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Melissa Collins - 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year
39 Plays1 year ago
On this episode of National Board Conversations, you get to hear from Dr. Melissa Collins, NBCT. She was named the 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and has been a National Board champion forever! Be sure to give her a follow on social media: Twitter and Instagram.
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Transcript
Introduction and Background
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to National Board Conversations. I have a very special episode for you. I have the honor of speaking with Dr. Melissa Collins. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Memphis, Tennessee. She won the 2023 Teacher of the Year and is a National Board Champion, leading the cause and being a voice for expertise of educators everywhere. I won't hold you much longer. It's a great conversation. She gets really vulnerable. So here's my conversation with Dr. Collins.
00:00:26
Speaker
Dr. Melissa Collins, welcome to National Board Conversations. Thank you for joining me. How are you doing today? I'm great. How are you doing? I'm doing well. I'm doing well, like we were just talking about. I feel like you've been around National Board as long as my time has been here. And this is our first time meeting. I'm super excited. So this is nice.
00:00:46
Speaker
Yes, I'm excited as well. I have been a National Board Certified Teacher for such a long time. So it's always great to talk about how I became a teacher in my journey as a National Board Certified Teacher as well. All right. So like you, you're a career teacher and we love you for it, but you didn't get there overnight. Can you give us your current role and then a little bit of background of how you got here?
00:01:12
Speaker
Uh, yes, I am a second grade teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, and I have been teaching for 23 years. I can't believe I just said 23 years. Yes.
Personal Interests
00:01:31
Speaker
All right. So, um, what are your three favorite foods? Oh, I am a Southern girl in love.
00:01:41
Speaker
So food and seafood. So I was born in Florida and so I guess that's where the seafood comes in. But I love crab legs, salmon, and check this out, chicken and dressing with cranberry sauce. Okay.
00:02:02
Speaker
Oh man, I got a little bit of family from Louisiana from the South and they introduced me to a lot of this Southern stuff and I grew up up North in Massachusetts and so it's always nice to get down and eat some food down there. Yes, yes, yes. I love New Orleans food. So it's one of my favorite places to visit.
00:02:22
Speaker
I mean, it's not too far from Memphis. It's not too far at all. I love to hop on the train and wake up and go eat me some seafood. All
Inspirations and Influences
00:02:35
Speaker
right. So what are three songs that define you?
00:02:38
Speaker
I have three songs that I enjoy, Wake Up Everybody. I think that song is so, it's old, but it's so relevant today. I love when they say, wake up all you teachers, it's time to teach a new way. I think in the teaching profession, you always have to change, right? The children causes us to change so that we can keep them motivated and encouraged.
00:03:08
Speaker
I love to be young, gifted and black. OK, I mean, it's my own. I work in an urban school. I teach predominantly black and brown children. So this is just a song that I love to listen to in the greatest love of all by Whitney Houston, because I truly believe that the children are our future. Yes. So those are one.
00:03:36
Speaker
three of my favorite songs. Okay. Okay. The one sports team that has your heart. And if you're not a sports person, a movie, you can recite line for line. I cannot recite a song, a movie line by line. I can't do that at all. But currently my favorite football team is the universe of Akron.
00:03:59
Speaker
Yes. My son plays for them. I am a former athlete and I encourage my son to play sports as well. So we come from a family that has a very competitive spirit. Thanks to my father. Okay. What did you play?
00:04:16
Speaker
I play basketball. I'm tall. I'm a tall girl, so I love playing basketball. I'm not going to say I loved it at the beginning. It was forced on me, but yes, I'm a former athlete. OK, OK.
Path to Teaching
00:04:33
Speaker
So can you share why you became an educator and remained in the classroom?
00:04:38
Speaker
Yes, yes. At the early age of seven, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher. I imagine being a teacher, and I'm gonna tell you, I will pretend to instruct my dolls and neighborhood friends, and I was firm, I was tough. Oh, you knew to put your foot down? I knew to put my foot down, right? And so now I'm a warm demander, you know, so I love the kids. But
00:05:03
Speaker
During my youth, I was living in the actual city where Dr. King made his famous speech, I have been to the mountaintop. So although his life tragically ended here in Memphis, this is where I started to dream at the age of seven of becoming a teacher. And basically my future began and
00:05:27
Speaker
And my father, he was a great influence on me. He was an educator and football coach, and I observed him in an early age make a difference with the next generation of dreamers and doers. I watched him create innovative programs.
00:05:47
Speaker
for his students and athletes. And so I just admired him and I wanted to make an impact just like him. And so I started dreaming big at the age of seven. And so I'm a teacher, I'm a teacher leader, thanks to national board certification process.
00:06:07
Speaker
And why I stay in the classroom. I love the babies. I teach second grade and I love entering my classroom every year, every day and seeing my baby's face.
00:06:28
Speaker
And I love all kids. I love the diverse learners, even the ones that keep me on my toes. They all pull on my heartstrings. And so I remain in the classroom because I'm passionate about teaching. Every day I think of
00:06:48
Speaker
new ideals to implement in my classroom to help shape young minds. Also, I remain, because of the various organizations, such as National Board, National Science Foundation, National Teacher Hall of Fame, they have provided me with numerous leadership opportunities. And through these leadership opportunities, I'm encouraged and motivated
00:07:16
Speaker
to share my best practices, continue to grow as a teacher leader, and advocate for the profession teachers and students.
00:07:25
Speaker
I also stay because of my administrator in district. They are very supportive of me. And so I'm able to not only lead in my classroom or school, I'm able to lead at different levels at the state, national and global level. And so I stayed because of the support.
00:07:51
Speaker
having that support for teachers is needed as we see it starting to fall apart in a lot of different places.
Teaching Philosophy and Lessons
00:08:00
Speaker
So what are some of your favorite lessons to teach your babies, your second graders? I have a couple lessons that I enjoy teaching. My first lesson that I want to talk about is sound all around. I created that lesson in 2014
00:08:21
Speaker
returning from a global fellowship study tour in Brazil. And while I was there, I was just inspired by the people. Music is definitely a universal language and music was definitely all around me in Brazil. And I just started to understand the different perspectives and cultures. And I wanted to bring that back
00:08:50
Speaker
to my kids. And so I started collecting instruments in Brazil. And I
00:08:58
Speaker
created a lesson called Sound All Around where the students would use recyclable items to create musical instruments after they looked at the different instruments that I created and that I purchased in Brazil. So that just gave me an opportunity to introduce them to global learning and learn how to appreciate and value others through that sound energy lesson.
00:09:27
Speaker
And I also like teaching my kids about voting and just different things that they would have to use when they become adults. So another favorite lesson is make a choice by voting. And what I do, I make all my students write a one to two minute speech about why they would like to be president.
00:09:56
Speaker
Then they get to vote on a president, so they cannot vote for themselves. They don't like their part about it, but they cannot vote for themselves. If I did it that way, we wouldn't have anyone in the running, right? Everybody would have them vote. Right, right. And so the top two students that have the most votes, they're able to run for class president.
00:10:21
Speaker
And I let them choose their vice president, who they want to help them on the campaign trail. And so they get to campaign for a week. And let me tell you, I get the best treats for the week. I can remember one parent end up buying a
00:10:41
Speaker
Happy Meals from McDonald's for all the kids. And so it's just interesting to see how they understand the election process. And what I'm hoping is that when they turn 18, that they are able to vote for someone in different offices that they can agree upon, they represent their beliefs
00:11:11
Speaker
No, that's cool. That's super important. I'll never forget the one lesson, one voting lesson I had in like elementary school. I think it was maybe third grade. And it made me feel like, when I got older, to want to be an active participant in this. So it's very important. I thank you for doing that.
00:11:27
Speaker
Right. It's all about being a good citizen. And then last year we ended up going to Little Rock, Arkansas. And I held the election there in the over office and that model over office. So it was just great. It was really cool. Yes.
Achievements and Reflections
00:11:46
Speaker
So what pushed you to pursue national board certification and what was your journey like?
00:11:51
Speaker
Well, my formal principal at my school encouraged me to pursue national board certification. And, you know, I was nervous about it. At first, I had to look into it. But I can tell you national board was the thing that I needed to do. It was something
00:12:14
Speaker
that that process made me enjoy teaching over and over again, even when it ended up getting rough, you know, through that process. And so when I went through the national board certification process, my district state union and mentor supported me. So I had a mentor and it's very important. However, I did not accomplish national board the first time.
00:12:42
Speaker
And I did not question the process because I knew I had some things to improve on as a teacher. What is so crazy? The things that I had to improve on is what I am known for today. So I didn't do well with the science integrated math entry. That was different because I ended up certified in 2006. So it's different. The process is different, was different then versus now.
00:13:09
Speaker
And I didn't do well with the entry four that dealt with teacher leadership. And I'm going to be honest, I went home, I cried about it for a minute, but I got right back up. And I was ready to embark on that journey within the second year.
00:13:34
Speaker
And to improve in the area of science, integratable math, I literally called various science educational organizations to assist me with implementing information-based learning. And I wanted to be good at it. And then I wanted to be motivated to really enjoy science STEM. And what was so interesting was like,
00:14:01
Speaker
I had to learn how to get my kids to think for themselves and begin to ask questions and I'm thinking how could I do that with second grade babies and so I was encouraged to
00:14:18
Speaker
have them wear these white lab coats. I said, let me put them in white lab coats where they can begin to think and look like scientists. And it worked. Oh my God, it worked. They began to ask questions. And that's when you really know the kids were learning. I had to do very little. I played the role as the facilitator.
00:14:43
Speaker
I mean, in looking at the standards, National Board standards, it just helped me understand how to get my little ones to be creative thinkers. It made me be even more innovative. And then I had to work on that teacher leadership part that second year, and I
00:15:02
Speaker
began to leave outside my classroom walls. And I couldn't believe it, because I thought, hey, just create the magic within the classroom. I don't need to step outside the classroom to do those things. But my teacher program didn't show me what that looked like and what it really means to be a teacher leader. So the National Board process for me was
00:15:28
Speaker
was truly valuable because of the growth that I learned through their process. It was the best profession of development for me and I highly recommend it to any teacher that is ready to learn how to thrive, not just survive, but thrive in their school community.
00:15:59
Speaker
So all this led you to win the 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year. Congratulations. What emotions went through you when you heard that you were the winner? Well, I'm going to say National Board was definitely pivotal in me becoming a teacher leader that I am today and winning Tennessee Teacher of the Year. I would not.
00:16:27
Speaker
be here. Well, back to get emotional if it was not for national board because I mean, I used to go to my father's school complaining all the time when I first started teaching and
00:16:40
Speaker
I don't want to quit. I knew I didn't want to leave the children. But it was just an emotional process because I had to learn how to be a great teacher. And so National Board is definitely pivotal to who I am today. And so it was very emotional for me when they called my name. I was overjoyed, happy, and honored. It took me a while to get up to give my speech. So I had to say, Melissa, get up. And I just.
00:17:09
Speaker
I sat there for a minute. I cried for a few minutes, thought about my long career. My babies, my black and brown babies, like here I am representing you. My district, city, state, and my family support. I especially thought about my mom, who I had recently passed. And all the work that I put in,
00:17:40
Speaker
for my students and school community was recognized at the state level. So I felt really grateful for every mountain that I had to climb to get there. And since it helped me to be the teacher leader that I am today.
Future Plans and Recommendations
00:18:00
Speaker
And you did it like in your backyard, like where you grew up, like all of that, like it's gotta be extra meaningful.
00:18:08
Speaker
very meaningful, especially when you just think about what Memphis represent is that sweet and sour. You know, it's the home of rock and roll with Elvis Presley. And then it's the place where Dr. King was assassin. But I want to say that Memphis is definitely a place that represent hope and dreams. You know, so I continue to dream big. When you dream, you have to put in the work. And so
00:18:38
Speaker
Here I am. And so I'm going to continue to join be it for my students and for myself. So what happens now that you won? Oh, and what happens? What's next? I will enjoy my time with my 2023 class. We will enjoy each other in different
00:19:02
Speaker
spaces and places. And so we'll have an opportunity to go to Washington for Washington Week. We'll go to Space Camp in Mobile, Alabama. And I believe we'll go to New Jersey and some other places. And so it's just opportunity for me to connect with other like-minded educators and a chance to continue to grow as a teacher leader.
00:19:32
Speaker
Okay, okay. So if you had to sell the teaching profession to someone looking to get into it in one to two minutes, what would you use as your elevator page? Oh, this is easy. If you are ready to dream big for others, for the babies, you can elevate your dreams by entering the teaching profession. Come join me. Come on, let's continue to dream big together.
00:20:02
Speaker
I love it, I love it. Okay, so who was your favorite fictional teacher? You know what? I love looking at Abbott Elementary.
00:20:14
Speaker
And it's so many educators on there that I love, but I'm going to select Janine. Janine is hopeful and full of a lot of ideals. And so when I see her, even though I'm a veteran teacher, I still feel like I'm a new teacher at heart. And Janine is someone that inspires us all as teachers.
00:20:42
Speaker
No, you're a new teacher every day you work in that classroom. Every day I'm a new teacher when I walk into this classroom every day. I mean, I'm literally always thinking about what I can do next for my students. Alright, so you Memphis through and through. What are three restaurants folks should try when visiting them? I told you earlier I'm a studying girl.
00:21:07
Speaker
And many people have bragged about our Southern cuisine, and Memphis is best known for barbecue. So there are three restaurants that I would recommend. Rendezvous for barbecue, Hostel for seafood, and The Flight for an upscale restaurant.
00:21:29
Speaker
And so we were recently, I was recently speaking with the Illinois teacher of the year, Kim Radistich. And she told me to ask you, when are you going to visit her? Oh, I am going to visit Kim. I love Kim. She's wonderful. And so I just love my teacher of the year class. And it is going to be my goal to visit Kim very soon.
Acknowledgments and Gratitude
00:21:59
Speaker
All right, so we have a feature on the podcast called the shoulder tap. Can you give a tap on the shoulder to a teacher and let them know they're ready to become National Board Certified? On here, you'll give them a quick shout out and we'll encourage them to go through the process when we promote this podcast on social media. So Dr. Collins, who are you shoulder tapping? I am shoulder tapping Heather Bryson for National Board Certification. She is an awesome educator and a great colleague.
00:22:29
Speaker
All right, all right. And where can everyone find you on social media? They can follow me on Twitter at Collins NBCT or on Instagram, Dr. Collins, 1913. I'mma deal with this all. Hey. Dr. Collins, thank you for having me. Thanks for coming on. No, thank you for having me. This was great.
00:23:00
Speaker
Dr. Collins is fabulous. You can tell being an educator means the world to her. It really started the show through her vulnerability and storytelling. Be sure to give Dr. Collins a follow on social media and let me thank her again for joining this episode and thank you for listening to National Board Conversations. Follow us on all social media platforms for everything National Board related and I'll see you next time.