Episode 35: Mother’s Day Episode with Linda Fleishman

Transcript:

(transcribed by kayla.r.fainer@gmail.com)

Melissa Milner  00:09

Hi, this is Melissa Milner. Welcome to The Teacher As... podcast. The goal of this weekly podcast is to help you explore your passions and learn from others in education and beyond to better your teaching. The Teacher As... podcast will highlight innovative practices and uncommon parallels in education. 

Alright, so in honor of Mother's Day, I'm very happy to share my amazing mother with The Teacher As... listeners. Welcome, Linda Fleishman, AKA Mom.

Linda Fleishman  00:41

Thank you very much. I'm very honored to be part of this podcast.

Melissa Milner  00:46

What do you want The Teacher As... listeners to know about you?

Linda Fleishman  00:50

First of all, I actually went to college for music ed. I was originally going to be a music teacher. And I was certified K-12. And I taught for several years. I'll go into that later, because you'll probably have questions about it. But after I taught for several years, I stopped, and had a family, and then had two children, one being Miss Melissa Milner and my son, Bill Fleishman. 

And then I went back to teaching and I subbed for a while, and there were no teaching jobs. In Massachusetts, we had Proposition 2 1/2 in the early 80s. So I did a career change. And I went and worked in an office and eventually was promoted to an HR person. And as of today-- I actually retired in 2008 from HR. But I'm still working part time doing HR and payroll.

Melissa Milner  01:57

Can you mention your age that you're still working?

Linda Fleishman  02:01

I will be 80 years old in July. 

Melissa Milner  02:04

It's ridiculous, Mom. 

Linda Fleishman  02:08

In my defense, I am working from home very part time, so I don't have to commute. And I was doing that even before COVID. I was able to work from my house. 

Melissa Milner  02:20

Right, that's true. And money is money. It helps, right?

Linda Fleishman  02:23

Right. That's right.

Melissa Milner  02:25

So Mom, why did you go into teaching?

Linda Fleishman  02:28

Originally, I was a singer. I was gifted with a special voice. And I did a lot of singing in choirs and soloing in high school, and decided to do something that was connected with that when I applied for college. And I definitely did not want to go into professional singing. It just wasn't me. I wasn't that competitive, cut throat type person. 

So I found a state school that was offering a music ed curriculum. And that was Lowell State College at the time. It is now called UMass Lowell. And I went there for four years with a music ed degree. And just to keep in my back pocket, I took a summer course that also certified me in K-6 classroom teaching. 

I should also mention that I met my husband of almost 60 years at Lowell State College. So we had a great match, because he is a piano player and I was a singer. So we used to do a lot of performing where he would play with me, but I know I'm getting a little off track. So I went into music ed. 

After I graduated, my first job was a music teacher in Ashburnham. And I had my own music room, which was very nice. Because a lot of times if there are any music teachers out there, they know that sometimes they have to go from room to room in order to teach music. But I had my own music room, and the kids came to me, and I liked it. 

But I listened to another podcast of yours and a person by the name of Jan had the exact same reason that I had for switching from music to classroom. I just felt-- I just taught there for one year, and I felt I wanted to know the kids better. I want to really get to know them and have a connection with them. Because they were filing in and out of my room every day. And I enjoyed it. 

I had a good time singing and playing the instruments with them and everything, but it wasn't the same. So I was fortunate enough to get a third grade position in the next town. And I taught there for a few years. I taught third grade, and then I taught fourth grade. And it was a self contained classroom. And I loved that. 

I remember saying to my mother, I can't believe they're paying me to do this. I liked it so much. I really enjoyed it a lot.

Melissa Milner  05:29

So, Mom. 

Linda Fleishman  05:30

Yes.

Melissa Milner  05:31

When you switched, did you keep that passion for music alive? Did you sing songs with the kids? Did you do music even though you were a classroom teacher?

Linda Fleishman  05:43

Absolutely. We did have a music specialist that came around once a week to do music with them. But every morning, we sang a patriotic song before we started our day. We had five different patriotic songs that we sang, America The Beautiful, The Star Spangled Banner, and whatever the other ones. God Bless America, I think, was another one. 

But every day, Monday through Friday, we sang a different patriotic song. And the kids, of course, enjoyed that, and they sang along with me. I did that. And then I also played music for them a lot, maybe when they were reading or doing some art or something like that. I always had music in the background.

Melissa Milner  06:30

Very cool. That's a nice little way of having your passion go into your teaching. Because that's something that we talk about on The Teacher As... So you're now working in an elementary classroom, third grade, and then you said-- did you say fourth?

Linda Fleishman  06:47

Yes.

Melissa Milner  06:48

What do you feel you were really good at, and what challenged you?

Linda Fleishman  06:54

I think I was really good at trying to individualize the program, even though we're talking middle 60s and we had a basal reader for reading. The children did not go off and read on their own. There was no what you call now, I guess, guided reading. We had a basal reader. And so we had little groups, the squirrels, the penguins, whatever they were. 

But the kids knew who were the smart ones and who were the slow ones. But I like reading, and I did read aloud to them, which they loved. But I would say what I was good at was trying to individualize or, at least in small groups, help the kids from where they were to improve to be better. I also loved math. I've always loved math. 

So we did a lot with math, as well, new math. And we called it the new math. But I did a lot with math. What I wasn't good at was controlling actually one boy that was very disruptive. And I ended-- I was able to control him, but it was a distraction to me in the classroom when he was in class. And it was a distraction, because I couldn't concentrate on what I really wanted to focus on doing.

Melissa Milner  08:35

In your summer course to become an elementary education teacher on top of the music teaching, did you feel that that was covered at all, how to work with students that maybe have challenging behaviors? 

Linda Fleishman  08:49

Very little. I mean, let's face it. It was six weeks in the summer. So I would say very little. It was amazing that I was able to get my certification, which is-- nowadays, you need a Master's degree and all other kinds of things in order to be certified to teach certain subjects. But in those days, they just needed teachers. So they were able to offer that. 

And I always say my first year of teaching, the kids were the guinea pigs. But then you learn right along with them on what works best and what doesn't.

Melissa Milner  09:24

So Mom, what was your proudest moment in teaching or one of your proudest moments?

Linda Fleishman  09:30

I taught third grade for a couple of years. And then towards the end of the second year, the superintendent came to me and wanted to meet with me. And I had no idea what he needed. And so I met with him. 

And he asked me if I would go to the fourth grade with the same class that I had taught in third grade. And he said because there were some discipline problems in that grade and I can't seem to handle them well, and the kids loved me, and could I possibly do that? And I said, absolutely. I love those kids. But I felt very proud that he had the confidence in me that I could handle doing that.

Melissa Milner  10:18

At some point, you and Dad decide to have a family, and you decide to stay home with us. Were you sad that you were going to take time off from teaching?

Linda Fleishman  10:30

I was not. We waited quite a while. Nowadays, it's not that long. But we didn't have children until we were married for seven years. So I was very ready to take on the role of Mom. And I felt that that was the most important job I would ever have. And it was. And I'm glad I did it, because both of my kids turned out fabulously.

Melissa Milner  10:59

Happy Mother's Day!

Linda Fleishman  11:03

Thank you. But I was never upset that I was leaving teaching or anything like that. At the time, I assumed that when I was ready, I'd be able to get back in. So I didn't take a maternity leave or anything. I didn't go back to work besides substituting. I didn't go back to work full time until the kids were in third grade and fourth grade. 

They were only 18 months apart. So they were one year apart in school. So when they were in third and fourth grade, that's when I decided to go back to work full time. And the teaching jobs were very scarce.

Melissa Milner  11:39

So when you went back in, was it already different from when you had been teaching? Had a lot changed already when you went back to subbing and everything?

Linda Fleishman  11:48

I didn't observe that much of a change. I subbed in the classroom, but I did a lot more subbing in music. Because it was hard for them to find music subs. So I did a lot of subbing in music, which I, of course, enjoyed because I love music. 

But at one point, I did a long term sub position. I think it was in second grade. And it was just about the same. Maybe the math changed a little bit. But the reading, they were still using the basal readers. It wasn't that long of a period of time that that much changed. 

There were no computers, nothing technically different, because it wasn't invented yet. So there was still the blackboard. There were still flashcards and things that I used when I was originally teaching.

Melissa Milner  12:45

So you're doing the subbing. You're trying to get a teaching job. There are no teaching jobs. Why did you, instead of just continuing to sub until the teaching jobs came back, why did you decide to switch to doing something else?

Linda Fleishman  13:02

It was partly financial. I wanted a full time job, in addition to having the benefits that go along with a full time job, which is your paid sick days, your health insurance, all these things that go along with working full time. And I was able to get into an office at the time. 

My first job in an office was as a finance secretary. And I interviewed with a man, and I said to-- and that time, the only thing we had was a typewriter and a calculator. There was no computer. But I said to him, I've never worked in an office before. And he said, I just want someone that has a head on their shoulders that will be able to learn. 

And that's what I did in that first job. I I enjoyed it, because it was working with numbers. And I like working with numbers.

Melissa Milner  14:06

So you are working with numbers, which was obviously a skill you used when you were teaching as well. 

Linda Fleishman  14:12

Right. 

Melissa Milner  14:13

As you go into the business world or whatever you want to call it and eventually into human resources, what skills and what talents from teaching did you bring into this new career?

Linda Fleishman  14:29

I would say, of course, people skills. I ended up asking them to consider me-- it was a large company. It was actually the corporate offices of Stop and Shop, which I think some people in Massachusetts might have heard of. So I asked if there was an opening in human resources, I'd be interested. 

So I eventually got into human resources. And in that position, of course, it was a lot of human interaction. It was a lot of counseling people who were having problems, interviewing people who wanted a job. There was also a lot of a performance kind of component to it. Because I had to stand up in front of a group of people, sometimes a large group of people, and explain maybe a new benefit, or the 401K plan, things like that. 

And I know that there are a lot of people, a lot of adults that would be petrified to get up in front of a group. But because I was a singer and in music and also teaching, I was used to that. And so I think that skill became very valuable to me.

Melissa Milner  15:45

That is fascinating, because I never think-- I mean, yes, you needed to know how to teach something new to those people. But just the fact of being comfortable doing that. 

Linda Fleishman  15:55

Right. There have been lists of some of the scariest things that adults have. And that's one of the things. And I can do it. I'm totally comfortable with it, as you said.

Melissa Milner  16:10

That's awesome. So let's go back for a minute to when you started raising kids. How did you fill your day? Mom is a full time job. Did you still read a lot? Or did you keep up on educational things while you were home, raising us? 

Linda Fleishman  16:30

There was no problem filling my day. I had two kids in diapers for a few years. And my grandmother, talk about Mother's Day, my grandmother used to say to me, Linda, when they lie down to take a nap, you lie down and rest. You need to revitalize yourself so that when they wake up, you'll be ready for them. 

So I tried to do that, even though there was laundry. There was all kinds of things in the house to do. But as far as reading, very, very little. I read to them every single night.

Melissa Milner  17:10

Yes. And we went to the library a lot.

Linda Fleishman  17:13

Yes. And so I read to them every single night. My own private reading since I retired has been phenomenal. I love doing that. But also just get out of the house, I decided to take a course at one of the local state colleges. And I took a course, and so my husband had to babysit one night a week when I was taking the course. 

And I got out of the house, and I got to speak to people maybe a little younger than I was. But it was social interaction. It was great. I'm trying to think of what the course was. It was something to do with reading, but I can't remember exactly what it was.

Melissa Milner  17:56

I have a very clear memory. Okay, there's two things. One, I remember you taking a piece of paper and basically writing out a worksheet for us. So you'd put some math problems. You'd put a word problem. You would give us-- like we'd have school. 

Linda Fleishman  18:12

Really? 

Melissa Milner  18:13

Yeah, you don't remember that? 

Linda Fleishman  18:14

No. 

Melissa Milner  18:15

Oh, I loved it. I loved it. And then the other thing is the entire kitchen in Stoughton, our home in Stoughton, the entire kitchen wall was covered with our artwork. And it was very much like a classroom with a bulletin board.

Linda Fleishman  18:32

Right, right. I do remember that. There was a toy box there, too.

Melissa Milner  18:36

Yes. You are a great mom. And I think the teaching helped you be a great mom. I really do. And you always sang to us, too.

Linda Fleishman  18:48

Yes, of course. Yes. I wanted my children to be musical, because their mother and father was musical. So yes, I sang to them. And I moved them to the music even when they were three, four months old.

Melissa Milner  19:04

So now you're retired. What are you zooming in on?

[ZOOMING IN SOUNDBITE] 

Linda Fleishman  19:11

I'm zooming in on counting my blessings, and I do that a lot. And my husband, as I said, we're married almost 60 years. Both of my kids. And also the time that I have to do what I want to do. As I mentioned before, I love reading. I knit. I'm in a book club. When COVID isn't around, I like playing mahjong. So that's a blessing, too. I'm thankful for everything I have. But I've always been a very positive person.

Melissa Milner  19:49

Yes. And you have a nice group of friends. Yeah, it's great. Do you have any advice-- as we're winding down here. And then I'll ask you the last question. But do you have any advice to the educators that are listening?

Linda Fleishman  20:06

I would say, and even if you don't have children, when I became a mother, it seemed like I had a lot more empathy for each kid. Maybe I had it before. But I think I have more of it, because I knew what it would mean to my own kids. So it probably comes naturally to most of you. 

But I would say, zoom in and be aware of what's happening with the kids in your classroom. And try and get those clues from what's going on with them. They might not even say anything to you. But you might be able to tell by the way they're acting that particular day. 

And maybe you can take them aside and see what's going on. I used to do that even before I had my own kids. But it just became more prominent after I had my own kids.

Melissa Milner  21:08

That makes sense, yeah. And also to add to that, just parent communication. Because sometimes you're like, wow, wow. He is really different today. And then you talk to the parent. And the parent's like, well, that's because bah, bah, bah, bah, bah.

Linda Fleishman  21:22

Exactly. 

Melissa Milner  21:23

The parent might not think to reach out to you. But then when you have that phone call, you realize, oh, it's affecting him at school. 

Linda Fleishman  21:29

Yes, that happened. That definitely happened quite a few times when I would speak to a parent. Even things like the kid isn't seeing the board. Have their eyesight checked kind of thing that the parent might have not noticed it. 

So that's a very simple example of what a teacher can observe. And that's why it's so important now that most teachers and students are back in school physically. There's nothing that can replace that.

Melissa Milner  22:05

Right. When you came in to visit - you've done it a few times before the pandemic - what was the biggest difference you noticed from when you were teaching to when you came into my classroom?

Linda Fleishman  22:17

The biggest difference was that the kids were really on their own and knew what to do without any direction. I'm sure in the beginning of the year, there was all kinds of direction, but they knew what to do. They knew what was expected of them. They knew when it was time to come and speak to the teacher and when they could do something on their own. 

And also the physical setup of the classroom. We had bolted down desks in rows.

Melissa Milner  22:49

Shut up! Bolted?

Linda Fleishman  22:52

Bolted down desks. We couldn't move them even if we wanted to. Yes, the physical aspect of the room. And of course, the other huge thing is the technology. 

Melissa Milner  23:04

Absolutely. Yes, outrageous. All right. So what is your favorite movie, and why?

Linda Fleishman  23:13

My favorite movie is Jurassic Park. 

Melissa Milner  23:15

Ah, why? 

Linda Fleishman  23:17

The very first Jurassic Park. That first scene when they came into their open area, and the dinosaurs slowly walking in, and how big they were, and how-- it was just an amazing scene for me. And I just loved that movie. And I'm usually not a sci-fi person.

Melissa Milner  23:44

Or horror. Some of it was scary. That's usually not your thing. 

Linda Fleishman  23:48

Well, it was, to me, beautiful. I didn't think it was scary at all. But maybe if I was there, I would be scared. And again, the music, of course, put you in the mood of how awesome it was.

Melissa Milner  24:00

Yeah, it is. It would be incredible if that really could happen. But then it would be sort of a slippery slope and dangerous, too. 

Linda Fleishman  24:10

Right, definitely. 

Melissa Milner  24:11

As the movie shows. Well, Mom, Happy Mother's Day.

Linda Fleishman  24:16

Thank you very much. 

Melissa Milner  24:18

And thank you for coming on. And I hope that this episode proves that whether it's in the 1960s or 2021, it really is back to connecting with the students and helping them individually, which was a great message that you gave.

Linda Fleishman  24:33

Yes, yes. Thank you. And I wish you luck and much success in the rest of your podcasts. I've been listening, of course, to every one, and I've enjoyed them all.

Melissa Milner  24:47

If you enjoyed this episode, and have not done so already, please hit the subscribe button for The Teacher As... podcast so you can get future episodes. I would love for you to leave a review and a rating, as well, if you have time. For my blog, transcripts of this episode and links to any resources mentioned, visit my website at www.theteacheras.com. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @melissabmilner. And I hope you check out The Teacher As... Facebook page for episode updates. 

I am sending a special thanks to Linda and Lester Fleishman, my mom and dad, for being so supportive. They are the voices you hear in the Zooming In soundbite. And my dad composed and performed the background music you are listening to right now. My intro music was "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes. 

So what are you zooming in on? I would love to hear from you. My hope is that we all share what we are doing in the classroom in order to teach, remind, affirm and inspire each other. Thanks for listening. And that's a wrap!