Thornapple Kellogg — Rojean Sprague comes from several generations of educators.
And between her and her husband’s families, the Thornapple Kellogg Middle School geography teacher said they have had nearly 46 teachers combined.
“Seeing my dad and grandma teach (in the same building), and the laughter and the (student) interactions in their classrooms, I wanted that,” she recalled.
Sprague’s ties to Middleville also include her husband, who graduated from TK High School, and her father-in-law, who taught at the high school during the 1970s and ’80s. She also completed her student teaching at the middle school.
‘Students are my teachers.’
— longtime middle-school teacher Rojean Sprague
After completing her first year teaching 12th-grade government in Indiana, Sprague said she knew she had to get back to teaching middle school and became a full-time TK Middle School staff member in 1994.
“(Indiana) was a good start for me,” she said. “If I could weather that and meet those challenges, it would mean I could do this. … But (TK middle school) was my place and this was my niche.”
School News Network recently sat down with Sprague to learn more about her perspective on teaching middle school and what motivates her to keep returning to the classroom for more than three decades.
What gets you up in the morning and excited about teaching? “The interactions I have with the students. This is my 31st year, and I never looked at it as a job that I was getting up to do. I get up to spend time with some pretty cool young people. … Not everyone in the profession is willing to dedicate their teaching career to (that age group).”
Why are you passionate about teaching middle school? “I love being there to meet my students’ needs and help them. On any given day, you’re not sure who is walking through that door, even when it’s the same student. Am I getting the student who is super focused and ready to go, and I need to be here to keep up that excitement and energy? Or does something outside of school have them down and they’re struggling to learn that day?
“I recognize that life happens outside of school, and I want to be there to encourage them and meet them where their needs are.”
What are some of the biggest challenges in your role and how do you strive to meet them? “With what we went through with the COVID-19 pandemic and schools being closed, and with more technology and so many kids gaming, I see more of an isolation with kids. I need to work harder at making connections with today’s students and come up with new ways to make deeper connections (and) try to get kids to know each other more.”
What has changed in education over the past 30 years? “The teaching content hasn’t changed a great deal, but the social nuances and relationship-building is different. … When I started here, the school was the heartbeat of the community; more people knew each other and there were fewer kids. Now we have more families coming in and we’re growing as a community and a school district. I want to give kids a sense of community when they’re at school.”
What is the most rewarding part of teaching? “Not a lot of money or accolades in this profession, but you got the emotional rewards. My goal as a teacher is … that I care about you and encourage you to make better life choices (and) to reinforce our TK Strong character traits so you live life better.
“I have fun taking the content and connecting it to today’s events. Then they get excited and I get excited. … You can see it (on their faces) when they make the connection, and I love that.”
What lessons have students taught you? “I think I have learned from students about walking in other people’s shoes. As I’ve gotten to know some of my students and their families, their situations are not always what my situation was growing up, and not every family shares the same values. Learning different perspectives ultimately helps me with how I approach students. I’m a better person if I can be more empathetic.”
Sprague also said she has learned patience.
“My gut reaction might be one thing, and if I see a student’s reaction and it wasn’t what I expected, I think, ‘Maybe I needed to be more patient.’ We’re doing this every day, all day, and they teach me to be a better version of myself. Students are my teachers.”
What would you say to someone considering teaching as a profession? “It’s very rewarding, but I would say, realistically, (to) be prepared for hard work; be prepared to be flexible and be a learner yourself. There will be rewards for you just as much as you will be a reward for some of these children. They will be who comes to you and says you’re the only reason they come to school.”
Read more from Thornapple Kellogg:
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