A 43-year career teacher says, ‘Embrace the change’
As Tammy Stephens closes out the final months of her 43-year career as a teacher, she is filled with gratitude.
“This has been the greatest job,” she said.
Stephens is also passing down advice that she wishes she had received when she began teaching.
“Embrace the change,” she said.
Stephens, an English teacher at Bear Lake High School in Montpelier, Idaho, has obviously seen a lot of changes throughout her career. Whether it’s adopting a new learning management system or shifting priorities, Stephens has kept her glass half-full outlook because she knows what will never change.
“The role of the teacher will always be so meaningful,” Stephens said. “If you’re able to go into it, go into it with your whole heart. I firmly believe that it’s an extremely important profession. It can be a whole lot of fun, and it is a lot of work. But looking back, I can’t imagine having done anything else with my life."
‘Embrace the change’
Stephens said she learned to look forward to the changes in education because it kept her on her toes and made her a stronger teacher.
“One of the things I’ve loved about my job is that it’s not the same any two days in a row,” she said. “Maybe that’s why the changes never bothered me as much. Every five or so years, something new would come along and I really believe it made me a better teacher.”
Bear Lake principal Luke Kelsey said his school and educators are better today because of Stephens’ influence and passion for teaching.
“Tammy’s main focus is on others, whether it be a student or a teacher she is mentoring,” Kelsey said. “It’s always about others and helping them be successful. She is someone you definitely want on your side.”
‘More than academics’
Stephens also sees a lot of change in her own teaching style as she reflects on how she approached the job in her younger years. She wasn’t as open with her students about her own life and didn’t put as much emphasis on learning about her students’ lives. But as she grew as an educator, Stephens realized the importance of establishing authentic relationships with her students and how that helped them achieve success inside and outside of the classroom.
“I’ve always been a big one about academics, but education is about so much more than academics alone,” Stephens said. “If a student needs a little less academics one day and more of something else, I’m able to know that because I know that student so well. As teachers, we need to see each student for everything that makes them who they are.”
"Education is about so much more than academics alone."
Over the course of a school year, Stephens makes it a goal to support each student by attending as many extracurricular activities as possible. By watching a student excel on an athletic field or star on stage in the school’s musical, Stephens is able to see a broader picture of their life.
“I really feel like what we do in the classroom is vitally important to their future,” Stephens said. “No matter what their future is. It’s so important for our students to figure out what they want to do and be able to take those lifelong skills with them away from high school.”
Living proof
Stephens said making meaningful connections with her students has been the constant throughline during each era of her career. Her favorite—and most emotional—part of each school year is watching the seniors accept their high school diplomas at graduation and enter the real world with optimism.
Stephens then receives proof of her impact on their lives when former students check in to offer updates on their careers and families. Some of those former students even became teachers, including a few who have worked alongside Stephens at Bear Lake High School.
“I always cry at graduation because I’m just so proud of them,” Stephens said. “Especially when I see those who struggled and overcame those struggles and they made it. They have those big grins on their faces at graduation and give us big hugs.
“Each year, I tell them, ‘You did it! This is awesome. Now go live your lives.’”
