Meant to be teaching

Missouri Teacher of the Year Susanne Mitko believes ‘there’s nothing better than teaching.’ She hangs out with 7th graders all day and wishes she had more time to spend with them.

Susanne Mitko believes that she has found the perfect job. She’s been doing it for 19 years and still looks forward to every day and experiences something that resembles withdrawal when other responsibilities take her out of the classroom.

Isn’t that what everyone wants? A career where you can make a living while using your talents and skills to influence the world around you in a positive way. Not only does Mitko, a middle school social studies teacher in Lee’s Summit, believe she’s found this bit of good fortune in life, but she just received the 2009-2010 Missouri Teacher of the Year award for doing what she loves and will have the opportunity to travel and share with others what she knows about teaching and learning.

Finding inspiration
Mitko’s first aspirations as a teacher came early. The oldest of seven children, the teacher role came naturally.
“Every time we asked for a puppy, we got another sibling,” she says laughing but is quick to add how much she adores her family and how much her parents valued their children’s education.

She then describes her childhood self leading around her “class” of siblings. Her Campfire Girl nickname was Speaukasee, teacher who loves little children.

Everyone always identified her as the “teacher type,” but in seventh grade civics class, her teacher inspired her to follow a different path.

“I fell in love with the concepts of justice and equality and new I wanted to become a lawyer to save the world,” she writes in her Missouri Teacher of the Year application.

She finished undergraduate school, took the LSAT (law school entrance exam) and had earned herself admission to UMKC’s law school. Law school tuition had just skyrocketed, and Mitko decided to take a little time off to earn some money to help avoid insurmountable debt.

Changing the path
“I received a scholarship to do field research in Ireland,” she says. “In that job, I remember standing in front of a classroom speaking about my research and thinking, this is where I’m supposed to be. Instead of spending three years to get a law degree, I spent two and a half years becoming certified as a classroom teacher. I’ve never regretted it. There’s nothing better than teaching.”

Refueling the passion
When it comes to staying motivated after 19 years on the job, Mitko says there’s never been a problem.

“Teaching fits my personality,” she says. “They’ll have to drag my old bones out. I never have enough time to teach everything I want to teach. I really believe I can make an impact.”

Her students are her inspiration and motivation. She says they define her success.

“When my students make a positive impact on the world, when they feel their lives are richer because of what they’ve learned in school, when they learn problem solving skills they didn’t have before—that’s my greatest success.”

Travel also provides fuel for Mitko’s teaching passion. A Kansas City native, she has visited Ireland, El Salvador, China and, most recently, Japan. Most of her travel is career-related. Her most recent trip was a teacher exchange with a “sister school” in Japan. Each of her experiences add value and perspective to her teaching, and she finds ways to bring that newfound experience into the classroom.

“About eight years ago, I went to El Salvador six months after an earthquake,” she explains. “I watched how the community responded to the earthquake. There were those organized from the grass roots and those who had no organization. I learned how people who are poor but feel they have power and control over a situation can do remarkable things. I apply that lesson in my classroom. It’s called self-efficacy.”

No matter the classroom’s country, language or grade level, Mitko says she recognizes her students in those she meets when she travels abroad.

“There is that student bursting with confidence—the first to shake my hand and introduce himself,” she explains. “Then there is the quiet group of girls hanging back until we make eye contact and smile a few times. One braver member eventually steps forward and says hello. My favorite is that one student who, with a quick comment, makes everyone laugh, and leaving me to wonder if it is at my expense. These children are not so different from my own.”

Her experiences with teachers and students from around the world have enriched her appreciation for education in the United States. Although there were similarities among the classrooms Mitko has visited, the school systems and the goals for those systems vary greatly.

“First, we believe in educating every child,” Mitko says. “In every other system I observed, whether through tests or economics, students who struggled or were from disadvantaged backgrounds were weeded out of the system. In Ireland, one exam not only determined whether or not students got into college, but it also restricted their course of study. In Central America, the system restricted less through testing and more though economics. Although in theory free education was available to all, it was not required. Because students were obligated to purchase uniforms and supplies, the poor were often kept out of school. The most fascinating and most restrictive system was China’s. The Chinese system today strongly reflects the Confucius philosophy of the past. The system is incredibly competitive. Children are ranked, and the lowest performing students do not return the following year.”

Mitko’s experiences have solidified her respect for the U.S. public education system, where every child has access to a free public education.

“In America, we not only provide free education for every child through high school, but we also spend tremendous resources on students who struggle or those with special needs,” Mitko says. “From smaller classes to modified curriculum, we pour resources into educating every child.

From our infancy, we are a country that promotes second chances. We do not create a “point of no return” for our students. Countless educators work tirelessly to help students who struggle to gain ground and compete. This goes beyond high school. In no other country did I see adult education expanded to the level it is in America. When I was in middle and high school, my own father went back to school and earned a degree. We believe it is never too late to learn.”

The second U.S. education system strength Mitko sites is the focus on teaching students to think creatively and solve problems.

“Today, the U.S. is still the most competitive economy in the world,” Mitko says. “We are the innovators and entrepreneurs. When I have visited classrooms abroad, I saw an emphasis on repetition and memorization. This worked well for the type of exams that were given in those countries. Yet these same countries have recognized the need to teach creativity, problem-solving and application. While visiting a sister school in China, I was pressed by the educators to explain how we teach creativity. The Chinese teachers admired American schools’ ability to create active learners and recognized there will be a demand for workers who are innovative and flexible.”

Wishing well
Most every teacher has a wish list of some kind, and Mitko has hers. Although she believes her wish list is just a fantasy, she says she has three things she would like to see change in Missouri schools.

First, she would like to change the school calendar.
“I would love to change the school day so that high schools could start later and elementary schools could begin earlier. I know the feasibility of that is difficult, but I think it would be very positive for the students.”

Second on her wish list is year-round schools.
“The agricultural calendar doesn’t work anymore,” she says. “Our students lose too much over the long summer break, especially those from disadvantaged homes. I would like to see shorter breaks more often and allow students to build on their momentum.”

Technology is number three.
“We need technology in the classroom to prepare these students for the jobs of tomorrow. This requires additional funding for both equipment and teacher training. Our students must be comfortable enough with technology to independently update their skills beyond graduation.

Sharing wisdom
Mitko admits that some students in her class during her first year of teaching were a little surprised by her award.

“I was an abysmal first-year teacher,” she says. “I didn’t understand classroom management, and I was a social studies teacher teaching math. I was eaten alive!”

Here are her top four tips for beginning teachers:
1. Be patient with yourself. Teaching is an art. It’s not something you perfect right away.
2. Know your subject matter.
3. Be a lifelong learner. Take advantage of professional development opportunities any time you can.
4. Put your students first. If you care and you know your subject matter, you’ll be a good teacher.

“Shortly after I received the Lee’s Summit Teacher of the Year award, I ran into a student I had my first year,” Mitko says. “We were chatting when he tentatively said, ‘I read on Facebook that you were named Teacher of the Year in Lee’s Summit.’ His voice was incredulous. We had a good laugh because the teacher he remembered 18 years ago didn’t look like she would make it to her second year on the job, much less become the teacher of the year.”

by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director

sb, winter '09