Interview with T. J. Saddler

 

  Choosing a path of authenticity in one’s life sometimes requires a change of careers. It takes courage, tenacity and determination to change the course of one’s life to embark on a path that aligns with one’s purpose and goals.

  T.J. Saddler was working as a supervisor in a glass plant when he decided to become a dedicated science teacher. He is the author of Corning Incorporated to Education: A Tale of Two Careers as Planet Earth Turns.

   Julia: How did you take the leap? What inspired you to do so? How did it happen?

 T.J. Saddler: While working at Corning Incorporated, I was sidelined and placed on a list ensuring I would never work again, as a result of systemic racism. This painful experience ultimately led me to reevaluate my purpose. Around the same time, I learned that industrial managers were being encouraged to transition into teaching roles.

 While substituting in the science department at a local high school, a fellow teacher informed me of a summer teaching program in New Hampshire that could help me secure a teaching license. This encouragement, combined with my passion for education, solidified my decision to pursue a new career. I vividly recall a second-grader’s excitement when I substituted in his classroom, exclaiming joyfully that he had a male teacher for the day. This moment confirmed my calling to inspire the next generation, which I delve into my book.

 Julia: What is your book about? What is its purpose?

 T.J. Saddler: My book, Corning Incorporated to Education: A Tale of Two Careers as Planet Earth Turns, weaves together emotional anecdotes from two distinct careers. It begins with my experiences at Corning Incorporated, where I faced profound challenges, including an encounter with over forty KKK members who threatened my life. The story transitions into my courageous pivot to education, where I found purpose in teaching science to the next generation.

 The book’s purpose is to inspire readers to pursue their passions, embrace career transitions, and face adversity with faith, resilience, and determination. Through these personal stories, I hope to encourage others to find meaning in their own journeys.

Julia: What makes your book unique?

 T.J. Saddler: My book is unique because it offers a deeply personal perspective, starting from my upbringing at age two through my educational and professional journeys. It shares vivid stories from my time at a global Fortune 500 company and various educational settings, from kindergarten to post-graduate classrooms.

Additionally, the book explores broader themes such as labor rights, education, and the societal challenges of systemic racism. It blends these insights with engaging storytelling that read like a novel, making it accessible and relatable to a wide audience.

Julia: Did you have to deal with judgments from others in the process of making the change? What obstacles did you have to deal with?

 T.J. Saddler: Yes, I faced significant judgment and rejection when transitioning into teaching. Despite being a qualified industrial manager responding to calls for managers to enter classrooms, I was twice denied opportunities in the local school system. On my third attempt, I was offered a substitute teaching position, despite objections from some staff members.

These challenges only strengthened my resolve. My story reflects the resilience needed to overcome societal barriers, financial hurdles, and the doubts while staying true to my purpose.

 

Julia: What are the greatest challenges you face as a science teacher? What topics do you teach?

T.J. Saddler: One of my greatest challenges was completing the rigorous teacher certification program at Franklin Pierce University, which I finished in nine months. Classroom management also required innovation, as I developed techniques like comprehension maps to engage students and ensure understanding. These tools were later adopted by fellow teachers, and I was recognized with an award for my successful teaching methods.

 I taught general science, natural science, earth science, biology, chemistry, and honors chemistry. I found the greatest comfort in teaching chemistry and honors chemistry, as my passion for the subject was unmatched. I used diverse teaching methods, including field trips, hands-on experiments, and tailored lesson plans to accommodate short attention spans, ensuring an engaging learning environment for all my students.

Julia: What do you love the most about working as a science teacher?

T.J. Saddler: What I love most about teaching is seeing students experience “aha” moments-when they finally grasp a challenging concept or see the relevance of science in their everyday lives. Inspiring curiosity and critical thinking while fostering a love of discovery makes teaching deeply rewarding. My greatest joy comes from knowing I’m shaping the next generation to think analytically and contribute meaningfully to society.

Julia: Would you like to add anything else about the book?

T.J. Saddler: After facing adversity at the high school, which became a toxic place to continue teaching, I embarked on new teaching adventures. I transitioned to a private school, provided personalized support, and eventually rekindled my love for teaching at a local Job Corps Center. These diverse experiences allowed me to reimagine my teaching style and focus on student empowerment.

  My book reflects on my time at a global Fortune 500 company and these teaching adventures, offering a unique perspective on overcoming adversity, embracing change, and finding purpose. It’s a story of resilience and hope that I hope will inspire readers to persevere through their own challenges.

 

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Maria Montessori, the Italian physician who revolutionized education for young children

“To influence society we must turn our attention to childhood. Out of this truth comes the importance of nursery schools, for it is the little ones who are building our future.”

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was the first woman to become a physician in Italy, a journey that had not been free of hurdles and challenges. 

   Maria Montessori pursued a career in medicine against her father’s wishes.  At the medical school the authorities were   appalled at the idea of a young lady becoming a doctor.

  The other medical students shut her out of conversations and even made fun of her in the corridors. With much grace Maria replied to them: “Blow away, my friends; the harder you blow, the higher up I shall go.”
 Once she graduated from medical school she was invited to  Berlin to give a conference on why women should be given the same pay as men for doing the same work. At that time, women in factories and and on farms were paid considerably less than men. (Interestingly, equal pay continues to be an issue these days).

  In addition to being an outstanding physician, she became interested in the education of young children. As she had not been trained as a teacher, she did not have the fixed ideas that teachers were taught in those days.

 Inspired by the work of Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin, who refused to believe that mentally retarded kids could not be educated, she worked with kids that had disabilities. Instead of using the usual teaching methods, Dr. Montessori encouraged them to learn by exercising their senses of touch, sight, smell, and sound. She developed special materials to accomplish her goals.

  Thanks to her work, some kids with disabilities were able to reach the same standards and pass the same exams as those without disabilities.

The next step for her was to work with kids who did not have disabilities, so she tried her methods with children from the slums. These kids were poorly fed and miserable.

 Maria Montessori welcomed these children in The Casa dei Bambini (The Children’s House). Up until then education had been based on rigid principles. Kids had to memorize facts and repeat them like parrots. They were not supposed to ask questions. Children who did not learn this way were labeled as “lazy”.

 The opening of the first Children’s House in San Lorenzo, Italy, was the starting point of a revolution in education. In 1907, when Dr. Montessori was well known in Italy as a physician and a campaigner for women’s rights, she began to work intensely on education, and she would later spread her methods all over the world by giving conferences in different countries. She also wrote books on this subject. Her methods became popular.

In her private life, things did not go  well. She fell in love with Dr Giuseppe Montessano and she became pregnant. Single pregnant women were a shame (interestingly, women—not men— can still be fired for conceiving a baby out of wedlock these days). It is not clear why they never married, but she had to hide her son away. Her child had to be raised by some relatives that lived in the countryside. Her work would have been discredited if she had acknowledged him publicly. Making a living as a single mother would have been difficult.

   Maria Montessori channeled her frustration and pain into her work by devoting more of her energy to the study of children’s development and to their education.

 Maria Montessori was able to show the world that kids are motivated to learn. She observed children and studied their behaviors. One thing she learned was that although there were plenty of toys in The Children’s House, kids preferred to work with the sensory materials. 

            What she noted was that when kids were in an environment that was conducive to learning they would be motivated to learn. The sullen and crying children became happily involved in their learning experiences. There were also plants and pets to care for.

 Maria Montessori thought it was important to allow the children to decide what to do. Children had the opportunity to work at their own pace in a peaceful, non-competitive environment.
Working outdoors on purposeful activities was also encouraged.

                                                                          

 Maria Montessori believed that teachers should follow the      child. She believed that children taught the teachers, not the other way    around.
 The true Montessori philosophy  contemplates the emotional and social aspects of education. It fosters peace and understanding at every level.
 Dr. Montessori believed that each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a "blank slate" waiting to be written upon.
                                       
                                        
 During World War II Dr Montessori was forced to leave Italy due to her antifascist views.  Mussolini closed all Montessori schools. Maria lived in Spain for a couple of years, and then she moved to Holland. In 1947 she  undertook a lecture tour in  India, which lasted two years. There she developed her work Education for Peace.
  Dr. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times (1949, 1950 and 1951). 
 Peace education is about developing skills to resolve conflicts peacefully. It  provides opportunities and experiences for the children to learn to live in harmony with other people and the environment. 
 "Establishing lasting peace is the work of education."
Dr. Maria Montessori
 Regarding prizes and punishments she said, "The prize and the punishment are incentives toward unnatural or forced effort... the jockey offers a piece of sugar to his horse before jumping into the saddle. The coachman beats his horse that he may respond to the signs given by the reins. And yet, neither of these runs so superbly as the free horse of the plains."
All in all, Maria Montessori believed in the kids' motivation to learn and discover. She was convinced that kids have a world of their own, and that adults should not interfere. 
 Now, do kids still have that world of their own? Or do we violate it through the images and messages imparted by television screens?
 Do we respect kids' vulnerabilities these days? Something to think about.

 Maria Montessori liked to tell the story of a little girl who came to a Montessori school for the first time. The little girl asked the first child she met, "Is it true that in this school you're allowed to do what you like?"
 "I don't know about that," replied the child, "but I do know that we like what we do."


References

Maria Montessori. The Italian doctor who revolutionized education for young children. Michael Pollard

Maria Montessori. Her Life and Work. E.M. Standing

www.montessori.edu/maria.html