OCR Text |
Show HILLTOP TIMES 4 TIMES March 4, 2010 EDUCATOR From pagei That teacher followed through in the fourth grade, making sure he got the things he needed to improve his skills by backing the fourth-grade teacher up, and he made it to a magnet school and then high school. The young man, now playing basketball, thought for sure the NBA was in his future and that he could skip college. But wise educators pulled him aside and talked to him about the merits of going to college and getting an MBA as opposed to going directly to the NBA saying, "We've seen you jump," referring to his skills on the court. After some hard work on his part, he did graduate from college. He went back to one of the teachers instrumental in his going to college saying, "I've got the degree but I don't have a job," as he wondered if he had wasted four years there. But that teacher put him in touch with her brother who worked for ESPN and soon he was putting together five minute videos for television broadcast at halftime on NBA millionaires such as Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. When he went back to his elementary school to give an inspirational talk because he remembered that others had told him how important it was for the kids to see what someone from their neighborhood had achieved, the kids asked him why he wasn't teaching them. He responded by getting a master's degree in education and going to teach in a school he attended as a child. "Success comes to some of the kids because they latch onto people who care," he reports as he described his experience with the students. "Strong and effective leadership is saying, 'Follow me because I was an ex- find because he had called them "old ladies" however kindly he had made the remark. He eventually got a call from one of his initial chess student members he ":£;! had not heard from in awhile. "Otis" •;;% wanted him to know he was graduat- >;% ing from college. His former student,M told him that Principal EL didn't ^ to attend his college graduation, he wanted him to know. >•;: EL called every one of Otis' teachers' and although his own wife was having a tough pregnancy, they drove to OtisJSg graduation. "We must show up," he said they each other. "But we missed the ceremony, all of us were crying all the through it." >£ In 2004, Otis went on to also graduates from Temple University Law School. ]..-; EL told Otis, "You take that diploma,": law school diplomas are very large, '. and you take it down to your neighbor- • KIM COOK/U.S. Air Force hood and you show them what you have; Mark Johnson, Ogden Air Logistics Center executive director, honors Salome Thomas-EL at the Transformation Symposium by giving him a special installation Air done." .-: This is important, EL said, because ! Force coin in accordance with military custom and tradition. there is resistance to change. "Peopleare naturally resistant to change. The 1 closer you get to the improvement zone, cellent follower," EL said about what it ing them graduate from high school and the closer you approach that resistance '• go on to college and college degrees. takes to succeed as a leader. zone because no one wants to leave • He decided that the way to improve After seeing 10 kids killed a year in high school was to first start at the jutheir comfort zone." ; his elementary school on average due nior high/middle school level. to violence, he was driven to help even He reports that Arnold Schwarzenegr Eventually he become Principal EL at ger came to his school and offered • more of them succeed, in concert with others around him. to play one of his chess students. EL ' • a high school. tried to persuade him not to do it. But -; He decided chess was the answer "You can become anything you want Schwarzenegger played one of the girls! because it taught students the art of as long as you work hard," he learned and was taken to check mate in short -• • critical thinking, to think ahead "around and taught. order. "She terminated the Terminator,"; the bend." But, and this is crucial, "It wasn't EL said. ; : about me," he said. "It was about them First he brought in chess boards and ending up on a campus." taught a group of special education stuSchwarzenegger donated $20,000 to : dents, letting them take the boards with "A dream without a plan," he said, "is the chess club. They are using it for • them throughout the school. a hallucination." blazers for the chess club members an<3 Things took off from there. He said the Achilles heel of the expenses for trips to competitions be- ; cause those are the kinds of things the:' He eventually had students beating leader is arrogance. His mother talked school does not get monetary support^*; college level students in national comto him as he was preparing to become for from school budgets. ;-; petitions. a principal, warning him that he should not go in and act as if he knew more EL said, "Make sure you are doing ajl But the real victory for him was seethan the "old ladies" who had taught for you can do to be an agent of change."-*'years. "Take care of yourself. You're no -; He made the mistake of quoting good to your team if you are in the hos-; CLUTCHES "his Mama" at one of their meetings pital getting a triple bypass," he said. .: as low as and he says that the first year he had "Take care of yourself so that you are PLUS PARTS, MOST CARS (Plus parts &a90 day warranty) to make up for it by buying up every truly able to take care of those people;*; white board and teaching aid he could who are following you," EL said. ,*) $200 FREE OIL CHANGES BRAKE INSPECTION $2495 -MOST CARS- 801.394.0997 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REBUILD II our nea. TANT (with warranty) C & D Automotive will fulfill all your vehicle needs at a competitive rate! Compare our rates & see. $60/hr shop rate 2930 Pennsylvania Ave. #93 Ogden, Utah 84401 5J,-,- -^.-£3 • • ^ '# ?:" inT^Fjjijiqi (£MWW*Q™M§llQ ••A S11.* eis UTAH Soft-Touch e High-tech, mogram Davis Hospital and Medical Center is proud to announce that we now offer all women digital mammograms featuring the MammoPad breast UNTOLD STORIES T hey offered up their lives, many enduring unspeakable horrors. Utah veterans share their compelling and very personal memories in "Untold Stories"—the fifth and final episode of KUED's awardwinning series Utah World War II Stories. Monday, March 8, at 7:00 p.m. Repeats Sunday, March 14, at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. KUED? cushion. Digital mammography is the latest technology in the fight against breast cancer. MammoPad is a foam breast pad that serves as a cushion between you and the mammography system. You can relax, knowing your mammogram will be warmer, softer and more comfortable. So no excuses. Early detection can save lives. To schedule your appointment, call (866) 431-WELL (9355)., or visit us online at www.davishospital.com Th« University of Utah TV Worth Watching.. .TV Worth Supporting • IS .'.'i * •"", ~~u> V. AT DAVIS HOSPITAL |