So, I must admit I wasn't the hugest Transformers fan as a kid. I was more inclined to watch He-Man and She-Ra or Thundercats. Interestingly, though, I started teaching "for real" when the newest franchise of Transformer flicks bombarded the big screen a few years back. It was almost a given that at any particular moment someone in one of my classes would ask, "Hey, Ms. Primus, do you mind if we call you Optimus Prime?" Not really wanting to be aligned with a cartoon character, I initially brushed off the association and told my students back then, "No, it's okay, you can call me Ms. Primus or Ms. P" and didn't think much of it. Every once in while, though, either while subbing or during an off moment (like a school football game) the Optimus Prime thing would come up randomly.
It wasn't until I started teaching at The School that I really forced myself to think about this cat named Optimus Prime. Of course there's the obvious connection because of my last name, but maybe there could be more to it...who knew. That year, as before, several students asked the same question, "Can we call you Optimus Prime" and this time instead of brushing it off as a joke, I said maybe. Being my quirky self, I actually went to the Hasbro website and did some research on this character...lame, I know. But, he was particularly intriguing, especially given my vocation. He's a Prime...from a long lineage of Primes, sworn to protect and lead by example...a little serendipitous considering my perspective on education.
In a recent graduate class, I mentioned to my peers that I became a teacher to be a non-conformist. Most people don't believe me when I say that I tried to avoid this "job" as much as could given covert grooming (thanks Mom!) and personality tendencies that I have. It wasn't that I thought teaching was a sub-par career choice...far from it! Growing up and as I entered adulthood, I believed that teaching needed to be a "calling." As cliche as it sounds, I didn't want to "mess kids up" or take on the magnitude of social and intellectual burdens that I'd observed so many of my teachers carry. From the excellent to the inept (and I have had a few), the educators in my life have always been an inspiration. I didn't know, especially because of peer pressure in college to do something more financially lucrative, if I wanted the responsibility to inspire...I didn't know if I'd have "it."
After trying my hand at other industries, I had to reflect on what mattered to me...
I thought back to the days when I "played school" with my siblings and cousins. I thought about tutoring and being a camp counselor; I reflected on Parents' Nights as a high school Ambassador and days of RA training. These moments, interacting with others, learning together, experiencing "stuff," were what mattered most. The elusive "it" didn't seem to matter much anymore. I enjoyed learning...especially learning with other people. It was an experience that I wanted to replicate.
And so, why the AllSpark? Why the penname? I guess I believe that my students have the ability to transform the ordinary. I take my role as an educator seriously...humility won't allow "leader" to enter my frame of reference, but I see myself as a facilitator.
For the longest time I've had the following quote as part of my email signature:
"The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power." ~Toni Morrison
As a teacher, this "power," this spark that I believe is inherent to my students is worth protecting...I'm not as sagacious as Optimus Prime and I don't have the ability to become a MackTruck. But as we learn together (chessy, I know), and confront important questions, we can hopefully dismantle the Decepticons around us.
Signing off...
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