Teachers certainly do some great things in the classroom. But what about after school activities? Often overlooked are the “little extras” teachers do that really make a difference in the lives of children. I’m proud to share one of those stories with you today.
Sometimes I see a picture, or a Facebook post, and I just have to find out more about it. Adam Conner shared photos of his friend, Mandy Love, who teaches 2nd grade at East Side Elementary School, just off Main Street in Chattanooga. East Side is a “free and reduced lunch” school, meaning almost all its students are from low-income homes. The photos you’ll see here are from a recent weeknight outing, in which Mandy, and other local teachers, take their five most improved students out to the game as an end-of-school reward. The Lookouts provide the seats and the hot dogs, and the teachers provide the transportation.
On the field before the Lookouts game
Mandy does this each year, and she loves every minute of it. She’s one of those teachers who takes a special interest in her students. She has taken them trick-or-treating on Halloween, and has made sure Santa Claus pays them a visit at Christmas time.
East Side is heavily Latino these days. In fact, 15 of Mandy’s 19 second graders are Hispanic. “They’re almost always from large families,” she said, “and they’ve never seen much of anything outside the school, their home, and trips to the grocery store.” Even though they live minutes from Chattanooga’s beautiful attractions, many haven’t been exposed to the riverfront. For each of these five 2nd graders, they had never been inside a baseball stadium. Until now. (Their names appear under the photo at the end of this story.)
East Side students as the National Anthem is played
“They’re familiar with the National Anthem,” Mandy said. “Our principal Stephanie Hinton makes sure we say the Pledge of Allegiance each day, and once a week we play the National Anthem, so they know about putting their hand over their heart.”
Entering AT&T Field was “a sensory overload,” according to Mandy. “The sights, the smells, the manicured field, the colorful signs, the hot dogs. They took it all in.” When a foul ball landed near them in the stands, they were surprised to learn that the person who retrieved the ball didn’t have to throw it back!
The night at the Lookouts game was just part of their activities. “I wanted to really reward them,” Mandy said. “This isn’t just for academics, these are children who have learned about manners, how to be polite, and how to be compassionate. They really aim to please.”
East Side students on the Walnut Street Bridge
The evening began with a stroll across the Walnut Street Bridge, and a visit to the nearby Ice Cream Show. She said, “When people see this white woman with five Latino kids, they look us over for a few seconds, and then they usually realize that I’m their teacher. They almost always smile and tell me how well-behaved the children are. I feel like the mother hen, I’m comfortable taking them anywhere.”
Mandy has taught at East Side for ten years, a period in which Latino students have increasingly become the majority. She said, “A few of the little ones come to us still learning English, but it doesn’t take them long. Many of my 2nd graders know two languages, sometimes three. Some of them translate for their parents, who haven’t lived here very long and are still struggling to grasp English.”
“Many of my students who are the oldest child in the family are very nurturing,” she continued. “When we have some extra pieces of fruit in the classroom, they will politely ask me if they can take one home. They don’t say it, but I know they’re taking it to their little brother or sister. It’s very sweet.”
Clockwise from lower left: Christian Perez Lucas, Charly Morales Perez, Andrea Perez Morales, Anyeli Fuentes Mendez, Jason Braulio Lopez, and teacher Mandy Love.
Mandy graduated from Ringgold High School, then UTC, and admits some of her teacher friends ask her why she stays at a lower-income school. She says she drives past several more affluent schools on her way to work each day.
“I could ask to transfer just about anywhere,” she said. “But the reason I stay at East Side is to be with these kids. They’ve seen a lot in their young lives, and they need stability. I know I’m their teacher, but I’m learning so much from them too. Sometimes I’ll see a child fall down, and one of my little 7-year-olds will rush over, put her arm around the child, and make sure she’s okay. That’s a good, good feeling.”
Mandy doesn’t have any children of her own, and admits that may give her more “personal” time to spend with her school family. “We may look a little different when we’re out on the town,” she said. “But as far as we’re concerned, there’s no color. We’re just one big happy family.”
