USA RUGBY – We all have that one teacher. The kind who’s lively, bubbly, sometimes opinionated but always gives the classroom its own character.
For many of us, it’s in elementary school. For Women’s National Team XVs player Charli Jacoby, it’s of her own making.
Jacoby teaches third grade at Coonley Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, a position she’s held for the last two years after spending five years as a special-ed classroom assistant. On a regular basis, she teaches 31 students from 8-9 years old.
“I realized that I wanted to become a teacher in high school,” she said. “I always struggled as a student and never felt like anything clicked for me. I was always the chatty, very opinionated and outgoing student, so teachers had a hard time managing me. I knew when I became a teacher I would give my students a space to truly be themselves.”
To become a teacher, Jacoby got her Bachelor’s Degree in English Studies and Master’s Degree in Education. In her daily classroom, she aims to instill values in her students that aren’t far-fetched from the ones rugby embodies every day.
“We have daily conversations on the importance of kindness and inclusion and when I see and hear the kids continue these conversations after the fact, I get an extreme sense of pride. Kids are cool and I absolutely love educating them on the importance of just being a good person.”
Achieving success as a teacher comes with tireless and seemingly endless work. It’s a role that yields immense accomplishment with similar levels of exhaustion and strain.
“There is just so much to teach,” said Jacoby. “It never feels like there are enough hours in the day. You have to meet school expectations, state expectations, parent expectations and then your own personal expectations. It can be a lot to juggle at times.”
Since COVID-19, Jacoby — like all teachers and students — has had to make significant changes to ensure young kids can continue their education through a virtual platform. While this is a piece of cake for older students, it can be a bigger challenge for third-graders.
“I teach live over google chat for 2 hours everyday. In those two hours, I focus specifically on math and reading. The students also have to complete social studies, science, writing and grammar activities as well.
“The amount of prep time for all this has doubled due to the technological restraints. It’s challenging to meet each student’s individual learning needs through a computer, but I am always up for a good challenge. Showing 31 children how to use a computer is hard work but they impress me everyday.”
While virtual teaching, Jacoby has maintained her workload as a member of the senior national team. In all, she trains three hours per day, six days a week and has been lucky enough to have nearby support to keep her on track.
“Michael Ziegler and Matt Wagner of the Chicago Lions have truly been a saving grace for me. They make sure I stay fit and my skills stay sharp for when rugby resumes. I dedicate my mornings to my students, my afternoons to rugby and my evenings to watching film and lesson plans. For having nothing to do and nowhere to go, I have found myself extremely busy.”
On the field, Jacoby aspires to compete in Rugby World Cup 2021. Off the field, she’s working to one day become a principal.
While general education remains at the forefront of her teaching duties, Jacoby has also introduced every young person in her classroom to the sport of rugby.
“They love it. Every Monday morning they ask how my game went from the previous weekend. They stream the matches and even wear their ‘USA JACOBY’ shirt to school. They even come out to the home games. When I came back from the CanAms last November, they made me a giant banner and hung it outside the school to welcome me home.”
For Jacoby, moments like that make the rigors of training, virtual classrooms, prep work and long days all worthwhile.