ways to be better for you
sometimes being better means that I’m
able to utilize some of this now some of
the knowledge and skills that I’ve
learned and have acquired over time
sometimes it means I have to engage in
new learning at all times it means that
I have to be open and willing to
position myself as a learner when
someone thinks of high school they
typically do not think of adult learning
the focus is primarily focused on
student learning
myk’s my life experiences have taught me
otherwise many educators have spent
years obtaining degrees in various
endorsements that prepares to teach
hypothetical students across what seems
to be hypothetical context with some of
our students facing hypothetical
situations as pre-service teachers we
would vacillate in the theoretical we
would discuss how to handle various
situations what truly had no idea what
we were getting into for most of us we
only knew of our own educational
experiences or were aware of the
experiences of our parents siblings or
close friends the truth is we had no
idea what’s to come and after jumping
into our first school with our first
classes filled with students we realized
that the traditional ways in which were
taught to educate and prepare for the
field of education it’s not enough I
guess it’s sort of like parenting is
anyone ever truly prepared I live in a
state of becoming and my life is truly a
journey this not only pertains to my
life overall but more specifically it
pertains to my life as an educator I
think about my experiences as a senior
in college assigned a student teach at a
local high school I wanted to student
teach in the city hoping to have a
different experience than my suburban
education and needed to make sure that I
was able to get back on campus though in
time for my pre-season practice every
day because I was a student athlete I
wasn’t able to teach where I wanted to
and ended up at a local high school
growing up I attended an elite private
school from the agent from the grades of
third through twelfth grade my
graduating class was approximately 85
students
here I was walking into one of the
biggest high schools in the area with
over 3,200 students in attendance I fell
in love with everything about the school
and quickly had to admit that I was
exactly where I needed to be I marveled
at the brilliance wisdom and the command
of my mentor teacher mr. Clayton Taylor
he seemed like a master magician to me
he was able to create a learning
environment where students were
comfortable challenged inspired and
engaged
he took the highest performers to new
heights and he motivated and built
resilience among students who needed
different tools or different teaching
techniques to grasp the same information
he believed that all students possess
endless learning potential and that some
students just needed him to do something
different to support their learning that
was ok it was welcomed and it was the
norm in his classes everyone was
learning and growing how do you know so
much about history I would ask it was
enough to keep track of life as we know
it but Mr Taylor talked about history as
if he was the first human being on earth
with insights experiences and a story
related to everything how did you know
the samantha and needed an altered
assignment and how did you know that
michael needed to keep his head down for
a bit but was listening to every word
that you said how did you know that
Sarah needed visual cues to follow along
in the lesson every single day I had
these types of questions for him he
would chuckle looking over his glasses
with his big eyes perhaps he was
flattered by my all which my excitement
and curiosity made impossible for me to
hide there was an air of nostalgia as
you reminisce on his educational career
spanning over 30 years he was always
very thoughtful and careful in his
responses to me adding the perfect
amount of new information and often
ending his statements with ideas or
questions that would leave me wanting to
know more
yet sensing the responsibility that I
had to find out the answers on my own
the same energy that he poured into
every fragile mind who walked into his
classrooms where the Saint was the same
energy that he poured into me I was just
a little older I was a sponge trying to
soak up as much as
possible feeling a lot of pressure in
feeling inadequately prepared for one of
the biggest responsibilities that I’ve
accepted my life becoming a teacher one
day as we debrief the day and as we
begin to prepare for my transition into
taking full responsibility over his
classes for the next few weeks he sends
all of my anxiety and stressed he paused
looked at me with those big glassy eyes
and stayed it with his deep Stern yet
caring voice Shayla the students will
teach you everything you need to know
the biggest obstacle you’ll face is
allowing them to I sat in silence for a
few minutes as he went back to grading
assignments and entering grades in his
paper gradebook in a matter of seconds
his wise and sage wisdom rocked my world
he taught me more than all the courses I
had taken to prepare to teach his advice
tamed my arrogance totally exposed my
ignorance and shifted my beliefs and
anxieties about being the primary expert
in the room it set me on a journey
during my years as a teacher and then as
an administrator to see myself as a lead
learner with my students every single
one of my students as my teachers the
years that followed as a teacher with
some of the best days of my life I had
many great days but I also had plenty of
days that were difficult and challenging
working through my difficulties caused
me to learn more about myself and was
also at those times when I grew the most
oh and about those challenging days at
plenty of them these were mostly moments
when mister will when mr. Taylor’s
wisdom was buried under my own will
times when I lost sight of his advice
because I wanted to get to a certain
point in the curriculum whether my
students demonstrated learning or not
times when I was more focused on order
and compliance rather
weather than considering the constant
intersection of issues of depression
pain hurt stress confusion and shame
that many of my students brought to my
class into school everyday times when I
failed to create a learning environment
where multiple perspectives were shared
and present in our examination of
history I can keep going my students
taught me to slow down to learn who they
were and they taught me about the
importance of establishing meaningful
relationships with them they taught me
the value and finding out what inspires
and excites them they told me to try new
they taught me to try different
strategies instructional activities and
different ways to assess their learning
they taught me that each of them have
knowledge skills and gifts that when
leveraged could not only support their
learning but their learning of their
peers as well my students reminded me
that they all wanted to be successful
without exception but many things
outside of their control were getting in
the way sometimes these were things
outside of school sometimes they were
obstacles and structures within the
school and sometimes the obstacles were
deeply held beliefs that others had
about them they taught me to care about
them beyond grades and beyond academic
achievement and to care about them in
their entirety he taught me to care
about their struggles their stresses and
to understand their challenges rather
than it be like everyone else and
punished them for the things that they
carry or to label them or seek other
spaces for them to go they were simply
asking me to love them through their
struggles and hoping that it would work
with them to lighten their loads my
students taught me to honor their
journey they were constantly bombarded
with messages that of how they should
look what they should think how they
should dress what they should believe
about themselves and what they should
believe about the world they were
overwhelmed with messages that
reencounter to who they truly were yet
they found themselves becoming what
others wanted for them which created a
lot of internal stress and pain looking
back I have to laugh of my eagerness as
a 21 year old senior in college
preparing to teach students who were
only 4 to 8 years younger than me if I
wrote down all of the questions that I
asked mr. Taylor I’m sure I would have a
stack of composition books I guess I
should have mentioned he was extremely
patient with me I was in all of him at
the time but as I engaged as a teacher
and now as an administrator my all has
shifted I now remain in all the many
students that I have been blessed a
partner
during my career in education it is you
who continues to push me and my thinking
you continue to contribute to my
learning since my first year working
here every week I write your names on
the school’s birthday board I’ve been
encouraged to find ways to
electronically display your names and
your birthdays so I do not have to take
the time at the end of the week or over
the weekends to write your names
selfishly there’s something special
about engaging in this weekly ritual for
me every week that I write your names I
think about you I think about what I
think about you walking to school early
in the morning or getting dropped off to
meet with your teachers I think about
your late night practices and rehearsals
and the countless amount of hours that
you’re here during the day and over the
weekends I think about you sitting in
the cafeteria with your friends are
sitting in alone in the house or sitting
alone in the hallway because you’re too
afraid to go into the cafeteria I think
about your tears I think about your
frustrations I think about you running
up and down the field around the track
across the court I think about you
rocking out on stage and performing for
your loved ones I think about the times
when you’re exhausted and tired in need
of a break I think of other times when
you’re hurt by something someone said or
how someone responded to you I think
about you laughing and dancing with your
friends and I also think about you
ignoring your parents as they try to
give you final reminders for the day as
you’re getting out of the car in the
morning as she shut the car door
roll your eyes and walk towards the
building all I can do is laugh because I
was the same way in high school I think
about you a lot and I pray for you every
week as I write each letter of your
first and last names on the board in the
same breath I pray for myself you’re
rapping principal and everyone that you
interact with here in the school the
magnitude of the responsibility that I
accepted as a teacher 17 years ago is
just as great today as I continued to
ask questions and seek ways to ensure
that all of you are learning and growing
under our care and as I work hard to
navigate the ever evolving and changing
landscape of Education
and the array of needs as you continue
to present every single day my x mi in
my times of confusion and uncertainty I
go back to the core mr. Taylor’s wisdom
it has been my resting place but it has
also been my place of action and guess
who’s constantly there it’s you you keep
me up late at night and as you who wakes
me up filled with purpose and a smile on
my face every single morning in an issue
who continues to teach me everything I
need to know thank you [Applause]