Today marks the beginning of my 15th year as a high school teacher of video, television, and film production. It seems like only days ago I left my career as a television reporter and anchor to become a teacher. Since then, I have worked in five different schools in two states and developed three high school television shows and a film program. It has been an adventure I could have never imagined. Today on the first day of the 2014-2015 school year, as I stand in front of about 160 students total in my classes, I will share a lot about my class and my expectations. A few of those items are included below, but here is how I really wish I could share it with them:
Influence. This is my 15th year teaching, and I still get nervous on the first day – not because I’m worried about what I’m going to say or about my curriculum. I’m actually more nervous than when I first started, because of how impactful I have discovered my job can be. I now know for a fact that there will be some of you who will discover a passion for this visual art area and go on to study it in college and become a professional in the industry because of the journey that starts today. I also know that there will be some of you, for whatever reason, who will hate the work required in this class, and some of you will even begin to hate me. Many of you will fall somewhere in between. As I look at your faces today, I can’t help but feel the weight of that influence. And, if you start to feel negatively towards me, I hope you will come to me first, before complaining to others or posting your distain for me online. I promise to do the same with you. We will most likely both say the wrong thing to each other at some point, and a simple follow-up conversation can usually help that.
Respect. This classroom is my home away from home, and I hope you will treat it with the respect and care that a home deserves whether you are in my classroom for just one semester or all four years. There are many days I spend more time here than in my own home. And, I have experienced a wide variety of the highs and lows of life right here in this place, just as you have in your own home. A year ago in this room, I found out my mother was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer, and I had to leave campus. Last year, I discovered I was named teacher of the year in my room when a colleague called to tell me during class. For an entire year, I struggled with an adult onset speech impediment as I continued to teach in front of my students here. This very day, as I am talking to you now, I am still fighting the drowsiness side effects of the Parkinson’s medication I am living on to control my speech. Sitting at my desk in this room, I received an email from the White House congratulating my students on a film being accepted to the first White House Student Film Festival. The students before you have created some amazing productions here with our guidance, and I hope you will allow us to help you become part of this room’s rich history. And, please know, I understand tough times – you just have to let me know when you are in the middle of one, so I can help.
\ Rules. Sometimes, I’m going to have to be extremely tough, especially early on. You see I
came from working in volunteer youth ministry to become a teacher, and I tried
being primarily a laid back, fun teacher at first. The kids ran all over me. So, I learned the hard way I have to be
authoritative to be effective, and many of the rules I have in place are
because other students have taken advantage of me in various instances. Some of the rules are also industry standards
that you will need to know if you do choose this career path. For instance, it’s hard to communicate with
someone in any context or career if your eyes and hands never leave your smart
phone. In addition, when you reach a
higher level of expertise in my classes, I will have higher expectations for
your work and work ethic. And most
importantly, many of my rules are to protect you and keep you safe. I have to know where you
are at ALL times. If anything were to
seriously happen to you on my watch, I would be devastated. So, yes, I need to
know when you’re going to the bathroom even when its just around the corner,
and yes, I need to know when your film location shoot changes to another
location. And, no, you cannot leave
campus during my class for any reason, unless your parents arrange it through
the attendance office.
Learning. I’m not a big fan of the typical school experience. I know that sounds funny coming from your teacher, but when I was your age, I also hated homework, tests, lectures, and all the trappings of traditional education. I loved projects, breaks, lunch, activities, clubs, and performing arts. So, you are going to notice my teaching style and classroom activities are different than many of your other classes. There are not a lot of homework assignments, tests, or lengthy lecturing. You will learn mostly through experiences our guest artists and I will actively help guide you through, and you’ll learn from each other as well. My classroom is modeled after college production classes and real world television and film studios. For some of you, this will be awesome. For some of you, this is going to be awful or its just going to rock your world. You have to be actively involved to really learn and do well in my classes. You can’t just cram at the last minute and turn something in based on book knowledge. A lot of what happens in my class takes common sense, teamwork, clear communication, responsibility and problem solving, and I’m hoping you’ll grow in those areas here. I was common core before common core was a thing.
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Faith. I am a Christian, and I believe in a God
of love, hope, joy, grace, and peace. I
am still actively involved in leading young adult ministry in my personal time,
and I have prayed every step of the way through my teaching career. Prayer plus a strong personal and
professional support system are the real secrets to my teaching success. As
someone who never had any real formal training as a teacher, I know that God’s
active involvement in my life is the only way I could have impacted so many
people through my teaching in a positive way in just 15 years.
We're in this together, so lets work together to have a great year. And as Coach Taylor said in the television show Friday Night Lights: "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!"
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