Fab Teachers: California

Sandra Fink

Wilson Middle School | Physical Education, Sixth Grade

How long have you been teaching: I have been teaching for 33 years. 1989-2013, elementary; 2013-present, middle school.

What inspired you to be a teacher? My mom was cleaning out my room when she came across a biography I wrote in fifth grade. I said I wanted to be a teacher; I knew from a young age that would be my career choice. I had completely forgotten about that class assignment, but I never forgot that I was inspired by my fifth grade teacher to work with young people. She always made me feel like I was the most important person in class. 

However, I became a physical education teacher because of my experience in middle school. My physical education teachers molded me into a student/athlete. They taught me how to balance being a student and how to tap into my athletic abilities. And I knew that I wanted to have that same impact on students.

After I had been teaching for a while, I went back and thanked all of them for inspiring me to be a physical education teacher.

What is your greatest joy in teaching? Every first and last day of school, my mom would make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have continued that tradition and every year that I have taught, I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first and last day of school.

You don’t always know how you might have made a difference in a student’s life, but I have had some amazing moments with my students that always bring me joy. When I was teaching elementary physical education, I had two students with special needs who wanted to go to camp with the sixth grade students. Both sets of parents met with me and asked if I would go to camp so that their boys could have that experience. Of course I said yes, and to this day when I tell the story, I am overwhelmed with joy knowing that these parents trusted me with the safety of their boys. Another example is a bit more recent. A former student, who is now in his late 30s, sent me a message thanking me for helping a “little boy” believe in himself. He said that as a young boy he struggled with jogging the mile. But I always jogged alongside him, carrying his water bottle and encouraging him to finish his laps. He shared with me that memory had “a profound impact on me that I will never forget.” I am so proud of this student who currently serves as a lieutenant in the military. 

I also oversee a mentorship program, pairing eighth graders with incoming sixth graders, helping them make a smooth transition to middle school. It is really amazing watching these young people make a positive impact on others. 

What is your greatest challenge? I teach middle school…at any given moment there can be challenges. Title IX had only been around a few years when I first started teaching. I was told by some of my colleagues to ignore it and let the boys play football and the girls can jump rope. I refused to separate my students by gender and had them all play together. I got a lot of flack from other teachers, but I had an amazing principal who supported me; eventually, the teachers backed off. 

Kids today face so many societal challenges. In addition to teaching, we are also dealing with the impact of social media, bullying, substance abuse, gender identity, to name a few. As their teacher, it is so important to acknowledge and support our students. 

What if a student can have only one takeaway from time spent in your classroom, what would it be? As a physical education teacher, I come in contact with virtually every student on campus. They may not be in my class, but they are in the locker room or out on the field. My hope is that these students, whether in my class or not, I know that they can trust me, that they can come to me and that I’ll listen.