Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – April Coker, Author

Teacher Tuesday: The rewards of social media

Facebook sometimes gets a bad rap. Everybody who is hip and tech savvy seems to have a Facebook or Facebook page while the rest consider it a waste of time and an invasion of privacy. Granted, some people spend way too much time reading news feeds and posting statuses that no one cares about. Worse still are those who upload photos that no one wants or needs to see. Photos of children are freely posted without regard for the potential of some pedophile somewhere using the photo or information in some perverse or criminal way.

All that said, I too, have joined the bazillions on Facebook. I have more “friends” than a person could ever keep up with, and I take an hour now and then to scroll down the news feed to find out what is happening out there with people I rarely see in person. It’s an excellent way to keep up with people I would never see or hear from.

But the best thing about it? I get to be in touch with former students I would never hear from otherwise. And what I learn is the best reward a teacher could ask for.

I see them grown up now with families and careers and surprising maturity. For the most part, I didn’t teach the “gifted” kids or the “honors” kids; I mostly taught the ones who struggled through high school, the ones who might have dropped out without my special dropout intervention program. Many of these kids were labeled underachievers and troublemakers by teachers and administrators who should have known better. It speaks volumes when some of these kids call themselves “rejects” or “losers” because they have not been successful in school. In my opinion, school has failed them, and not the other way around. I spent a lot of my time defending these kids to the very system which prides itself on educating every child. All too often many kids do get “left behind” in the quest for school district recognition.

Anyway, back to Facebook. What better reward could a teacher have than to see posts by former students describing their service in the military, their careers, their children, their spouses, and their homes? I love finding out that my kids (students) have grown up into responsible citizens and family members. Facebook gives me a window into the world of my former students that I would never have had before.

I have discovered that my former students are now electricians, plumbers, mechanics, contractors, singer/songwriters, nurses, massage therapists, police officers, gun dealers, photographers, real estate brokers, weather forecasters, business owners, lab technicians, firefighters, landscapers, fence builders, teachers, legal assistants, car salesmen, computer technicians, cowboys, professional cheerleader director, and the list goes on.

So, however self-absorbed today’s generation may be, I’m glad that they are giving me glimpses into their successful lives.

XOXO

TEACHER TUESDAY: Sometimes they become famous. . .

I am proud to say that many, if not most, of my students have grown into successful adults with good jobs and nice families. I love seeing them on Facebook showing off pictures of their own children (whom I call my grand-students) and sounding like responsible adults. After all, isn’t every teacher and parent’s goal to raise their children into responsible, contributing adults? Even the ones I or other teachers may have despaired over have grown up into surprisingly well-adjusted and responsible people!

Imagine that!

Not only do students grow up into responsible adults, some of our students become famous. I have had several of those in my career, but the one I met in my supervisory teacher’s classroom during my student teaching

was my first.

Have you ever watched “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team”? This reality program chronicles the tryouts of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders under the direction of Kelli McGonagill Finglass, who happens to be that student. Beautiful, tough as nails, and a former Cowboys cheerleader herself, she has brought the cheerleaders to international recognition and status.

I’m not going to pretend and say that I knew Kelli well or was a favorite teacher. In fact, when I met her at a Distinguished Alumni reception we had at Lindale High School a few months ago, I was surprised when she said that she remembered me. It may have just been her being polite. I could instantly see how she has become such a successful professional and even a national icon. Her poise and charm made everyone feel at ease and important after they waited in line to speak to her.

I am proud of all my students, not just Kelli, and I am not more proud of her than my others. It’s just kind of cool when one of them becomes famous and you can say that you were one of their teachers.

XOXO