Creating a Supportive Space for Future Teachers

Marty Wilder and Seth Lake

Marty Wilder, MEd ’11 Curriculum and Teaching, was teaching high school when a student called upon LGBTQIA+ teachers to “come out of the closet” and be positive role models to their students. Marty, a trans man, saw this as a wakeup call, causing him to reevaluate his approach to his identity in the classroom.

“Coming into education for the first time, I thought the focus should be on the students; my story shouldn’t matter. I subscribed to the idea that the teacher is supposed to be a neutral influence, that we’re not supposed to push an agenda. But telling my story is just as important. You can be yourself and that’s not going to brainwash anybody. All the students are also vibrant, colorful beings and being inclusive is all about making a space where they can be themselves.”

Marty credits mentorship with his success both in the UOTeach program and in his teaching career. The mentorship he received from Julie Heffernan, PhD, the director of the master’s program, and from the affinity groups that supported marginalized students and staff, were pivotal in his time there. Because of that experience he now gives back to students in UOTeach as an affinity group mentor.

UOTeach student Seth Lake (class of 2022) is one of the students Marty is mentoring in the affinity groups. Seth said the affinity groups have been invaluable in building community with other students in their cohort and with alumni already teaching in the area.

“It’s important that all underserved groups build bridges and links with one another. It’s good to be able to share a meal with people and chat. It’s also good to have the advisors there because they have a lot of experience and perspectives that they’re able to share with us.”

Seth expressed appreciation for their pre-service teaching practicum and cooperating teacher.

“It’s been incredibly positive. I have a solid relationship with my cooperating teacher, everyone is supportive. It’s helped make the learning process easier. I learn theory at school and then go to the classroom and make a seamless connection between them.”

Meanwhile, Marty values his experiences as a cooperative teacher mentoring UOTeach students, particularly when he can mentor LGBTQIA+ teachers like himself.

“As a cooperating teacher, I mentored a pre-service teacher who was nonbinary. I saw how their use of the title Mx. mirrored the way Ms. was introduced when I was growing up. I saw how much struggle women went through to gain the right to say that they deserve respect in the workplace. Now, I see people come into the workplace and say they deserve respect regardless of their gender identity. I thought that was revolutionary. I wanted to support that and so I, too, adopted the title Mx.” 

It’s clear to both Marty and Seth that supportive groups such as UOTeach’s program are particularly important as teachers face the unique challenges of the pandemic.

They were candid about the difficulties they faced personally and professionally. Marty has taken a hiatus from teaching to focus on his family after his younger child’s daycare shut down.

“When the pandemic shut everything down, that shut down our daycare. At first, my wife and I worked it out so that one of us had all our classes in the morning and one of our classes in the afternoon so we could trade off childcare duties. However, it quickly became apparent that we needed somebody to be dedicated and focused on the kids, so we decided that I would go on hiatus.”

Marty is just as concerned about students who are facing social isolation during the pandemic.

“The first thing that hit me when they moved to remote instruction was there were all these students whose identities were embraced in their social network but lived in a home that was not ready to accept who they are. It has been difficult for them to break through that isolation.”

As Seth has been doing pre-service teaching at Kelly Middle School in Eugene, they believe students’ behavioral issues have arisen because of the pandemic.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth in the students at my school over the course of the year, but since our students were out of school for two years, it’s has been rough. I have noticed behavioral issues. Just today, three different students used hate speech and I had to have restorative dialogue with them about it.”

Seth wants to bring their experience as a pre-service teacher into a local school, becoming a social studies teacher in Eugene or Springfield. They said they hope to teach at Kelly Middle School, where they have been serving as a pre-service teacher.

“Kelly Middle School is focused on restorative justice and not punishment. That aligns with UOTeach values and my personal values. It’s been great to be able to learn about that in school and then be able to see it applied immediately.”

Locally, Seth has been working to strengthen and support the LGBTQIA+ community. They founded a nonprofit, Queer Eugene, to build a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks in the area, a space they eventually hope to grow into a physical center. The nonprofit has organized clothing swaps and other events and provides resources on their website.

Meanwhile, Marty has continued to serve as a mentor both at UO and in other support groups and has spoken on panels and at conferences. He is looking forward to speaking at a national conference about creating inclusive classrooms.

Marty is also glad to hear from students in the affinity programs that there has been a lot of progress since his time as a teacher.

“It’s exciting for me to get to work with the people that are doing that pre-service teaching. It’s a wonderful opportunity. I think every school building should provide space for staff to form affinity groups.”

“From a generational perspective, I have a longer view than the students. I’ve seen how much progress we’ve made. All the political waves go back and forth, but we have to make sure that it’s not a tsunami, that it doesn’t go too far. We have to continue to push closer to justice.”