As I sit down to write this, my final blog post as High School Director at Vantage Career Center, I search for the correct words to show my true appreciation for everything this position has taught me. Over these past three years, I have learned the number of decisions and amount of hard work it takes in order to plan and execute a successful school year. I've also learned that no matter how much time we spend planning and all of the stones we turn over to make sure we're ready, something unexpected will ALWAYS pop up and show you that you can't plan for everything and just have to be ready for anything in the world of education.
I've also learned a great deal about support. I have run into so many scenarios in this job which challenged me to look outside of my own base of knowledge for perspective. There have literally been hundreds of people who have given me their most valuable resource (time) in order to help me find the best decision/outcome for Vantage and our students. I have been blown away by people's willingness to help. Whether it be Vantage teachers, administrators, and staff members, professionals at the Ohio Department of Education, local business professionals, or other administrators across the state of Ohio (even one or two from Indiana); there can't be enough said about the people who have helped teach me that our most effective method of accomplishing anything is to rely on each-other. These people I have leaned on have all been wonderful resources, and taught me so much about planning, leadership, and the world of education. It's no surprise that the vast majority of those people I mentioned chose to be professional educators (AKA teachers) at one point in their lives.
Teaching is in all of us. We all desire to share our talents and gifts with others, and that shows in our willingness to help. Of the hundreds of people I called for help in my time as Director, every single one of them either directly provided the information I needed or pointed me to another person who would be better suited to help with that specific question. No one ever simply said "Sorry, can't help you Tony". Everyone reading this (and every person in this world) has a unique skill-set and gifts they've been given by something greater than all of us, and I firmly believe all of us have a desire to impart those talents, so never be afraid to ask. In short, I believe we all want to teach when called upon.
Which brings me to the reason why this is my last post as HS Director at Vantage. My passion is teaching, and working more closely day-to-day with our students. I didn't always realize this. In fact, I'd like to tell a quick story about how naive I once was. After college, I was working in what really was a fun job. However, I realized this was more of a job than a long-term career, so I started looking around for something I could see myself doing more long term. I searched "sports marketing" and "sports management" in every job site you can think of, as well as looking into the potential of coaching college basketball somewhere.
I had been coaching junior high basketball at Kalida while working those first few years out of college, and absolutely loved it. As you may know from reading this for the past few years, I've always been a huge sports fan, so I thought the sports industry was where I wanted to be long term. As I looked into these avenues, we continued to have a great deal of success with the teams I was helping to coach, and I was having more and more fun working with those kids. Around that same time, my dad asked me a question: "Have you ever thought about going back to school and teaching?" That's when I gave one of the most uneducated (OK, it was dumb) responses I've ever given to any question. I remember saying "Dad, I think I'm meant to do more than teach." I didn't know why at the time, but my dad just kind of gave me a half-grin and said something to the effect of "OK, if you say so".
I thought he was being smug, but the way he responded got me thinking about the possibility of teaching. Side note: my dad has a way of doing that...making me think about things and helping me open my mind to all avenues before making decisions. Thanks Dad, and thanks for everything! Happy Father's Day!
Anyway, if I'm being totally honest, I have to admit that one of my first thoughts was that maybe teaching could be my ticket to big-time coaching. Maybe I could teach for a few years while coaching at the high school level and work my way up. That happens all the time. Several of the best college coaches got their start as HS teachers and coaches. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So I did it. I quit that job and went back to school full-time in pursuit of a teaching license.
Toward the end of my (second) time at the University of Dayton, they asked everyone in the teaching program to list their top 3 choices to do our student teaching. Living in Centerville and having a job at the mall working only 20-30 hours/week at the time, I of course requested the three closest schools to my apartment. Instead, I was placed at Miami Valley Career Technical Center, which was roughly 40 miles (one way) from my apartment. To say I was annoyed to have to make that drive and pay for that gas would be an understatement.
However, when I was Blessed with the opportunity to interview here at Vantage almost 10 years ago now, I knew that the placement I had been given couldn't have been more perfect (funny how things tend to work out if we let them). As I began teaching here at Vantage, I also began coaching basketball at a local high school with a long-time friend who happened to also be a social studies teacher by trade. It seemed like everything was falling into place and my plans were being set into action. But then, something unexpected started to happen. I started asking him more about his lesson plans than the practice plans. We had amazing conversations about teaching and the ways we engage our students, and I learned a great deal about how enjoyable teaching can be from him (Thanks Josh!). At the same time, the more I got to know the students that come through the doors here at Vantage, and the communities these students come from; the more I fell in love with the profession of teaching, and coaching took a backseat.
As teachers, we have the profound responsibility of not only teaching the standards which the state of Ohio sets for our chosen fields, but to do so in a way that sets an example of good ethics and positive attitudes for our students. These behaviors which we model are vital, and I quickly fell in love with how much care and compassion the entire staff here at Vantage shows in building the relationships with our students to the point where they legitimately trust us to teach not only about our specific subject, but also about how to behave professionally. That trust, which is also given to us by the parents of these young men and women who come through our doors each August, allows us to have a real effect that shows in their growth by the time they walk out those same doors each May.
That level of commitment around the building was why I applied for the Director position when it opened. I wanted to be a part of ensuring that level of care continued to grow with full support from the administration, and I believe we have done that. However, as I have continued to enjoy the challenges of working to ensure proper care is given to all 420+ students that show the courage to step outside of their "comfort zone" and choose Vantage each year; I have also continuously missed the day-to-day interactions, creating fun and engaging lessons, and individual impact felt in the classroom.
"Dad, I'm meant to do more than teach." Eight of the most regrettable words I'll ever say (one who is a fan of lame jokes/puns might say I eventually "eight" my words). Teachers are some of the hardest working and dedicated people you'll ever meet. They will fight for their students while holding them accountable for completing the work that is required of them. This is never an easy feat, but it is one our teachers are up for each and every year. As I said earlier, we are all teachers; but it takes a remarkable amount of talent, drive and patience to do it professionally!
The fact is, as an administrator, I've learned that this school (or any organization) would not be a success without every single staff member pulling their proverbial weight. The building could not function properly without our top-notch maintenance staff. Our tech department provides and shows us how to use the tools we need to teach our students in a world that is becoming more and more reliant on technology and automation. Aides provide invaluable help to all of our students throughout the school year. Administrative assistants provide information and are the frontline to answer questions when unexpected events arise. I could literally go on and on.
My point is, I've learned we're all meant to do what makes us happy and where we feel we are making the biggest difference we possibly can. There's no such thing as being meant to do "more than" any job/career. It doesn't matter how much money you make, or what your title is; if you're making a positive difference (and we all have the opportunity to do that in ANY job with a smile and optimistic mindset), that's all that matters.
I now know that I am meant to be a teacher, and I could not be more proud to re-join the ranks of a group of people who have a profound impact on the future of our kids. It may have been a winding path with a few detours along the way, but I'm glad I found my way back and couldn't be more excited to see where it goes in the future. I look forward to going back into the classroom here at Vantage when the time becomes right, under the leadership of our administrative team and Mr. Mike Knott (who will be taking over this role as of July 1). While I talk about being meant to be a teacher, Mr. Knott is a former teacher who is meant to lead this school. He will continue to push Vantage, our staff, students, and communities in a great direction while maintaining the winning culture that has been building here since long before my time began as Director.
Thank you all again for taking the time to read and get to know everything that Vantage is about.
