Educator Story: Brian
Brian is an educator with the Saint Paul, MN public schools, with over 27 years of experience. His rooms recently received a refresh thanks to Heart of America and our corporate partner, 3M.
“People know it’s not always an equal playing field. Sometimes it’s things like the auditorium seats need to be fixed, for example, or the technology in our rooms needs to be updated. But that’s not a reflection on the administration or the staff; I work with some incredible people. We just don’t always have what we need in our classrooms.”
Brian teaches a communications class and helps students learn how to write code. “I think the best skill my students can come away with is knowing that mistakes are a part of the process. You can’t memorize your way into, say, writing a string of code. It doesn’t work that way. You can make a mistake in a text to a friend, but not when you’re coding.”
“I’ve got students who learn how to do these things, and their first comment is that it’s like nothing they’ve ever done. And their potential is incredible! One student I recall just learned English in a few years and now knows another language: HTML. And they are in the top of the class!”
His approach to learning centers exploration. Through the broadcast side of his work, students create daily live-streamed news for the school, which requires they learn by doing. “They will see mistakes that they made in the previous day’s stream, realize it, and quickly know that they can’t do it that way again. So many of us now want to produce a large quantity of things like content quickly. But this is just one show, one day, and it helps them take pride in what they produce.”
You can’t memorize your way of playing the trumpet or shooting free throws. You have to try it every day, practice and practice. You can’t succeed by simply cramming for it or just memorizing it. You have to play, which helps you learn.
What does this makeover mean to Brian? “Once the other teachers find out I got new chairs, and my old ones are in the hallway, it will be a mad dash! We are so short on things that even a used chair helps so much.”
The investment means a lot to the kids, too. Knowing that an outside organization is investing in them matters — they don’t take it lightly.
“Something tangible is a big deal to kids. When people from the outside, like Heart of America and 3M, come in and offer to help, the kids take notice. They know that someone is investing in them. That matters.”
We may be a little jealous of Brian’s students, as he — like so many other educators all over the country — is so deeply invested in their students’ success that they stop at nothing to make sure each student has the tools and resources to make the most of their education. Thanks for all you do, Brian.