Alyson Slack, Parkview Elementary in Midwest City
An avid reader, performer and daughter of an educator, Alyson Slack knew at an early age she wanted to be a teacher. She taught pre-school, helped her mom with lessons and earned a double major from Oklahoma Christian University in early childhood and elementary education.
“While I was growing up, I would help my mom with her lessons. I really enjoyed helping mom,” Slack said. “I felt like I had a good rapport with children and at my church, I would teach preschool. I enjoyed working with the kids, seeing them smile and helping them learn. I realized I could have a positive effect on the lives of children. I felt like it was one of my gifts to help kids enjoy learning.”
At an early age, Slack won an award for storytelling. It was at that time she found out she enjoyed performing. And if you spend any time around her, you know she loves to sing.
“Children learn through music and movement, and there are different ways I can introduce those into the curriculum,” said Slack, who can always be heard singing in the classroom. “I enjoy that I can teach all of the subjects and integrate them all together.”
Last May, she bought a ukulele and is learning how to play. She hopes it will go along well with her singing and she hopes to provide background music in her classroom.
Slack currently teaches first grade and virtual school at Parkview Elementary in Midwest City. She teaches first graders from several different schools in the district through the learning platform, Canvas. She previously served as a kindergarten teacher for 12 years.
An Opportunity to Learn New Things
“It has been interesting to learn the standards for first graders and for virtual learning at the same time,” Slack said. “I was excited to expand my learning and use new technology. I enjoyed learning about Canvas, editing videos and putting things together in Google Slides. Our school put some curriculum together for teachers. Luckily, I have eight people on my team I can bounce ideas off. It’s been so interesting to meet new people with new ideas on teaching and feed off of their energy.
“We are adapting so well. I am very fortunate to work with the teachers I do. We had to adapt and there were frustrating moments but it helped us to bond quickly and our team had similar philosophies about teaching. We were going to help each other.”
When asked about how her class is doing during the pandemic, Slack mentioned that virtual learning and first graders make for a very interesting combination.
“At the end of last year, we went virtual and that time helped us set up how things would work. A lot of kids had not worked with Canvas. We had to coach the parents on how to be coaches for their children and how to navigate the software. The parents would videotape their children reading a book or doing math problems. Once we were able to coach the parents, we got to see the kids every week through the videos.”
Using Google Meet, her class meets weekly so they can interact, and have social and emotional learning that is so critical for students. Slack said some students have thrived from the start of virtual learning and believes that she will someday have some YouTube stars since they are used to seeing themselves on video.
Why Teaching?
For Slack, no two days are the same and none are boring. She says every day is new and has interesting things in store for her.
“I really have found that I love teaching because I personally love having an impact on those kids and I love being a support for the families,” Slack said. “Being able to offer a safe place for the kids so they can enjoy learning is so important to me. Besides, I really enjoy learning. Year before last, I attended trauma informed learning. I learned how to provide support for my students, and help them learn and deal with their emotions so they can become confident learners.”
Why Should Someone Consider Teaching as a Career?
“I would say anybody who has a heart for working with children and enjoys building relationships with kids should consider a career in education. We need teachers who put kids first. There is so much that goes into teaching that you can build so many skill sets. You teach resiliency and how to deal with emotions. Anybody who wants to make an impact will find teaching a very interesting job. Every day is different and you are constantly learning and growing. Learning doesn’t end and you can be a lifelong learner. I’m still learning every day.”
A Lasting Impact
Of all the benefits of teaching, Slack said students who make an impact on her provide the greatest benefit. “Sometimes I have kids who come to kindergarten or first grade and they are angry, not very social. They are not open to wanting to play with friends or making friends. I have been able to put my trauma informed training to good use. I saw how some of the techniques such as calm down corner, yoga or breathing techniques can help. These techniques can help students have more positive feelings. I got to see those skills come into practice when I observed a young student come out of their shell. It was so rewarding to see this child feel more confident and know that they belonged in school. That was really rewarding and made teaching worth it. I can give students tools, not to only use in kindergarten and first grade, but in other grades, to help them independently help themselves.”
I Love Teaching 