Page 32 - Mag89-4_2023_forFlipbook

Personal Reflection/Anecdote

Elementary to University:

Transitioning Within the Teaching

Profession

By Simone Nance and Elizabeth Wilkins

Teachers are leaving their current teaching positions at an annual rate of about 16%, with half of those
leaving the profession entirely (Snyder et al., 2018). We are part of that statistic. The difference is
that instead of leaving the profession, we transitioned from the elementary and middle school setting
to the university setting. Why do most teachers leave? Every teacher has their reason, but burnout
and dissatisfaction have seemed to be a common theme since even before the pandemic (Skaalvik &
Skaalvik, 2017). Disruptive behaviors have also been an identified stressor for many years (Shernoff
et al., 2011). And ever since the pandemic, some teachers have struggled to adapt to virtual-instruction
strategies and deal with health concerns in addition to the burnout, which has only compounded the
other existing stressors (Zamarro et al., 2022).
We are not part of these leaving-the-profession statistics. We still love teaching and continue as
professional educators. So many components of the Nance Ninjas and Wilkins’ Dauntless Dragons
classrooms were unmatched: the connections to students, the creativity of lessons, the fun whimsical
activities that supplemented the daily class objectives, and the care and love. We simply opted for a
change of clientele. How similar is teaching young students and university students, really?
The Authors: A Bit of Background

We met at the university where we were both hired as assistant professors in the Teacher Education
Department one year apart. We both specialize in courses taught in the elementary education majors,
although Dr. Wilkins focuses more on reading methods courses while Dr. Nance focuses more on
general instructional methods and educational technology courses. Our university students range from
second year to final year, and Dr. Wilkins also teaches in the graduate programs.

Dr. Nance Explains: The Nance Ninjas

For some background, I spent 13 years in the K–12
public school system split between kindergarten, Grade 4,
and Grade 5, all in the same school. My career ended as the
pandemic spread due to family health concerns in May 2020.
This was followed by 2 years of homeschooling my daughter
for first and second grade before transitioning to a university
as an adjunct instructor and later as a full-time assistant
professor starting in August 2022.
For many years, my Grade 5 homeroom called
themselves the “Nance Ninjas.” Many aspects of our class
revolved around this name, including the class décor and
the “Ninja Code” system of behavior. One example of
our behavior code was “ninjas help, not hinder,” which
encouraged cooperation and support among classmates and

30 · Volume 89-4