This article was originally spotlighted in the Berkeley Schools Volunteers newsletter in April 2021.
BSV Host Teacher Marvin Reed (last year Thousand Oaks, this year Rosa Parks, 3rd gr) has a classroom volunteer relationship like no other: Katie Johnson, a veteran and now retired teacher, taught a much younger Marvin Reed in 3rd grade, right here in BUSD!
What do you remember about each other from back then?
Marvin: When I was in Ms. Johnson’s 3rd grade class, I remember her warmth. She was a strict teacher that really cared about students. It is because of Ms. Johnson that I have much of the cultural capital I have today. All students deserve a Ms. Johnson – someone who will never give up on you and will set high expectations with high support to help you reach your highest potential.
Katie: When Marvin was in my third grade, he already had the ability to observe and reflect in a way I had seldom seen. He would stand in the back of the class sometimes and watch. I wondered what he was thinking at the time.
One of my favorite memories was when I took the class to San Francisco’s Chinatown. I had prepared the class well with its history (including the Chinese Exclusion Act), culture, architecture, and customs of Chinatown. I wanted them to see the oldest Buddhist Temple in the country. Marvin held my hand all the way up the 4 flights of stairs to the temple. When we got there, he took a deep breath, looked at the prayer flags, and whispered, “How beautiful!”
How did you two reconnect?
Marvin: I found her on MySpace {early social media platform} while I was in high school, then we stayed connected on Facebook. We’ve been friends ever since.
Katie: Several years later, a handsome young man walked into my classroom. I knew immediately that it was Marvin. He had been invited to speak at the Oxford 5th grade graduation. I introduced him to my 3rd graders and they were so impressed.
How did the volunteering arrangement start?
Katie: Throughout Marvin’s college years I would get glimpses of his activities and academics on social media. Eventually, I learned he was in graduate school and in a credential program to become a teacher! I cheered him on.
When he was assigned to be a 3rd grade teacher at Thousand Oaks, I helped him move into his classroom. He recalled with great detail our 3rd grade experience and began asking questions about how I taught. He asked about many of the books and units he remembered. After I retired from BUSD, I had been substitute teaching, but had recently decided to stop. But when Marvin and I met in his classroom, I knew what my next “assignment” was.
What’s your shared “classroom” experience like today?
Marvin: Ms. Johnson contributes to my learning community by doing what she loves to do – teach! She works with small groups and it is so beautiful to hear students say, “I want to work with Ms. Johnson.” She is such a kind soul, and the students gravitate towards her everyday she’s with us.
Katie: What a privilege it has been to mentor and teach alongside Marvin, and to help his students. Zoom has been a challenge and a joy for all of us! Marvin always seems to find something fun to brighten students’ days. And I leave each day bursting with pride that he was my student. Now I know what he was thinking when he stood in the back of the room in 3rd grade; he wanted to be a teacher.