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Student Announcer: Welcome to Mondays with Maria. Here's our superintendent, Dr. Maria Vasquez.

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. Today, I am joined by two of our amazing teachers, and they have something big in common other than being teachers, of course. They are about to finish their first year of teaching in the classroom. Congratulations to both of you. The first year is almost over. Welcome to the fifth-grade teacher, Olivia Stroz, from Brookshire Elementary. It's nice to have you here. And the wonderful music teacher, Ryan Lumm, from Legacy Middle School. Great to have you both here. I cannot wait to hear about your first year as teachers. I remember my very first year, which was many, many, many years ago, right? And I remember feeling scared, excited, and anxious all the time. Right? It was just a constant flow of emotions. But at the end of the first year, I really remember thinking, wow, this is, this is what I was meant to do. Yeah. Yeah. So, let's hear about your first year. So, let's start with you, Ms. Stroz. How was your first year experience at Brookshire?

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yeah. I've had a really positive first-year experience. I would say one of the biggest and most meaningful surprises this year has really been how full circle this has felt for me. I was able to start my education as a student at Brookshire Elementary. Wow. And so now, being back and starting my career as a teacher at the same school has felt really special to me. And so, I'm very grateful to our leadership team for giving me that opportunity to come back and be a Brookshire Bulldog again. But this time in a new role as a teacher. I would also say another wonderful surprise has been the overwhelming amount of support that I've received from my coworkers. My two teammates, Annie Dickman and Kylie Stevens, have just been amazing role models to me and have provided me with so much encouragement, guidance, and practical advice this year. So I feel very lucky to work alongside two women who are so kind and selfless and have ultimately become really dear friends of mine this year. So those two surprises have really made a big impact and have shaped my first year in a really positive way.

Dr. Vazquez: I think it's amazing that first that you chose teaching, right? But coming back to Orange County Public Schools, then starting out in your elementary school. That must have been just wild.

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yes. Very full circle. Very special.

Dr. Vazquez: Any teachers who were there when you went to school who are now your colleagues?

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yes, actually one of my teammates. Annie Dickman. Yes. She was a teacher. She taught third grade when I was a third grader at Brookshire. So, it's been really special to work alongside her and have such a strong teacher to look up to on my team.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh. It's just, it's just amazing. Yeah. So, Mr. Lum, what kind of support did you receive from your school and your teammates that really made a big difference to you?

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: Yeah. For me, it's always people who make a huge difference. And I think the most obvious one is my admin team at my school. When you're a music teacher, there are so many things that happen before school and after school, and awards and different things like that. And they were always present for those things, and I think that's a big thing. But in your first year, I think there's a lot of expectations, A lot of maybe an inferiority complex that maybe I don't have it all together, because it's your, it's year one, you won't have it all together. But being given the space and that reassurance that you've got this, you're the expert in your field, was really, really helpful with that. And then outside of my admin team, everyone's a cheerleader on your side of the court. Everyone wants you to succeed. And I think that's really been helpful in building my confidence as a first-year teacher. 

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah, and that's really what we want for all of our first-year teachers to be able to have the supports they need to be successful in the classroom. And another little-known fact, you are also an OCPS grad, are you not? 

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: Yes, ma'am. Edgewater High School, go Eagles!

Dr. Vazquez: Alright. And you graduated from Winter Park High School?

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yes. Winter High School. 

Dr. Vazquez: Yes. Winter High School. I just think that it's just phenomenal that you chose education, that you are, you know, coming back and giving back to the students. I just love that. Okay. So, have either of you had a student who had that aha moment where the light bulb went on, and it just clicked for them that you'd like to share that experience? 

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: Yeah, I'd love to hop in. This past year, I have really been trying to teach my students to connect with the music. One of the beautiful things about singing in choir music is that there are words, there's text to connect to. And sometimes when you're maybe a little bit of a grumpy middle schooler because it's early in the morning, it's hard to connect emotionally with things. But for our spring concert, which we've been preparing for, I introduced a new song called La Llorona. And it, and it's a folk song from Mexican culture. But I really had a surface-level understanding of that music. And about 20 minutes into starting to teach it for the first time, I had a sixth grader, a little quiet sixth grader, raise her hand. And she said, Mr., do you know what the song's really about? And I kind of read her what I knew, and she said, well, that's not quite it. And I was able to give her the space. She stepped up on the podium and told the folk tale to the whole class, and she had every eyeball on her and helped students connect to that music in a way I never would be able to.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. That must have been very special. 

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Dr. Vazquez: Great. Okay. So, if you could go back to your first week of school and reflect on that, is there anything that you would do differently or would tell yourself today that you would be reflecting on?

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yeah, if I could go back to that first week, I would definitely give myself a few pieces of advice. The first one is just to be flexible in my approach to teaching. I think in the very beginning I think I, I thought I needed to have everything perfectly planned, and I was sticking to one regimented teaching style. But I quickly realized that every student is different and every student responds differently to different teaching strategies and styles. Some love hands-on activities, some thrive with independence, and some require more structure. And so I think making that adjustment early on can make a big difference in your first year teaching. So I would definitely remind myself to stay flexible. And I would also tell myself to give myself some grace, because those first few weeks, and really those first few months, can feel really overwhelming. And I've now learned that that's a part of the process and very normal to feel that way as a first-year teacher. But I would definitely remind myself that finding that confidence as a teacher, it comes with time. And you're learning just as much as your students are in those first few stages of becoming a teacher.

Dr. Vazquez: Right. Yeah. 

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: For sure. Yeah.

Dr. Vazquez: So, Mr. Lumm, what advice would you give someone who's about to start their first year of teaching?

Ryan Lumm, Legacy MS Teacher: I think everyone goes into their first year teaching, knowing it's not going to be perfect. But still trying to want it to be that way anyway. And so the best piece of advice I could give is to not let perfection be the enemy of good. Things are going to change. Things aren't going to go the way you expect them to go. The best thing you can do is reset, take a breath, and change something for tomorrow. This is your student's first time in your classroom. They don't know what's coming tomorrow, maybe any more than you do. So, it's okay if something doesn't go right one day, reset, try it a different way the next day. And that's really what has made me feel successful this year, taking inspiration from unlikely places. I've been so blessed this year with a fantastic mentor teacher who's given me so many ideas for running things. But I also steal ideas from the math teacher and from our guidance counselors and from the deans, of what works. Because what works for you as a teacher is going to be very different for every group of students you have. Or heck, even the same students across different class periods. 

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. Right. Because every year it's a new group of students, and it's not like starting all over again, but you, you do have to figure out what's going to work, and maybe what you did last year isn't going to work this year. So, before we close out, as you think, you know, closing out your first year, what are you looking forward to for next year?

Olivia Stroz, Brookshire ES Teacher: Yeah, I think I'm, I'm most looking forward to just growing in my own comfort level of being a teacher and growing in my confidence. I know I mentioned it earlier, but you really are learning as much as your students are. And so, each year, I'm just looking forward to growing more and learning more as I continue to be a teacher. 

Dr. Vazquez: That’s fabulous. Yeah. Well, my hope for both of you is that the spirit, that fire that I can see in your eyes, that love of what you're doing, continues to grow and that you continue to have an incredible impact on our students. Thank you so much for being here. Great conversation. And thank you all for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We'll have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great week.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.