Growing up, Meghan Gentry vowed she wouldn’t become a teacher after seeing how hard her mother worked, both as a teacher and principal.
Buy after spending two years in college working at the Urbana After School Program at Wiley Elementary, she changed her mind.
“I just loved working with the kids,” she said.
After teaching for three years in Tuscola, Gentry decided to get her master’s degree in social work. She interned at Centennial High School and served as a social worker there for the next eight years before moving on to the same role at Bottenfield Elementary for the last three years.
I find my work important because … students and their families need advocates and guidance for so many different things. Social work is about supporting people right where they are in life without judgment, and this is so important when the community is filled with people from all walks of life. Building positive relationships with students and families can really make a difference in their school experience.
I became a teacher because … kids are fun to work with! Young people are so honest and have so much to teach us as adults, as well.
My favorite or most unique lesson that I teach is … anything that is playful. I do groups with the speech-language pathologist, and we have a ton of fun together with our students, integrating music, literacy and play. I have some training in play therapy, and play has been my favorite way to get to know students. They say play is the language of children; children often do not have the words to explain or describe what they are going through, but if you provide them a space with various toys, those toys become their words, and it is really fascinating to see them process.
I keep students engaged by … letting them lead and building our relationship first. Young people often don’t get to be in control of a lot. My training and experience has taught me I’ll get a lot further with students by letting them lead, rather than coming with my own agenda. Some things have to be directed within a school, of course, but when students have some say, they take more ownership in what we are doing.
Something else I’m passionate about is … gun-violence prevention. I have lost several students to gun violence over the years, and supporting students who have been impacted by gun violence has unfortunately been a prevalent part of my role as a social worker. I have learned so much from working with Karen Simms with the Trauma & Resilience Initiative, and my students have taught me a lot about what they have needed as far as support. Teaching young people how to regulate their emotions and how to connect and communicate with others is part of violence prevention.
My favorite teacher and subject to study were … Ms. Diann Graham, art teacher at Arcola High School. I love making art, and Ms. Graham taught real art skills that I still use today when I get a chance to be creative. She also taught life lessons and really loved us and wanted us to learn. I still keep in touch with her. I was also in my mom’s (Angie Gentry) fourth-grade reading class at Arcola Elementary, and she did really fun hands-on activities.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be … something else working with kids or teens. I can’t imagine working only with adults! Young people bring so much great energy.
I’m spending my summer … having fun with my godchildren as much as I am able. I am focusing on my health and building fun memories in simple ways.
Anthony Zilis, The News-Gazette