From The Ground Up:

I can remember a teacher that I worked with at one school who was very hesitant to make changes in her instructional delivery.  She was a seasoned teacher who had taught for many years and did not want to change in any way.  She did not want to be a part of a new plan for her school.  She had worked with several principals and was tired of administrators coming in and making changes that did not produce improved tests results.  I felt that I must get this teacher on board, if I was to be successful with many of the other staff members in getting them to make changes in their way of teaching.

It was a hot August day, school had been in session for two weeks, it was time to have a meeting.  I was waiting for this teacher to come to my office during her planning period.  What was I going to say to get her to join our team in implementing our new plan for this school?  She and I had a frank discussion on instructional strategies and how they should be implemented.  I listened to her explain reasons for why she did things a certain way.  She expressed her concerns to me about change.  This teacher stressed to me how hard she worked, and believe me, she worked extremely hard.  I commended her on her dedication and hard work, but I stressed to her that it was not always how hard one worked, but how smart one worked. 

I discussed with her different teaching strategies and how they impact student success.  We had several meetings over a six weeks period.  At each meeting I would commend her on positive things that took place in her classroom, but at the same time give her suggestions of small, yet important changes. 

This teacher finally gave her support to the instructional changes that we implemented at this school.  But you see, I did not give up on getting her to do what I felt was best for the students.  When in comes to student progress, you can never give up on getting staff members to work as a team.  You need every player to be part of the “new plan of action” that involves new teaching strategies.

When you hear the name of a school mentioned, I bet you start thinking about the school you once attended, remembering….. the times you walked in the front door, down the hall to a classroom, took your seat and waited for class to start. You remember, as a student the times that your parents had argued the night before and you couldn’t wait to get to your teacher and share your feelings, knowing that your teacher would say the right words to make you feel better.  Remembering…… the times you went outside at recess to play hide and seek or a game of kick ball with your friends.  I remember the love letters that I sent to certain girls, I would write in the letter, do you love me, answer yes or no.  Most of the time, I got no for an answer.  But when I did get a yes, it took away all the pain that I may have felt that day.

When you think about the name of your school, images of people begin to appear in your mind and the influences that they have had upon your life. When I hear my elementary school, Chicod School located in Pitt County, North Carolina,  I think of, Mr. Kelly Wallace, Mr. Charles Johnson, both principals, Ms Juanita Elks, 2^nd grade teacher, Ms. Frances Porter, Ms. Ina Venter, Ms. Betty LeRoux and I could name many more teachers.  What I have become, and what many of you have become, we can truly say our teachers at our schools, had a major part in shaping our lives.  The schools we attended become a part of us and that part of us will live in us forever.