Godfrey-Lee — Lee Middle School teacher Janene Parney is passionate about two things: science and her eighth-grade students.
“Each human that steps through that door is unique and amazing and frustrating sometimes and I am lucky to have them,” she said. “They have taught me more than I have ever taught them.”
She began her career earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, with minors in chemistry and physical education from Grand Valley State University, and working as a chemist in a lab.
“I did not enjoy being stuck in a lab all day; it wasn’t for me,” Parney said. “When I thought about how I would feel at the end of my career, I wanted to feel like I just finished a marathon, proud and exhausted from doing something worthwhile.”
She combined her love of science with education and became the first person in her family to earn a college degree, as well as a master’s degree in science education from Western Michigan University.
After more than 20 years teaching, Parney has learned a lot about her profession and herself as a person. She spoke with SNN about what has kept her passionate for her job and what middle-schoolers have taught her along the way.
What is your biggest motivator that keeps you excited about teaching? “These guys, my students. I absolutely love teaching eighth grade. They’re funny, a little chatty — a lot chatty — and there’s no fireworks. We have a pretty good mutual trust and they know I’m out to help them. (Teaching) is not about me. If at any point you’re showing up for a paycheck, you’re in the wrong profession.”
What are some of the biggest challenges of being a teacher and how do you strive to meet them? “Feeling like you have to achieve everything without anything. Feeling like you can never do it all when your students deserve more — that’s the frustrating part. Our classrooms are packed full with not enough space and I need more of me to meet everyone’s needs on different levels.”
What’s the most amazing or interesting thing about your students? “Eighth-graders are still quirky and that keeps me on my toes. I still think their fart jokes are funny and they keep me young. There is also a maturity to them now and we can have more serious conversations. They have made me a better human in every corner of who I am.”
What has being an educator taught you? “I had to learn to work on my patience and to not jump to conclusions. As adults and teachers, you forget what it’s like to be a kid. They don’t mean harm; they’re having a bad day or are misunderstood. If you just take a breath, you can better rectify the situation. You begin to understand more about what is and what’s not important … They’re trying to figure out who they are as people, in their community and their family; they want to be heard and seen.”
Why have you continued teaching in one district for so many years? “When you find your people, you just click and you’re friends for life. I click with the kids and their families; it’s the same feeling when you’re home.”
What would you say to someone considering teaching as a profession? “You don’t go into this profession expecting easy roads. You don’t go into it for the money or the sanity, but if you want to go into something that has profound meaning and impact on who you are as a human, then teaching is for you. If you’re ready to be mentally flexible to grow and learn, you’ll make it.”
Parney added: “Be a safe person for your students. Be happy and a place that is safe for them to mess up and learn from their mistakes. They’re at such an impressionable age, learning natural consequences, and I’m not going to follow them around forever to catch them.”
Read more from Godfrey-Lee:
• Task forces focus on creative ways to encourage attendance
• High school students lead lessons for middle-school peers
