#HistoryInTheMaking: Tiffany Thomas
Tiffany Thomas joined East Harlem Scholars Academy Elementary School as a fourth grade teacher before becoming dean of instruction, then assistant principal. Scholars Academies is now “a second home,” a phrase that holds weight coming from someone who keeps close ties to her city (she was Bronx born and raised), her friends and family, her four children and her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband.
She’s found fun during COVID with weekly pizza nights, online workouts with colleagues, 90s hip hop and R&B, and even a virtual escape room, but is serious about engaging scholars and families during the pandemic. Here’s more from this passionate educator:
What inspired you to become an educator?
I come from a family of educators—including my mom, who was a special education teacher for over 30 years. Growing up I saw their passion for working with and supporting children, and I’ve always wanted the same. There’s just a certain joy that comes from working with young people. When you realize a student understands a concept and you see the gleam in their eye, you remember that one moment forever, and it makes you feel so inspired, overjoyed, and proud.
These days, I’m also inspired by the work we’ve been doing around anti-racist teaching. It has pushed my drive and forced me to reflect and learn. I want to make sure I’m able to support teachers as they do the same.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your work during COVID?
I think one of the most challenging pieces was not having a great deal of information to reference when we first transitioned to virtual learning. Typically when I want to inform my work, there is an article or book I can read, a video to watch, a training to attend, something that will offer support. We’re all in this learning experience together, so there’s no one resource that says, “this is how you do it.”
Additionally, we need to consider how students access learning, particularly those who are fully digital. I’ve coordinated and led family council workshops to explain the various learning platforms we use, and provided resource guides that show how to access them step-by-step. Now more than ever, it's really about thinking outside of the box and being flexible, creative, and open to hearing student, family, and teacher input. If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s that our school community has become even more responsive, close, and loving.
Authentic learning is important to you. Could you tell us more about that?
It relates to my own experiences growing up. I learned content but I didn’t feel connected to what I was learning. It was based off of textbooks, prescribed, and scripted. From second grade up until 12th grade I attended parochial school. I did not see myself represented in the staff or the curriculum. I didn’t see myself represented in the characters of the books I read. I learned the skill of identifying the main idea, analyzing a character, but as a young Black girl I did not relate to the experiences of the characters in books—what the character’s hair looked like, or skin color, or where they would go for vacation. Those were not my experiences growing up in the Bronx as a young girl.
I learned the content—and did a lot of code switching in school. While there are specific lessons and skills students learn, they also need to feel proud of what they’re learning, see themselves in the content, and connect to their identities and cultures. I will always remember my sixth grade English Language Arts teacher, Ms. Kortright. I was very excited to be in her class because she was a Black woman, and prior to sixth grade I did not have a teacher of color. When I think of what it means to be an abolitionist educator, I think of Ms. Kortright. She challenged me to think critically, be creative, and to not be afraid to advocate for my needs as a learner.
Students aren’t the only ones who feel the pressure to code-switch.
One of the things that I value at East Harlem Scholars Academies is that I feel comfortable here as a Black woman. I can wear my hair in my braids. I can wear my headwrap. I can wear the shirts that celebrate who I am. Just feeling like I can be my authentic self is something to really celebrate, because many workplaces, especially educational institutions, don’t allow that freedom.
Talk to us about Black History Month.
It’s a time to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements, both past and present, of people of the African diaspora. Although February has been designated as Black History Month, we cannot isolate learning about Black history in one month. Black history needs to be a part of our learning and continually celebrated!