Have you ever thought about what makes one an advocate, regardless if on a small scale or a big scale? Is it a characteristic that is forced (you make yourself do something)? Or are you born with it? Maybe modeled behavior after your parents? I often ask myself this. Why would one person be willing to risk “self” for something while another person isn’t so willing? And to what scale? Would you be willing to advocate for something in your community or state but not on a national interest? What about a child in need? Or a family in need? In essence, we are all advocates, just on different levels. But…that is for another day. Last night, while driving home from church choir, I was reflecting on a conversation I had with a church friend about his daughter who is student teaching at my high school. I was thinking about my student teaching days in a rural school ten minutes from where I grew up (and where many of my childhood friends went). I remembered something that I did as a student teacher that I had totally forgotten about. I literally laughed all the way home. Before I tell you that story, let’s go back a “few” years (cough, cough…)
I never considered myself an advocate. In high school, I was the introvert (or so I thought). I was involved in different aspects of school but didn’t take the initiative like I would today. In college, I would write an editorial to a major newspaper in my state but didn’t everyone do that? Isn’t that funny? HANDWRITE and MAIL IN an editorial! As you can tell, this is before blogs and social media. You could write your opinion on a controversial topic, have it printed, then never have to worry about being attacked online with vicious statements by cowards who hide behind their device (oops…did I digress?). Years after my grandfather passed away, I actually found one of my editorials I had saved. I told my mom what I found. She told me that my grandmother had actually cut it out of the newspaper before my grandfather read it since I had critiqued a president he loved (oopsy). Fast-forward to my teaching days, I was still submitting editorials to a different major newspaper (in my state). I actually did this until I transitioned to another school and another teacher confronted me about an editorial I wrote, saying it “didn’t look good for the school.” I told him a few things and went about my way (I will not be bullied). What finally started changing, however, is the “comment” section online. I don’t mind expressing my opinion nor discussing in a cordial conversation but will not submit myself to comments of those who feel the need to attack and to slander just because he/she disagreed with you. So…that ended that.
A few years after I started teaching, I became frustrated at how our vocational schools were not being advocated for in high schools. At the time, my brother was still in high school and planned on being a mechanic (um…he rebuilt his transmission in 10th grade so yea…). I emailed the Lt. Gov. about the issue (you know, just to express my opinion). Never would I have thought I would be contacted by her office to meet with her about this issue. I was excited but nervous!!! I was able to convince a teacher friend of mine to go with me to help keep me on track. So…we went and it was great!
Fast-forward to about ten years later… my state USED to have (remember that…USED TO) a policy where every five years, Advanced Placement teachers had to attend a weeklong AP workshop to renew their AP certification. In 2012, I attended an AP Gov workshop to become certified to teach AP Gov (I had already attended AP Econ). It was horrible! Just horrible! I was determined something had to change. I could not imagine myself going through that again in five years. That year, I encouraged a student to write a bill for Youth Legislature that would do away with the AP certification renewal requirement. Although these are bills that simulate the legislative process, they sometimes are seen by our actual state legislatures. That January, once our state legislature convened, I decided to send her bill to the state senator that represented our school. He submitted the bill but not much else (so it died in committee). The next year, we had a new House representative whom I knew from a non-profit organization that promotes economics and financial literacy in schools. He was very supported of the bill but it easily died in committee. He and I tried the next year…same thing. I decided maybe one more year to try. My students and I happened to be at the Capitol when he told me he was about to go to the Education Committee to discuss the bill. I was so excited! Later, he called to say it passed out of the committee and will be sent to the House (that was the last day for bills to leave committee). My work was now cut out for me. That night, I emailed every single one of the House members to discuss the importance of this bill (and of course, approaching this from a fiscal perspective). Long story short, a House member sent the bill back to committee to be reworked. Since the deadline for bills to leave committee had already passed, my bill naturally died. I was livid. I knew then that “School House Rock How a Bill Becomes a Law” video sugarcoated this process (that’s a joke…but in all seriousness, I stopped showing that video after that…LOL). I honestly think, to this day, that the Department of Education for my state lobbied against that bill. But guess what? Eight years later, they now have decided to get rid of the recertification (and certification) for AP courses. It is now left up to the principal and teacher to decide (which is how it should be). Anyhoo… I doubt years of working on that helped change their minds but I do believe it planted a seed.
As I have gotten older, I do not think twice about contacting someone with an issue – state level, District level, school level. I believe if there is an issue that needs to be addressed then bring awareness to it. I am not one to complain without taking initiative (I complain but at least I try to change something). Maybe it is with age (blunt, cranky, just “over it,” whatever you call it) but I find myself addressing concerns more easily and without hesitation. Now, as Paul Harvey would have said, “THE REST OF THE STORY…”
So, while driving home from church choir last night, I remembered a memory I had totally forgotten about. Looking back, I cannot believe I did what I did as a student teacher. I have had student teachers in the past. There is no way any of them would have had the gumption to do what I did. So, what did I do? Well, first, let me say, I loved my student teaching experience. One guy I student taught under taught and coached my dad in high school. I met him on a Friday and he left me to myself that Monday. He literally took his newspaper and walked out, leaving me in a room with a bunch of ninth graders. And you know what? I totally owned that classroom. I taught a few classes with him and a few 7th grade classes with another teacher. My second rotation (at the same school) was still with my 7th graders but then transitioned to an 11th grade U.S. History class. This was the spring of 2000 and those kids had not once opened a textbook. They did nothing in that class (I am pretty sure some sat in the corner and dipped). I was mortified! I later talked to one of my supervising teachers (for 7th grade) who shared with me how much the other teachers were frustrated as well. I was floored that all that was going on. The U.S. History test was literally about two years away from being a state mandated test that students would be required to pass in order to graduate. How in the world was this even allowed to happen. So…I did what I thought should have been done (and one my supervising teacher encouraged when I talked to her) – I requested a meeting with the principal. The principal and I sat down to talk where I shared with him my concerns. I literally, as a STUDENT TEACHER, sat down in the principal’s office to tell the principal the lack of learning in the classroom and student behavior (I really wanted to say this teacher sucks but thought that would not be professional)! Y’all, seriously, what STUDENT TEACHER has the gumption to request a principal meeting to inform him of a teacher who was atrocious (a teacher he clearly knew was not doing his job)? When I thought about that memory, I could not help but laugh. Laugh at the audacity…the guts…I knew then that who I am today has always been there, maybe just hidden.
So, what about you? Are you an advocate? For a child? For a family in need? For a passionate cause? For a student? There is nothing more rewarding and more frustrating. Just this past Sunday, my husband literally told me that I had to walk away from an issue that was truly bothering me. He said I talked to the student and encouraged the student to meet with teacher (which she did but I didn’t agree with the outcome). He said I am not her mother so walk away. He was right, but it was hard. I will end with the words from President Reagan: “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” What will you do?
