I'm not doing what I need to do." And you're forgetting about the 90 or the 27 that you're really meeting the needs of. And so having that balance comes from, I think, reflection. Whether it's writing, talking, online forums—whatever it is, so that when things come at you, you're ready to handle them and keep them in perspective.

Ana Torres: (43:28)
I love that, Eric—building that emotional armor. I love how you're phrasing this.

Eric Cross: (43:34)
Well, I'm just taking her words. I'm just taking her words and making short sound bites outta them. But these are, these are the people that you're interviewing.

Ana Torres: (43:40)
I think Rebecka is going to really appreciate all of your takeaways. And I know there's one more that you wanted to share.

Eric Cross: (43:48)
So this, I don't know if this is a science teacher in me coming out, but this overarching kind of meta theme just kept echoing in my head as I listened to the podcast. And I came up with a name for it, and I called it, "paradox pedagogy, the quantum mechanics of teaching." And so let me, lemme break this down. This is...

Ana Torres: (44:07)
Please do.

Eric Cross: (44:08)
This is my brain. We live in this kind of "both, and" situation where two truths are true. And Rebecka kept reiterating this. Exhaustion and exhilaration can exist at the same time. Hardship and beauty: They're intertwined with each other. Joy and struggle. Recognizing the good and the hard moments. When we make teaching binary and go, "It's good," or, "It's bad," we, we kind of miss it. Very few things that are worth doing in life are objectively always good or always bad. They're struggle. And, when you are doing something that is in service of others, there's hardship that comes with it. But there's also this great beauty and deep joy. You're in service of students and there's a deep core existential kind of, I guess, fulfillment that comes from that. I dunno, there's, I dunno if it's a song lyric or something, but you can't enjoy the sunshine without the rain. I feel like it's kinda like that. You know, it's this "both, and." And you need both. And that's what teaching is.

Ana Torres: (45:02)
Well, and I think as teachers, we need both, and as students, students need both as well. And so showing students how we show up for both of those, what you would call your "paradox pedagogy." Cause I've learned a whole lot with this exchange today. Eric always comes with his wisdom nuggets, y'all, so know that. Never miss the end of the Classroom Insider exchanges 'cause we learn a whole lot. So cultivating joy as a form of rebellion, building that emotional armor through that very intentional reflection and support. And then, of course, his little wisdom nuggets here. This "paradox pedagogy." Is there something specific you're going to try out this week from Rebecka or one of our recent guests?

Eric Cross: (45:48)
There's one that Rebecka said that really, it's something that I aspire to. It's probably the quote that still rings in my head. She said, "I hope the way that I love is so radical that it changes the way my students love themselves and love each other." And when I heard that, I had to pause the podcast for a second because I was—she just raised the bar!

Ana Torres: (46:05)
Definitely.

Eric Cross: (46:06)
So that, that's kind of like a big—I dunno if I could do it this week, but I could start this week. The next one is I want to be really intentional about continuing to build relationships and finding creative ways. So what I did this week is, I contacted HR and I said, "Hey, I want to learn how to drive the van." So we have a 10-passenger van at school, and I want to go through the process of driving a van. And here's why. When you can create experiences that are kind of exclusive with groups of students, that is like core childhood memory unlocked.

Ana Torres: (46:36)
Absolutely.

Eric Cross: (46:36)
Even if it's just getting ice cream. And so I'm in the process right now. There's—I just have to finish one more checkbox and I'll be able to drive the van and I'm already kind of thinking, "Okay, on our half day we're going to, you know, grab some students and we're going to go do some fun stuff." That translates into the classroom. So try to think outside the box.

Ana Torres: (46:53)
Absolutely. And this will bring joy to students so they can bring that back to the classroom. 'Cause I recall, especially when you're working at a Title One school, yeah, your kids live in the neighborhood, but they don't go outside of their neighborhoods. Or have experiences like that. So I really want to applaud you. I'm giving you "snaps." This is kind of what I used to do in my classroom. Now, Eric, we're going to now remind listeners that we want to hear about a seasoned educator who impacted their life.

Eric Cross: (47:20)
This is really exciting because now we have a chance to hear from more people to add to our repertoire of veteran seasoned educators. Or collect more "wisdom nuggets" as you'd like to say.

Ana Torres: (47:32)
Yes. We're going to be collecting more wisdom nuggets, and so, listeners, we'd love to hear about that special mentor teacher or piece of advice that's made an impact on you. Please go to amplify.com/DearAna to share a note, or even better, a voice memo. They get to share a voice memo, Eric. And if you submit something, you'll also be entered to win from our first batch of Beyond My Years swag.

Eric Cross: (48:04)
Beyond My Years merch. Like you're going to be the cool teacher in the break room. And you never know. Your story might be the inspiration for another teacher that needs to hear what you have to say.

Ana Torres: (48:14)
Absolutely. Well, Eric, I know that you are actually, you're, you know, you're known as the Classroom Insider because you're in your classroom right now.

Eric Cross: (48:22)
I'm literally here. Yep.

Ana Torres: (48:23)
He's literally there. And I know that your children will be walking in soon. So, thanks so much for all of your wisdom nuggets today, Eric.

Eric Cross: (48:31)
Thank you. It's good to be here.

Ana Torres: (48:35)
Thanks for listening to Beyond My Years from Amplify. I'm your host, Ana Torres. Our classroom insider is Eric Cross. Our music is from Andrew Smolin. Now, let me give you a quick preview of what's coming up next time. I have the honor of speaking with someone I definitely wish I had access to as a newer teacher, a longtime dual language educator. Her name is Luz Muñoz.

Luz Muñoz: (49:06)
Every day there is something new to learn, something new to discover, a different way to become better.

Ana Torres: (49:12)
That's next time. The best way to get new episodes of Beyond My Years or to catch up on any episodes you've missed is to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're liking the show, would you please share it with a few educator friends? We'd also appreciate if you leave us a rating and a review. Our website is amplify.com/beyond-my-years. Until next time, remember to reach out and say thank you to a seasoned educator who has shaped your life. I am Ana Torres. Thanks so much for listening.