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\u201cI thought that was absurd,\u201d Church said. \u201cI\u2019d never heard anything like it, but I looked into it, and she was right. I interviewed, got the job, and they walked me through it. I finished my master\u2019s program, got certified in teaching, and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church said, \u201cMy first year in the classroom was at Metro Nashville, where I taught middle school Spanish. I remember the excitement, and that feeling of this is where I\u2019m supposed to be. I never once doubted it after stepping into a classroom, even though I didn\u2019t have the traditional pathway to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church went from Metro Nashville to Oakland High School on her way home to Shelbyville Central High School, where she teaches Heritage Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I came to Bedford County, it was all the right things at the right time. It\u2019s been a blessing to know the staff and the community. I feel so much a part of Bedford County. I know it\u2019s where I\u2019m supposed to be,\u201d she said.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Church knows that home is a safe place where you feel supported and valued, and she combines that classroom foundation with her love of Hispanic culture. The resulting student relationships enable and encourage them to learn and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Church said, \u201cLearning to be a good teacher was not always in a classroom setting. It was hands-on and in-the-moment. To be a good teacher and support your kids, you must know where they come from, what they\u2019re going through, and their struggles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Church began teaching Spanish at SCHS, she recognized the students\u2019 varying degrees of mastery of Spanish and the impact on their learning. Some students speak Spanish fluently, while others have a basic knowledge of it and speak it less fluently due to having Spanish spoken regularly at home. \u201cThese people come from a culture that has given them that language but maybe not perfected it,\u201d Church explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Church wanted to enrich that base knowledge to improve their understanding of other courses. The school system added a Heritage Spanish class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you work on a kid\u2019s first language, research shows that it inadvertently helps their second language, so offering support in their first language of Spanish helps build their language skills in English.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, many Hispanic students minimize their Spanish language as they progress through their educational journey. \u201cThe class teaches the kids to be proud of their skills and language abilities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spanish club\u2019s growth reflects the need for additional outlets to express their culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about offering time for kids. If I can give them one evening, I know they\u2019re safe, taken care of, and happy. They\u2019re learning to some extent, but sometimes it\u2019s just knowing they have somewhere safe to go. A lot of our kids come from very hard situations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Investing in her students\u2019 futures because she cares for them also sets an example for her children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Church said, \u201cI do a lot of extracurricular activities. I\u2019ll be coaching cross country and assisting with soccer in the fall. For me, teaching is a full-time job. I have two daughters, and they ride along with me through everything. I\u2019m showing them what it means to love and truly serve others. My kids never complain and enjoy being around my students. It\u2019s been good for them to see that\u2019s what you should do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKids need to feel nurtured, loved, and cared for, and they need all those things before they can truly become good students. I want to make sure they\u2019re fed, clothed, feel loved, and a part of things, because once they know that, they feel comfortable in my classroom and comfortable in life in general. Then they can really show me who they are as students,\u201d Church said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These basic needs were once traditionally met at home, but today\u2019s students come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, and one can\u2019t assume they\u2019ve received them. Some leave at the end of the school day to take care of their younger siblings. Others go to work at jobs to help provide for their families. Students may not share these struggles with their teachers if they\u2019re not comfortable in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey know at the end of the day that I care about them. I want to see them be successful, and I would do anything for them. Whatever a kid needs, there\u2019s some resource we have through the school system that helps support it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Church is Bedford County\u2019s 9th-12th grade Teacher of the Year, an honor she quickly attributes to those surrounding her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is where I feel God absolutely intended me to be. I\u2019ve been watered, and I\u2019m planted where I need to be, so my success can only be attributed to the students and my colleagues at the school. It\u2019s very difficult these days being a teacher, but where I am, I have such a good support system and amazing students; I think that\u2019s how I\u2019ve been able to be the teacher I am.\u201d GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While walls define the space occupied by a class, the environment within empowers the learning inside. At Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS), teacher Tiffany Church makes sure her room\u2019s atmosphere feels like home, because home is where the heart is. Church proves it. Like many children, Church played teacher as a child, but as high […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DSC_0021-1024x683.jpg\")
Photographed by Ashleigh Newnes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DSC_9922-1024x683.jpg\")
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