UF Visiting Educator Stresses the “Unteachables” as a Teacher

University of Findlay alumna, Janelle Morris ’07 MAE ’10, was on campus as the College of Education’s visiting educator. Morris spoke with students about teaching as a profession, and about the “unteachable” skills teachers must have. The Visiting Educator Series is a semi-annual event that exposes Education students to real-world life experiences by guest speakers in a variety of teaching fields.

Morris is a third-grade teacher at Hardin Northern Local Schools, but she has also taught first, second, and third grades at Findlay City Schools. Throughout her career, she said that although she felt prepared by professors to be a teacher, there were various aspects of the job for which she wasn’t prepared. “The professors here do an amazing job and I attribute my career to them, but they cannot prepare you for real-world things,” Morris said. “I wanted to talk with students about dealing with administrations, colleagues, and yearly shuffles in teaching assignments.”

Morris described teaching as one of the most rewarding career paths but said understanding and flexibility are extremely important. “From politics to dealing with a seven-year-old, to dealing with your personal life being on social media – things are always changing,” she said. “The pendulum will swing and eventually it will come back to your comfort level. Then, it will take you out of your comfort level. You have to be flexible in your thinking and in your teaching and remember that at some point there will be some type of normal. Don’t stay stuck in your ways.”

When asked about University of Findlay students serving as student teachers, Morris said they are leaps and bounds ahead of others. “The professionalism UF teaches their students, the family that they create here, the investment they make in their students is second to none,” she said. “Professors are willing to change with the times and make sure students are prepared and understand that education is always changing.”

To learn more about University of Findlay and the College of Education, visit the College of Education webpage. More information about the Visiting Educator Series, including a list of previous visiting educators, is available online at findlay.edu/education/visiting-educator-series.

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