Coffee With E
Welcome to Coffee with E—where great conversations meet inspiration! ☕✨
This podcast is for dreamers, go-getters, and those on a journey of self-growth. Whether you’re building a business, navigating relationships, or working on your mindset, you’ll find motivation, wisdom, and real-life stories to help you level up.
Each week, we dive into topics like self-worth, mental well-being, wealth-building, leadership, and entrepreneurship—always with a mix of honesty, luxury, and a little fun. If you love deep conversations, personal growth, and a good cup of coffee, this is the podcast for you!
Join me, Erica Rawls, and my guests as we keep it real, inspire action, and remind you that anything is possible if you’re willing to do the work. Subscribe now and let’s dream big together! ☕✨
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Coffee With E
Old School vs New School: How Education Has Changed and What It Means Today!
Unlock the secrets to effective teaching strategies and classroom management with insights from Dr. Jesse Rawls and Quencey Hickerson, two educators at different stages of their careers. Join me, Erica Rawls, as we compare and contrast old school and new school methods, delve into the evolving landscape of education, and share personal stories that highlight our motivations to pursue a career in teaching. From Dr. Rawls' inspiring journey from a math-loving student influenced by a college professor to Quencey's unexpected transition from marketing to education, gain valuable perspectives on what drives educators to shape young minds.
With technology redefining parent-student-teacher relationships, we explore practical strategies for setting clear expectations and fostering respect in the classroom. Discover how Quencey manages student conflicts and prepares them for real-world challenges with the support of proactive school administration. We also discuss the unique dynamics of urban and suburban schools, emphasizing the importance of encouraging students to think beyond high school graduation and providing them with pathways to success, whether it be college, trade school, or entrepreneurship.
Finally, we tackle pressing issues such as school safety and the pervasive influence of social media on student behavior. Learn about the measures schools are taking to ensure a secure learning environment and how educators can help students navigate the complexities of constant connectivity. Celebrating the resilience and creativity of today’s students, this episode underscores the critical role of mentorship, leadership, and meaningful relationships in fostering student success. Tune in for a heartfelt and informative discussion that champions the potential of every student and the dedication of the educators who guide them.
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Hello friends, welcome to another episode of Keeping it Real, where we have real conversations with extraordinary people in multimillion-dollar homes. I'm your host, erica Rawls, and today I have the pleasure of sitting down with two extraordinary, dynamic people. Today we're exploring a topic that affects every household education. With me at this table is none other than Dr Jessie Rawls and Quincy Hickerson. Welcome, thank you for having me. You are so welcome, you're so welcome, so I had to bring you back, because the last episode we had with all 40 dynamic women, it was just amazing and I promise I will bring you back, whether as a group or individually. So thank you for saying yes, I know you're in education and you are very young in education. Yes, you are 28 years old, y'all, and she's already making an impact, right? And I think a lot of us know Jesse, dr Rawls, who happens to be my husband.
Speaker 1:So if y'all send me blushed about this episode, that's because I'd have to have a conversation with someone that I not only admire but I also love. So here we go. You ready, here we go. Okay, so we want to focus on old school versus new school when it comes to education, right? So just share a little bit about how you grew up in the education system and then also why you decided to get into education after you graduated college. Okay, so, Jesse, we want to start with you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean in terms of growing up in education. So I graduated from Susquehanna Township High School. I went to Susquehanna Township second through 12th grade. Before that we lived in Ann Arbor, michigan, and I went to Ann Arbor Public Schools.
Speaker 2:But I've been in public schools my whole life and when I was in high school it was at that time that I knew I wanted to get into education because of my experience in high school positive experience in high school and then from there I went to college and I went to the school of education right away because I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I just didn't know what subject that I wanted to be a teacher in. I just wanted to be an educator and actually was a college professor. That pulled me aside. I was doing some math work and they said I was really good at math, and good in the sense of I worked hard at it and then from there I decided to be a math teacher. And then you know the rest in terms of my what I've started teaching this. That's when I got into education administration.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, so we'll get into that question. What about you, quincy? What led you to get into education? So, just to give a little background on my education started off in private school. Kindergarten through third grade, I was in Holy Family and then, from fourth grade on, I was in public school. I'm a product of Harrisburg School District. I then went on to Howard University. I actually got my degree in marketing. So it's real funny.
Speaker 1:Yes, I never planned to be a teacher like that was never. It was never on my radar, it was never on my agenda. But one thing I did do throughout high school and even college, like when I would come home for summers or Christmas breaks. I was always volunteering with the different camps that they had. So Chris Franklin has a basketball camp, uh, throughout the summer. Um, brian Majors, uh, lawrence Hamm ham, people like that were giving back to the community. So through that, I started to realize how our kids were and how much different they were than us growing up. Um, it wasn't until it was right before covid hit when I graduated. Um, I graduated howard in 2018.
Speaker 1:So right before covid hit, I was working as a teacher's assistant at Premier Arts and Science Charter School. Okay, with a family relative. He like hooked me up, got me in there, and when I got in there, that's when I realized like okay, kids like me, they listen to me, I kind of have an influence, so why not get into teaching? And it was kind of like a doy moment because it's like I should have been doing this. So I didn't start teaching until the school year was 2021-22, no 22-23. Okay, first year I started teaching. So you're new, I'm excited to hear your perspective. So that's just, you know, that's kind of how I got into it. So, yeah, it was never on the radar, but once I realized where our kids were at, I felt like I don't know. Yeah, so then share your experience going through high school versus because you're at the high school level. Yes, ok, so share your experience going through high school versus what you're seeing today. Okay, so, share your experience going through high school versus what you're seeing today.
Speaker 1:So one thing I will say I feel like a lot of things are watered down now, for example. For example, inclusion is prioritized, which I'm not opposed to it, but if it works, if inclusion doesn't work, we shouldn't be pushing for it. Um, so, going throughout high school, I would say I don't think it would. From a student perspective, I don't think it was prioritized because I was in the class with people who did the same things as me, people who looked like me, people who spoke the same language as me, people who had the same skill set as me. Um, growing up, even before I hit high school, I would notice that students are being pulled out of classrooms. We sat the trailers sitting outside like and as a student, you know your mind and your business. You don't know what that stuff's for yeah um.
Speaker 1:So it wasn't until I got to this age when I realized, okay, those students were being pulled out because they needed a specific skill set set on to them. Okay, so now that, uh, whether that was language, whether that was um reading, whether that was math skills, they were being pulled out into those trailers. Whether I was at the private school or public school, they were being pulled out of my classroom to enhance those skills. We even had an emphasis on the gifted program, which is for your students who are more advanced. I don't really see much of that anymore because it's like we're so focused on inclusion, which is okay, right, but again, if it works. So now, being on the high school level, it's inclusion, inclusion, inclusion.
Speaker 1:And being a teacher, it's like it gets overwhelming because, while I'm trying to include everybody, it's almost impossible. So, just for a great point, yeah, for example, like in my classroom right now, um, I'm teaching at Harrisburg High, my uh, alma mater. Um, it's a lot of diverse individuals. Um, I have a translator app that I'm using all throughout class. I don't remember my teachers doing that in high school. So it's things like that where I feel like the difference has come and it's great. I love it, because we're helping these people, who are new to this country, get acclimated with something that's very prevalent, which is education. So I'm all for it, but it's just like the support I need. I need some type of support because I'm still only one person, right. Do you want to speak to that?
Speaker 2:I mean I think it's always important for, I mean, we ask teachers to do a lot. I mean I don't think people really understand how much teachers really do inside the classroom. And Quincy's pointing out a good point in terms of, like you know, you could be a teacher in a class and you have students speaking different languages. You have you could be a teacher in a class and you have students speaking different languages. You have students at different levels. The question becomes how much support are we giving our educators? I think that is really important to educator.
Speaker 2:Educational administrators really work to support their teachers. I think that's why I got into education administration, because I saw that need. As a as a first year teacher, I got a lot of support. I moved to a new district, didn't get a lot of support and I saw that had I not gotten the support I needed when I first started teaching, it would have been impossible for me to continue to be a teacher. So now one of my main goals, always as a as a principal, as an educational leader, is to make sure that teachers have the support they need so they can be successful in the classrooms, because if they can be successful in the classroom, then students can be successful. Sometimes, you know, as, as leaders, you know we forget what it's like to be in the classroom, and that's something I try never to forget to really realize what what they're up against. And then how can we support them to get their job done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so have the shifts in education over the years. Has it changed your approach to leadership, Because it sounds like what you just said.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, in a sense, when I left for college and then came back, nothing really had changed. Know, there wasn't cell phones, there wasn't social media. Um, that you know. I know teachers were working hard and things of that nature, but it was still a traditional type, a type model, I mean. And and now there's a, there's a huge shift. You know, uh, we went through the phase of no technology to technology and now we're pulling it back and saying you know, these cells phone things have gotten out of hand Again. Just the diversity that's taking place across the country and in our, in our area. So we do have a lot of students speaking different languages and things of that nature. Right, we have more students with IEPs than we had when I was growing up. They get all those things put pressure.
Speaker 1:The truth is that not in education.
Speaker 2:What is IEP? Oh, so a student with an individual education plan. So learn to support students and things of that nature. If you talk about English language learners, so those are students that speak a different language. So you didn't have a lot of that when we when I was growing up or when you were growing up but but that's what we have now and it's a good thing. But again, you need support to make sure that you, as a teacher, use it as a school system can, can ensure that, um, that the teachers are being supported and that the students are being supported too, because there's been a lot of different lawsuits along the way that have led to to these things in terms of how you know where students are at inside of classrooms, and so that's, that's where we're at. So education has drastically shifted from, you know, the mid 90s to where we're at now, know the mid-90s, to where we're at now in the two-inch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just in technology like Quincy, could you speak to? Like the different types of technology that's available today that you didn't see when you were going through the education system? So I would say, growing up I didn't really hit that technology phase until we got to high school. I went to SciTech, so SciTech was known and it was a misconception at the end of the day that we, you know, we were more advanced or we got the better resources than the John Harris campus, which wasn't always the case. But I was introduced to incorporating technology once I got to that high school level.
Speaker 1:Now, growing up, like I remember in kindergarten typing on typewriters and we didn't have computers, that was my typewriter, yeah, and I'm like I feel hype like saying that because I have computers. That was my typewriter, yeah. And I'm like I feel hype like saying that because, like, I don't know how to work a typewriter, um, so like I remember that in kindergarten, um, these new calculators that they have. I straight up told my class this week I'm about to hit up my resources to figure out how we can get some more basic calculators, because this Q doesn't know how to work these ones. It's literally like a phone, but it's a calculator. You can text on it, you can type. All I want to know is two plus two, right? So it's like things are more what she's referring to well, yeah, and I can again.
Speaker 2:When I was in college, I took calculus. We didn't use calculators, right, right, we just well, we used to use the basic one, right. But now when you take a calculus course, you're going to be using a serious calculator. Like you know, texas instrument ti like have to get training? Yeah, how to use it.
Speaker 1:So there has been a shift and how does the student if the teachers or the administrators don't even know how to use those tools right well it goes back to.
Speaker 2:So she needs training on it, right? So you got to get you, if you and somebody, something you got to make sure that they're they're trained on. Now the students, they figure this stuff out pretty so they're engaged with the technology they, they don't know any other way. Okay, so our students, now 2024. To them, when you say technology it's just a way of life, like they don't know what it's like to right like a cell phone to them. Is that normal? It's a necessity.
Speaker 1:But here's the thing. So do you think some of the traditional methods have been lost that shouldn't come back? Yes, like, what are you thinking like? So I'm gonna take it back.
Speaker 1:You know, this might be a little problematic, but I was just talking to my grandpop about it and I'm they kind of need to bring the paddles back, like, this is where we're at and I'm like I would have loved to be a teacher with a paddle, and I'm not. I'm exaggerating, of course, but it's like we're a lot of yeah, just, you know, but I just feel like we're getting to a point where things are getting out of control. Yeah, just, but I just feel like we're getting to a point where things are getting out of control. Teachers, educators, period are losing their power because we're going back and forth with a student who feels some type of entitlement to a system that they don't know how it works, basically. And then not only are we battling that student, we're battling that student's parent. So it's like two against us, right?
Speaker 1:And at the end of the day, it's kind of like when you're working at a fast food restaurant. You know the customer is always right. You want to always cater to the customer. So when it comes to the students and I feel like that's where your special education and the enhancements and ELL departments come about, because we're all we want to cater to that student, because we want to make sure they have everything that they need to academically succeed now where I think we kind of dropped the ball is everything just gets mushed into one and we can't decipher anymore what each student really actually needs. Um, so it's, I don't, it's, it's kind of up in the air with everything I thought you figured how do you balance that?
Speaker 2:well, so I think so. One important point that quincy was speaking about is when you're working with students now versus back when we were growing up. It's this level of respect. So working through that whole piece is very, is very different than when I first started teaching, to what I see today. So there's this.
Speaker 2:I think students again, when you talk about technology, you talk about entertainment, you talk about what they're seeing and you know on a daily basis and what their expectations are when they're having a conversation with you, you know, sometimes, if you don't set the tone and remind them that there is a sense of respect, that has to be, that has to take place between me as an adult and you as a student, um, or you as a young person, that can that can get lost, cause if you make the assumption that they know that, then I think you're, you're off base.
Speaker 2:But and I go back to that, so that's a good teacher strategy I I always tell and as an education administrator, I always tell people like, up front, you got to let students know what the expectations are every year, sometimes every day, until they really understand it right, you can't assume. You can't assume anything because they they might not know and they don't know, right and so. And then there's this sense of you know, working with parents, and I always tell high school parents now the time to be really involved in their life, um, in terms of what they're watching, what they're doing, what they're seeing in high school right.
Speaker 2:But then also they need to be supportive of us as educators and to let their let their children advocate for themselves, so that they don't always just come and run to their their rescue to rescue them out of a difficult situation how do you balance that?
Speaker 1:because we have a lot of um and I'm down, way down because we're going to talk about the sense of helicopter parents and how you deal with those, but how do you balance that? Like, what are some strategies?
Speaker 2:how do you balance?
Speaker 1:the, the fact that allowing the students to advocate for themselves versus when that parents should actually step in.
Speaker 2:Oh, so I always try to like if a parent were to call me or email me about the situation in the classroom. You know, the first thing I always ask is did the young, did the student talk to the teacher, right? Or, if it's something with sports, did your student talk to the coach? Like, if you're contacting me and the student hasn't even spoken to the teacher, spoken to the coach, then you're not the lesson you're teaching them isn't the proper lesson, because they need to talk to the teacher, talk to the coach, talk to the adult first, try to resolve it right.
Speaker 2:Then if they're not satisfied with the with with the outcome, then they could tell their parents and the parents can talk to to us or try resolve it but the first step we always want to teach high school students, and even I mean in middle school, is you have to work to resolve things, because you know the sense of failure now in our society is like it's the end, but it's really just the beginning, right? It's just you failed, you didn't do well on the test, you didn't do well in the game, you didn't do well, you know, in the rehearsal for the music or whatever you failed, but that's that's just. You know the beginning of your next step and we have to continue to, to push students and talk to them about these things. So I think it's, you know, it's important for us as educators, us as parents, us as adults, to continue to talk to our young people about that. I think that's what you're talking about.
Speaker 1:So and, quincy, from your perspective, you're like shaking your head, like, yeah, I would love to see that Right, because then you know that you have the support of the administration when you do have to make the decisions hard decisions, hard decisions, absolutely, you have someone has your back, yes, yes, yeah, has your back, yes, yes, yeah, that's your back. So, um, anything you want to add to that? Um, I was just going to say to piggyback off of that. Uh, I talked to very few parents and the reason for that is because I like to handle everything in-house. I like to take that approach and sit down with the student and figure out how we can come to a resolution, because, at the end of the day, I have and this is why I chose high school because I feel like they're the perfect group that you could speak life into, because you're four years, regardless of where you're at in high school, you're four or less years away from the real world. So if I can get that group of kids and speak life into them and prepare them for what's to come next, that was, this is what I'm going to do. So we're going to sit down and resolve this, because when you go to college this college that you say you want to go to when, uh, your financial aid doesn't come through, you're going to have to go to the financial aid office and figure that out not mom, now, let's say, because I did have to call my mom for the financial aid office a few times in college, but for the most part I was the one missing class to go sit in that office for six hours a day. So y'all are going to have to get prepared for that, and that's that's why I kind of I try to lead the parents out of it, unless it gets to that point but it's never really gotten to that point.
Speaker 1:I'm really, I feel like that's kind of my gift. I can kind of talk them down and make them realize, and then once they hear, oh, you would do that too. Oh, ok, it kind of rolls them in. Yeah, so then what's the dynamic? Because I know that you went to what we refer to as an urban school versus a suburban school. Right and same with you, urban and suburban. This is a great dynamic, y'all. It just hit me, yeah, so when it comes to discipline or the parent support, do you see any drastic differences between the two? Can you contrast between the two school systems and the parents involvement between the two?
Speaker 2:and I don't care who actually starts I mean, I think, uh, so here's what I believe and I've always seen and I've always said this all parents care about their kids. It's just, how much time do you have? Do you have to, you know, go to games, go to, uh, back to school nights and all those, all those different things. So sometimes we get confused about parent involvement because the parents might be working and things of that nature. So then we, so we have to, you know, make sure that we're setting up a system that they can, can be more involved. But so, yeah, you know, I've worked in urban schools. Parents have been involved. I work in suburban schools. They're more involved, right, um, but but some of it's just timing, right, they just have, they might have a little bit more, more, more time also.
Speaker 2:I think, like and this has been proven out in fact, so if you're a college educated, right, you kind of understand the process of of what, what you need to do to go from high school to college, to career and so on and so forth. So, a big thing, like, when I work in a suburban school, it's more of okay, there's an expectation that you're going to graduate from high school. I never thought you weren't going to graduate from high school, whereas maybe in a more urban school it's like I wasn't sure. And so graduation becomes the height yeah when. Where we need to always push children to think after graduation, because it's not just about graduating from high school, like that's to just be what we do, right, and then think about what's life like after high school. We had to keep pushing, pushing, pushing our students to think that way and for our parents to think that way, then not to think that the graduation is the end, all be all, because it's really not. It's a good jumping off point.
Speaker 1:But then we have to continue to move after that and you're seeing that more in the in the urban population than you are in the suburban population.
Speaker 2:Like they're. Yeah, some of them are the first time, first, first yeah, for their family to graduate from high school. So and it's, and it is a big deal and I love that. You know, you know, and I'll be at graduation that each time I would love seeing students that they were the first in their family to graduate from high school. I mean, mean, it's, it's nothing like that, like that feeling, um, but I would always try to get them to think about what are we doing after we graduate from high school?
Speaker 1:you know. You know, yeah, I'm saying what's your experience? Um, I would say the same thing. So I kind of I really don't have that much experience with a suburban school. Um, because I taught at both public urban high schools. I would say, where I'm at now, it's less of a standard and more of an accomplishment more than where I was prior. And I feel like with that it has to do with resources, where you live, where you come from, job opportunities, how your parents came up. So in that inner city, which would be Harrisburg City, I'm seeing more of kids with less resources. But what I did, what I will say, is the kids with the less resources I feel like are easier to reach and reel them in. So, because I don't want to sound bad, I don't want to give it a negative connotation, but they're not used to anything. So when I show you what you can do, when you accomplish something as getting the A, getting your first A in this course, they say, oh my gosh, like I can really do this. Getting your first A in this course. They say, oh my gosh, like I can really do this. So let me keep doing this because I like how this makes me feel when the prior school I was at.
Speaker 1:You know what having stuff feels like because of it's not inner city. It's still the city, but it's not inner city. It's, you know, nicer homes out east. It's more opportunity, better resources, more money. So it's like it's not a sense of entitlement, but it's a sense of knowing our kids. In the inner city they had no sense of knowing because they're battling other things that our kids in the suburban areas don't have to battle. So it's like I feel like my, my kids now are easier to reach because I don't have to fight as many battles. Because it's like, hey, you're going through that. I've been through that too. I can. I got through it because I lived on the same street that you did, so let's get through it together.
Speaker 1:And you're like, oh, whereas where? Where I was at prior, at, uh, east it's like, oh, you're not from where we from, or they, some kids, are walking in with more than what I got. So it's like, yeah, I don't know how to meet them where they're at, I'm still going to be supportive, I'm still going to do everything that I need to do for you. I feel like I had a very successful, you know, two years while I was there.
Speaker 1:But just being at home it kind of hits harder, because the same store that you go to after school I was going to after school the same candy man on your corner was the same candy man on my corner you can, you can relate to them, able to get them real like yeah, yeah, and it's like once they see that they take heat, they see how it, how, what it does for them and it's it's more motivating like I had a girl just this week. She's like I really only came to school for your class and I really like made my heart happy. I mean, it's sad at the end of the day because you're only coming to school for me, but for me to be able to do that for her, that meant a lot to me. Well, is it scary or is it something that you should be inspired by? Because you're speaking life to her that otherwise would not, she would not have, she would have.
Speaker 1:It's kind of both, because I I don't want to be your only reason, like I want you, I want you to figure out what your reason is, what your purpose and yeah, I got to wait your intentional purposes and coming to school and getting your diploma, whether that you want to go to a trade school, whether that you want to go off to college, whether that you want to start your own business. I want you to know why you're coming. Don't just come for me.
Speaker 2:I love that I did that for you, but let's figure out what our true purpose here is but that's so important though, too, because I think, like students, you know when they have one reason to come, then they'll have another, and another, and another.
Speaker 2:But you know, education that we get down to the heart of is about relationships too. So us, as adults, build relationships with young people, then get down to the heart of it is about relationships too. So us, as adults, build relationships with young people, then get them to see a future. You know, beyond what they, what they currently see, and sometimes again, if you have, if your parents are that way with you, then you have that at home. If they're not, you're seeking it Right, and so, as educators, always feels good when a child seeking and you're able to meet that need and build that relationship with them and help them move on to the next level. I mean, ultimately, like I said, I wanted to be an educator. I didn't know what subject, but ultimately I wanted to be an educator because I wanted to build relationships with young people to get them to see a life for themselves, beyond what maybe they had seen before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's huge because once you build a relationship with the students right, then when it comes time to discipline them easier, it's easier because they know that you have good intentions. I think what I see they trust you. Or I see the disconnect in the parent of the teachers. Teacher-student relationships where they struggle are the ones that are just there to teach right and not to pour into them Instead of feeling it right. So, with that and being devil's advocate for the teachers who are there just to teach, school systems put so much pressure on you to just teach, so much pressure on you to just teach. So it's like we're more worried about the state scores because that's what's giving our funding, more than we worried about what little Jimmy's going home to whether he got a meal at home. So so that's that's where I feel like that, that disconnect really comes in, because it's not like it's not what we want to do.
Speaker 1:But you have teachers who are and I'm serious about my job, but I'm more serious about reaching the youth. Now I I care about their academic achievement, but I know that if something is lingering over them that's going to affect that academic achievement. Let's fix that first so then we can work on the academics. Let's, let's go, maybe go to the social worker and figure out how we can get this kid some shelter so they're not sleeping in uncle's car, and then we can focus on what two plus two is, because without that we can't focus on that. So what? Go ahead.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say. That's so important because a lot of times people that aren't in education they hear politicians talk about education and they talk about it in terms of test scores and they say this school is not doing well because of test scores and things of that nature, and it makes it easier for the politicians to talk that way, but they don't really know what's going on. And so when you're in a system like an educational system maybe, where the focus is just on test scores because that's what you know these different politicians are hammering, saying, hey, we're giving all these money, this money, to these schools and look at their test scores and they're and they're missing the mark. And I think they're, they're messing education up. And it wasn't like that when we were going to school. So when I was going to school, when I was in in high school, they had just started. Casey came out with some. It was some kind of a governor. Casey came out with some kind of test, but it had just started.
Speaker 2:We took a state test for the California achievement test, but it wasn't a big deal. You know, we we were able to. I think we were able to go to school and teachers were able to teach and build relationships with us, and there was never this sense of you know you guys got to do well on the Keystone State test or you have to do well on the on the yeah, remember that, right yeah. But people will be surprised again, depending what school district you're in, where the focus is at, and so you know it's it's. It's really important, I think, for the public to understand that when they hear you know politicians just talking about test scores, they're not. They're doing education a disservice because they're missing the mark on what we really should be measure, which again, is what are our students doing after they graduate?
Speaker 2:from high school what kind of relationships are they building with teachers? What? What are their experiences in school? Are they positive? Are they ever they having positive experiences in school? Do they have the resources that they need to be to be successful? And stop making it about, you know, state test scores and trying to tie that to funding for for schools, you know, and it's just, it's something that I get a little.
Speaker 1:I felt the passion, I felt that I did so then. Ok, so, speaking of that, do you think that when you went to college so you knew you were going to be in education, right, so I'll ask this question for you you went to marketing and then you decide you want to be educated. So when you went to school, do you think that they properly prepared you for teaching them to test scores or to build a relationship?
Speaker 2:I mean to be honest, when I went to school, they didn't properly prepare me for what I was walking into school. They didn't properly prepare me for what I was lost, in instance, because I don't, I don't think they really they. They show you. You know here's, here's a, you know how you should build a lesson and go do your student teaching, but when you get the key and you walk in the room on your first day, it's nothing like, yeah, is you gotta be a student sitting in front of you looking at you, like, ok, what you going to do?
Speaker 1:And I think that's why Quincy does so well, because you're good at building those relationships and you're willing to go the extra mile, right, you're willing to go to their house if they need the house, or take them to meet with a social worker where I don't know that. You know, you see people teaching and they don't have that same, I guess, passion or drive to build relationships with children. Like, do you? How do you deal with that? Because there's a lot of teachers that probably should change your careers. Yeah, saying nicely, I just mind my business when it comes to that, um, but no, I'm. I feel like where I'm at now. We all have a common goal and that is to make sure our students are successful. So, although they might not be focused on their life beyond the classroom, I still know that they're there and care about that kid and still want them to succeed. Now, whether they're drilling them with math drills and getting them to memorize equations, yeah that might be different, like that's a different level of care that they're showing.
Speaker 1:So I don't judge or anything. Um, really don't voice my opinion about it because I really don't know people's true attention. I just know what mine is and I feel like if I go into school and do what I'm set to do, maybe I might get this teacher next door, who didn't feel that way at the beginning of the year, to cross over like, hey, I see how the students are gravitating to you. I just had the teacher across the hall for me. He's been there for years. He's like oh, you already seem like you know what you're doing and it's like, it's not that I know what I'm doing. I just I prioritize that relationship because, just like you said, when it comes to building that relationship, when I go to discipline, hey, stop running that out. Oh, my bad, miss, cute. Thank you, right, it takes right, right.
Speaker 1:So let's shift gears a little bit and talk about safety in schools. That has been like a thing, um, lately. Right, it's actually a hot topic. I literally have it hot topic school safety. So what changes have you seen, um, in how schools handle safety, discipline, and how does it impact your classroom Quincy, from the time that you were in school to now what you're dealing with as a teacher, from a student to a teacher. So I have to say, growing up, because there were school shootings as I was growing up so that was becoming a big thing. Yeah, like the Sandy Hunt was bad, that's right. Like I remember learning about columbine I know that was the big main one, but I feel like since columbine, all the school shootings that have happened was while I was in school, so it just started just, yeah, okay, so I can't really say it's much of a change. Like I'm used to seeing the metal detectors at the front of the school, um, what I'm not used to is the cops and the parole officers in the hallways, like that wasn't. And then I went to sci-tech so it was a lot smaller. But with me going to sci-tech I was still a part of John Harris. I did a lot of sports, so I was always in the building, even during the day, um, but yeah, it wasn't as prevalent as you see it now. Um, like when I was working at east it was.
Speaker 1:It kind of took me for a surprise that probation officers had their own offices in within the office. Like, where did dedicated. Where did that come from? Yeah, like it's not. They don't just pop in, they, they work there, they're stationed there, right. So it's like, and then I'm seeing and again I went to side tech so I know this was a thing at John Harris kids with ankle monitors, like there's a lot of kids falling victim to the system earlier than what they were when I was in high school, like we had our fair share, but it's more prevalent now and it's I don't know.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's a need, because we do need to make sure our schools are safe. With everything that's going on around the world, all the technology that they have access to, all of the weapons and other illegal things that they have access to. We have to be, we have to heighten that safety. So I'm thankful that is there. It was just kind of walking into it. I'm like, well, where all this come from, but it's like it makes sense. But you hit on something, though, though, because you said, uh, technology, right, they have their cell phone. Those are literally like I see them as weapons now, because they are always on their phone. They start up, they're the instigators. Yes, they start like you don't even know when, to the point where, um, they're coming into school and they're ready to start fighting. You're trying to figure out what is what happened. So and I know you probably can speak to that- yeah, there's two things.
Speaker 2:So one in terms of like, uh yeah, students being in altercations or getting into arguments and leading into fights. The cell phone thing is, it's out of control, because when we were young, when I was growing up, so if I had a disagreement with someone on Friday that wasn't my friend, I left, I went home, we didn't talk, you cooled down. Yeah, I had Saturday, I had Sunday. I forgot about it. I watched an episode of 60 Minutes. I forgot about what we were arguing about. Right.
Speaker 1:No, I watched 60 Minutes. I don't forgot about what we were arguing about, right? No, I watched 60 minutes.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, okay, I forgot about what happened in Monday rolls around in that, hey, I see, you know always Okay, now they can't get away from it. Nope, if it's, if, if it started on Friday, it's going to amplify on Saturday and keep going on Sunday. So, and keep going on Sunday. So now Monday, I mean, just as a human being, you're ready to go, let's go Right. And then they add people into the arguments, and then they arguing, and so I always say to them why don't you just like yeah?
Speaker 2:just they say well, I can, you know, I want to see what they're saying about me, I want to see what they're saying. And so it's very difficult for our young people to get away from disagreements and again it goes back to okay. As a parent, if your child is going through a disagreement, that you would need to check it, because they're probably on their phone doing things you have no idea about and saying things and acting a certain way, you know. And so we've taken a step at our school and I know schools are doing this across the country where you're just saying look, no cell phones or no cell phones, why the students are are in class, because you know it's just constant distractions, distractions.
Speaker 1:So I'm sure they probably even appreciate that. Like honestly, like being on your phone 24 seven, that's a lot, that's right and the way they know.
Speaker 2:And again, that social media piece and the likes and all that I think is so big for them. I can't understand it and appreciate it, because I didn't grow up with it so I don't know. I don't know what that's like. So when I'm saying do x, y and z, you know, maybe you know they're having trouble with it.
Speaker 1:It's just a light light on it. Brought up in the social media world because I was, yeah, so so the likes, and I think with them it's a little bit different, so don't get me wrong. Growing up, um, whenever you got a like or a reshare or a repost, it's like a form of validation, all right. So you like oh, sad, yeah, it's sad. Like you like my picture? Oh, I'm, I'm it. So that's a real thing. When people would put a post up and if they didn't get a certain amount of likes within a certain time, they delete it. They delete it. Yeah, I'm not that type of person, but people definitely do that, yeah, so, yeah, it's like they're driven by likes and reshares, which which becomes problematic, yeah, and then like the fights, they filming them and then posting those, posting them yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, it's just. But then it's also like I said, there it's a little bit different because we're seeing people getting paid from likes. So you got your um and I can't really keep up with them because I don't think what they do is interesting. These influencers, the kai, senats and the the shades they got, I really don't, because they I don't know where they get houses like this from, but they're in these type houses, um, it's just like if I was to make a video and make it seem like this is my house. They do that and they could be in california. Our students in pennsylvania. They don't know that that's their uncle's donor's house right they just see oh, that's a nice big house.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna like this the more I like this. I'm getting him paid, so that's a nice big house. I'm going to like this the more I like this. I'm getting him paid, so that's getting him money. So maybe if I do what he's doing I'll be successful, like him and get to be in a big house, it's all. And then it's like a ship in society, because I feel like with the technology we're more focused on material things. Now we look at people from the outside now the cars, the clothes, the shoes, the jewelry instead of taking our time to get to know people. I feel like we dropped the ball as a society with that. But it affects education because they're kids at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:So whatever they think is in society, they're going to chase after it. And it makes it hard for us because it's like education, education, education. You still need that. Don't worry about the J's and the in the jewelry, and you're not getting that without education. But they can't grasp the concept because kyson that, for example, I don't think he went to college, but they're looking at that oh, he can go to college, I could do what he do, right, but it's like that's not your reality, babe. You don't know how kaisen that came up with his parents do right funding this for him, like you might not have that.
Speaker 1:Those same circumstances, so what? I will tell you can't be cause of that. If you get your education, it's so fair at least graduate I graduate. For me, like, let's not just throw school away, um, I don't know, it's, it's. And and then the social media. They get to see different people's perspectives. You have people posting about whether college or not is important. You have people debating on youtube whether college or not isn't, so they, they get access to that without being able to build their own opinions. Or is it right? Right, yeah. So how do we create a safe space for our students, though, when it comes to safety? Like, so how do we create a safe space for our students, though, when it comes to safety? Like, how, how do we do that? That environment? Because we have social media which is triggering, right, yeah. And then you have people that just wake up angry.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right and they just decide they just want to end people's lives. Like, how do you balance that?
Speaker 2:Well, so I think I'm going to go back to the last statement. We talked about people waking up and wanting to end people's lives. So when we were in school, right, we didn't have a mass shooting at a school.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:So now there's a lot more drills at schools, a lot more attention to safety for the school, to um a safety for student, for the school. So you see school resource officers or police officers that that work for the, for the school district. So you're, you know, you see metal detectors, you see all those different things taking place. It's sad, but it's something that we have to do, because some people do wake up and they want to just go on a mass shooting spree. So, again, a lot of things that are happening in society just end up on our steps.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, like the access to weapons for young people, it's easy for them to get them and again then they end up at school sometimes. So I think we have to do something as a country around access to guns and things of that nature for young people or people that are going through some things, and and what it could end up leading to. So it's a bigger. It's bigger than just what we do at schools, because we I think schools do a really good job of preparing for these situations. We have all kinds of drills. You know we I didn't have a lockdown drill when I was in high school we have lockdown drills now. I didn't have an outside shooter drill, but we have them now. We're inside the drill, you know, and what students are supposed to do and that was it, and that was it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now is now is. Now is now is run, hide, fight, you know. Right, run if, run if you can. If a shooter comes into school, run if you can. If not, hide and at the last resort, fight, right, you know. That's what you know we, we tell our kids in school. You know, and that's because of what's happening in society.
Speaker 1:I think people underestimate how much time kids spend at school. So it's like the things that they're doing outside of school is eventually going to make it in school, because you're still here five days out of the week, eight hours a day. That's a job, and sometimes you feel like you're at work more than you are at home. So that's how, that's how the kids feel with school. So I feel like if we, like you said, like just on a country level, like figure something out so we can change society, so that can spark the change in the education system. Yeah, this is a great conversation. I want to end it with this what is the one thing? Right? Because we want to give people hope that you admire most about this generation when it comes to the way that they approach education.
Speaker 2:I think they're really creative and I think we underestimate how much they want to contribute to society and they have, you know, such great ideas and a lot of them have a lot of hope, you know. So I think you know our young people are really resilient, they're go-getters, they're creative, they are world changers. We just have to make sure they're getting the right resources, the right support and we're concentrating on the right things with them. Absolutely, I think that's that's that's critical, and that we continue to talk about education and how important it is to their, their end goal, whether it's college, career, technical school yeah everybody's gotta keep pushing how about you miss q?
Speaker 1:um? Basically the same thing. I like how headstrong they are. Yeah, um, bold and and driven, like I know, if I say I'm gonna do this this, I'm going to do it. I don't care who's staying, I don't care what principal, with teachers standing in my way, I'm going to do it. I see that attitude within them a lot. Might not always be appropriate in a school setting, but beyond school, in life, you're going to need that quality to persevere and get through. Whatever. I don't know, quincy, it's not um, what is it? They shouldn't be doing it in the school. So how do you gear them? Because this is huge, I mean sometimes, how do you gear them so they don't lose that bite that may not be appropriate for the certain form that they're in, right, but then, um, allow them to know that, okay, it's not appropriate here, but I do like it's teaching them decorum.
Speaker 1:I'm a, I'm a big, I'm a big person on, I'm an open book. I tell everybody that I'm going to tell you a story to get this through to you. So, because I'm basically, I haven't been through the worst, but I've been through a lot of experience that have shaped me into who I am today. So I feel like if I could share that story with that student, I'm gonna share it with you. So you know, hey, this ain't the time for that, but might need to use that somewhere else. So hold on to that.
Speaker 1:But just know there's a time and a place for everything cursing, for example. I mean, it's not, you don't need to. I did see your post. Yeah, like you don't need to do that. And I tell my students all the time I wasn't a saint in high school, right, I did. What you're doing right now wasn't as loud, right, but I still did that. It was a time and a place for everything. Around a million adults is not the time or the place to to tell your friend how you don't like her effing dress or how whatever you're saying to her. Yeah, it's not the time for that I get it.
Speaker 1:Social media. I'm telling you yeah, we, we have to bring the quorum back to the country. Where's the? We gotta bring the quorum back yeah bring it back.
Speaker 1:Bring it back, okay. Leaders, future leaders no, you're a leader in your own right. I'm like, what's a future leader? Yeah, like uh, who is like you? I do, I truly enjoy it always having you here and here. And then, dr Ross, I made it. Yeah, you did. I didn't break a sled, I did not. So I appreciate you both. I really do. Are there any last words that you want to share? Get your education, kids. It's very important, oh very important. It opens a lot of doors, a lot of doors to the things that y'all want. So go get those good grades, make sure your work's turned in. Don't just think school is an option yeah because it's not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and you know what, when you're struggling, find a mentor, yes, in the building, because we're there, care about you. Find a mentor in the building. I think that's huge right, and then hopefully everyone would be so lucky to have um dr ross as their principal or um, you know, whatever your future brings to you, yeah, leading a school, because I think he's a dynamic leader and I don't think it's because of my husband, because I just see the work he puts in.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So thank you, yes, thank you. You're welcome and you know what y'all? I want y'all to keep keeping it real. But before we end this podcast, I do need to thank Messer Homes for allowing us to set up in this beautiful space here, and I do want to thank our sponsors, allstate Insurance and Fidelis Mortgage, as well as Top Construction. Between them and my real estate business, we're able to fund these amazing episodes, and if you know anyone that's looking to buy or sell, I want to plug it in there. Just reach out to us, because we're here Until next time, see ya.
