My 4th Grade Wall Street Leaders

According to a plethora of internet articles ( personal communication, February 5, 2026), Wall Street leaders are:

• Extremely dedicated;
• Hard working;
• Intellectually curious;
• Team builders and players;
• Strategic thinkers;
• Resilient;
• Flexible;
• Knowledgeable;
• Good under pressure;
• Enthusiastic;
• Empathetic; and
• Responsive.

I fondly remember my first 4th-grade class, which was also my first year of K-12 teaching. I arrived confident and ready for my students. My assumption was that I would be the master teacher, and they would be my apprentices. I, the giver of knowledge, and they, the receivers. My naivete was darling, and my theory was debunked as I became an apprentice to young leaders who exhibited emerging traits of Wall Street intellects as they taught me even more about how to organize for good instruction and as they persevered through complex text and tasks.

My Induction

I was not a traditional K – 12 teacher candidate. I earned a BA in political science and English studies and an MEd with a special focus on educating urban and diverse learners. My career began in higher education. However, I achieved high scores on my content and pedagogical assessments and entered the world of 4th – grade most passionate about teaching reading and writing.

Though excited about literacy instruction, I was uncertain about transitioning from teaching adults to teaching children. As a newbie, I was unaware that my principal and leadership team were strategic in creating class lists. 14 of my assigned students had been taught by the same teacher during the previous two years. Ms. Naomi Wainwright was the veteran educator responsible for growing my little Wall Street leaders.

Among other things, they taught me how to:

• Set up my classroom post office and classroom government system;
• Organize small reading group roles and;
• Use different chants to help them regroup for whole class learning;
• Rearrange the classroom for different teaching purposes;
• Embed brain breaks and team challenges into learning;
• Integrate music and arts into writing instruction; and
• Include fun activities in our “Fantastic Friday” review teams.

Not only did they bolster the professional learning I received from leadership, my Wall Streeters accelerated the achievement of other students outside of their pod. They loved academic challenges and applied transferable strategies to new learning.

Their former teacher, Ms. Wainwright, taught in the lower school down the hill. Of course, my principal brokered opportunities for me to visit her classroom and debrief, which proved to be other moments of gratitude, grace, and growth during my new teacher induction.

An Unexpected Reunion

January 2026, I attended a women’s business brunch in Maryland. I was able to choose my own seat and as usual I sat at table in the back of the room. There were four older women already seated. They warmly greeted me and we enjoyed each other’s company throughout the brunch.

As she spoke, one of the guest panelists kept referring to her grandmother, who happened to be sitting across from me. She shared her grandmother’s wisdom, and the attendees applauded so much that they even suggested she be a panelist for another brunch.

Finally, I gave one hard look across the table at this celebrated elder, and before I could open my mouth to say it, her granddaughter finally spoke the name: Naomi Wainwright. With tears streaming, I babbled words of recognition and honor. She had helped so many teachers; she was not absolutely sure about our encounters. However, I was thankful for the opportunity to share gratitude again. We exchanged phone numbers, and I will be interviewing Ms. Wainwright in an upcoming episode of my blog, which is published on Spotify: Urban Education Spotlight. I will share the exact date and time. I hope you tune in and engage!

New Teachers: Note Well

• Choose your schools well and advocate for opportunities for professional leaning. Each school has its own culture, climate, beliefs, and ways of being. Where you land can sometimes determine whether you will committ to the profession or quit within the first three years. Begin to advocate for your professional growth during your interview. Ask questions about staff investment, expectations, and support. How much time will you have for planning and preparation during the school day? How are planning periods structured? How are instructional teams organized? Is job – embedded coaching provided? What tools and strategies are used? Will you have the opportunity to learn from others schools locally? Nationally? If so, How does this work?
• Make the shift from “your classroom” to “our classroom.” Never underestimate your students. They are part of both teaching and learning. Many will come with prior knowledge and experience that will help close some of your own gaps. Don’t walk in to control and dominate. Aim to build a culture of care, respect, and responsibility where students own the space and the work as well.
• Tether yourself to the right veteran teachers. Unfortunately, not all veteran teachers are helpful to new teachers. My first year, I was shocked to meet highly unprofessional veterans who were rude to leaders and co – workers. They refused to participate in professional learning and anything beyond their contractual role. Their mindset was not on our students and community. Their broken records blasted the song, ” Me, myself, and I.” Nope! Don’t be influenced by the poison wells that might exist in the schoolhouse. Link up with the thinkers and doers who are prepared passionate professionals who add positive value to achieving the school vision, mission and goals.

Final Thoughts

At the end of my first year of teaching, my school administration nominated me for Teacher of the Year, but I lost to a worthy veteran special educator from whom I learned as well. However, had I won, my students would have shared in this award. We still welcomed our classroom families to celebrate big with us at the end of the year.

I am not sure if others in The Urban Education Change Equation (TUECE) community check for former students on social media. I do this overall because I care about their safety, well-being, and I look forward to learning of their accomplishments. Sometimes my heart is sad to discover a few who have been imprisoned, have passed via medical conditions, or have been murdered. Yet, I have found many who are teachers, community service agents, school leaders, nurses, education directors, pastors, bankers, writers, military officers, college admissions directors, DEI leaders, politicians, civil rights advocates, and social entrepreneurs.

I am not sure if any of my little Wall Street leaders made it to NYC and that specific work; however, thanks to smart school leadership and veteran teachers like Ms. Wainwright, I am confident that many children are living their best lives and making a difference in the world.

If you are a new teacher, how have veterans helped or harmed your experience? If you are a veteran teacher, how do you support new teachers? Do you have other comments or lessons learned to share? Please do.