(I wrote this on May 4...)
I really can’t tell you what made me start thinking about this, but on the way to work this morning as I prepared to observe the North Carolina State Board of Education meeting, I had a flood of memories from about seven years ago. (Actually…now that I think about it, I can tell you. I started thinking about how the current Wake County Board of Education is about to flush the school system down the toilet because certain folks were completely bankrolled by a couple of people who have no more business dabbling in education than I do in engineering. Then, as I was driving through Wake Forest, I remembered that the Wake Forest-Rolesville area Board member when I was teaching was Kathryn Watson Quigg, who happened to grow up next door to my grandmother in Franklinton. She was the chair of the Board of Education when I was Teacher of the Year at Wakefield High, and that’s what brought me to what I was thinking.)
Seven years ago this week, I was about to head to the Embassy Suites in Cary to find out if I’d been selected as Wake County Schools’ Teacher of the Year. (How in the world did I get there?) I had only been at Wakefield High School six months when I was chosen by my colleagues as Teacher of the Year. I came to WHS in February (February 4, to be precise) to replace a teacher who I later found out had spent the entire first semester teaching absolutely nothing. When I came in on the second day (the first day was my rules, procedures, etc.), and I put a few things up on the screen and said, “So, who can tell me about these things?” and nobody answered…and it was Chapter 1…I knew it was going to be a challenge. I think the big surprise for my colleagues was that it stopped sounding like Pee Wee’s Playhouse all day long. My friend Maureen used to tell me that it sounded like they were moving furniture every day (her room was directly below mine).
Of course, the main reason I was effective in those first days was my friend Luther Johnson, who was an Assistant Principal at WHS at the time (I’d followed him from West Forsyth). I had one problem with one kid on my first day – his name was Corey, and he decided to try cursing me out in my first fifteen minutes – and Mr. Johnson, who was standing outside my door at every class change that day, only had to hear me say, “Excuse me?” He walked in, put his hand on Corey’s shoulder, and walked him right on out. Corey didn’t come back for a few days, and I never really had issues with him again. Didn’t get much out of him academically, but behaviorally, he didn’t step out of line again.
The Physical Science End of Course Test Scores I got that spring were the highest test scores I ever had in all seven years I taught. Still can’t explain that one, because I never took Physics…but I’ll celebrate anyway. J The kids I taught that semester stuck with me for the next three years. (Most of them were freshmen, and those that weren’t still stuck around in one way or another.) I had many of them in Biology, Anatomy, or they were in Science Honor Society, Pep Club, or on the Junior Class Council. (The JCC I worked with in 2003-04 were literally all students I’d taught that first semester I was at WHS.) I cried like a baby when they graduated. So, I guess it’s only fitting that it was because of them that my colleagues thought I was worthy of being named their Teacher of the Year.
The selection process was held in September, and even though it was a huge deal to me, my principal at the time tossed it off in an afternoon announcement like it was a bus change. (He wasn’t the biggest fan of compliments, so it wasn’t a surprise.) Fortunately, my friends came and celebrated with me – Amy brought me a HUGE cookie, I got lots of yells and cards and shoutouts and e-mails. Over the three months, I put together my TOY packet…and thanks to the help of my friend Amy Davis (the cookie Amy), I put together what I thought was one fantastic submission. (This was back when you had to put in a video, also…and Marilyn Bushey worked her magic yet again to help with that.) In February, on a random Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Johnson (who we all started calling Dr. J) called me to his office, and rather officially (and kind of coldly, or so I thought) sat me down to tell me something official. I had been named one of the 24 semifinalists for Wake County Teacher of the Year. (That’s right…he played me. I thought I’d done something wrong yet again.) He then called up our friend Vernestine (who had been North Carolina Teacher of the Year several years ago) and we told her. She flipped out of her gourd, and blessed me with her TOY keychain from when she was NC TOY. J A few days later, I had a site visit from a team of five people, one of whom had replaced my current principal when he left Ligon Middle School (where my 8th grade Social Studies teacher, Sandra Carter Shipp, was teaching…and that same year was their Teacher of the Year). They came, I did the best lesson I could with them (I taught my students about digestion, and specifically how when you chew bread, it starts out tasting like bread but then turns to sugar because you’re breaking down the polysaccharides in the bread…can you tell I miss teaching?), and then sent them on their way. After they left (about fifteen minutes before the class period was over) and were safely out of earshot, my kids all said, “Mr. Senter – were we good enough? Did we do it right?” They were so worried! I told them yes, they were perfect…if I didn’t go any further, it surely wasn’t because of them.
A month or so later, in mid-April, every Teacher of the Year was invited (with special invites to the 24 semifinalists) to a lovely gathering (a very nice reception) at NCSU’s Centennial Campus. Greeting everyone at the door was the Chair of the Wake County Board of Education. I went to shake her hand and she looked at me and said, “Elic, I grew up next to your grandmother.” Mind you – I hadn’t seen this woman in my adult life, so I didn’t make any connection until she said that…and I looked at her and said, “You’re Mrs. Watson’s daughter!” Indeed she was. Her father had built the pond in front of my grandmother’s house, and when his son drowned in it, he sold the land to my grandfather, who built my family’s homeplace there. So, after that fun reunion, we went in, and mingled. The time came to celebrate everyone, and all 24 semifinalists were called up, and given a lovely keychain (which was later stolen from my desk). From that, each team who reviewed the semifinalists named one finalist…seven teams, seven finalists…and my name was called. I almost peed right there. Luther Johnson and Amy Davis were against the wall and were about to explode. (Dr. J already knew it though…it helps to have connections, as I have since found out in my own travels.)
After the pomp and circumstance were over, they took our photos…and if you look at mine, you can see that I didn’t have on a tie originally…that’s how I met my friend Johnny Gatlin. Johnny had a tie…didn’t match, but it was a tie. So, I borrowed his tie and there I was. (Who knew you had to wear ties to these things? I was 25!!!) And that’s how my photo went on the WCPSS website…and in this HUGE ad in the News and Observer that ran three times. Three times with a mismatched tie and a pudgy face. Ugh.
Johnson, Amy, my principal and I went to the Edwards Mill Bar and Grill to hang out and celebrate. My principal bought me a drink, which was nice. We had a good time. (See, I was special and in favor when I was winning awards and bringing home the bacon…but when things weren’t going so swimmingly, I wasn’t worth very much.) Amy and I went out to dinner. Dr. J made a special announcement the next day in the middle of 2nd period. (Finally, some celebration at school!) Life was good.
Through this process…and the process of working with Junior Class Council, who did Prom, I met Lorraine Miano and Nan Maples, who were the co-presidents of the WHS PTSA. Lorraine and I became rather close because her daughter Jackie was on the JCC, and we spent a huge amount of time together. It was from that relationship that I became the teacher representative on the PTSA, and it’s also how I became the host of the Caring 4 a Cause Variety Show that the PTSA put on each fall. (I only missed one year…they got Lodge McCammon to host, he was a hit, but didn’t want to do it again…and nobody else did either, so back to me it was. Apparently, I’m Billy Crystal.) Nan and Lorraine got an invitation for themselves and me from the WCPSS PTA to come to Meredith College for a celebration of the TOYs and other special award winners. Apparently, they thought it was a bigger deal than it was. We got there…they called me up and gave me a certificate, and sent me back to my seat. My principal was there…and got a “phone call” so he had to leave. Within five minutes, the rest of us did, too. We went to dinner instead. Nothing like dinner and drinks with Nan and Lorraine! (The same can be said for dinner and drinks with Cindy and Debbie…and they know who they are.)
After having spent the entire year planning, the following week was go time for Prom 2003. The theme was At Last. Michelle von Hoene and I had spent a full year (and some change) with our kids preparing. We’d hosted the first Mistletoe Market to raise money for it. (That first year, we raised $6,500. By the fourth year, which was the last year I worked with it, we were pulling in three times that each year.) And we had an AMAZING experience, in spite of the freakin’ rain. (Apparently, any outdoor event I am to work with must involve water from the skies.) We had horse drawn carriages, and even though we had a gorgeous courtyard in the back (where six months later a bevy of beautiful trailers were put up), thanks to some diligent moms, Michelle and Diane Roof, we had a BEAUTIFUL event in the auxiliary gym. After it was over, we cleaned it up, and stored everything in my room. (My room became the storage area for prom for the next three years. I moved twice…and had to move all that stuff twice, too. Ugh.)
All was well and good until Monday morning, when the School of Communication Arts (the three domes in Wakefield) showed up to do a video of me (while wearing a sweatshirt and jeans) for the TEACHER OF THE YEAR DINNER. #!(@#$(&*^! My room looked like downtown Baghdad right after they found Saddam! They came up, said they’d be right in, and asked for a student to follow in. I sent them Jacob Carr. I knew he could stall. I looked at the rest of my 2nd period Anatomy class and said, “Alright guys, we’re going to clean like I do at my house. Grab EVERYTHING Prom and put it in the closet. Grab everything science and put it out!” And in five minutes, that room was CLEAN. They came and did a lovely video…and while I was ‘teaching’ in the video…I said the same thing five times. Oops.
Two weeks later, we got to the TOY dinner, and had a lovely time. My mom and dad, me, Lorraine and Nan, my principal, and Amy were all with me. They called us up on stage, and gave us each a lovely Lucite plaque (which sits in my office today), and then from the seven of us, announced the WCPSS TOY. And I’ll be damned if it wasn’t Johnny Gatlin. An environmental science teacher from Middle Creek High School, Johnny is a fantastic teacher, and through the process of becoming a finalist, we’d gotten to know each other. He’s a super nice guy. And if I had known that borrowing his tie would cost me WCPSS TOY, I’d have gone tie-less! (Just kidding.) But, as Johnny will tell you, it was kismet. See, the WCPSS TOY gets a brand new Saturn to use for the year…and a week later, he wrecked (and nearly totaled) his own car…so off in the Saturn he drove for the next few weeks while his car was being fixed!
After it was all said and done, there was still one thing missing. I realized that I had nothing that said, “Wakefield High School Teacher of the Year.” I was with Lorraine and Nan somewhere doing something for PTSA later on in May, and offhandedly said, “You know, I love my WCPSS TOY Finalist plaque, but I don’t have anything that says Wakefield on it. You know Steve’s not real big on things like that…oh well. I’ll go make my own.” (And I was serious.) About a week later, right after Memorial Day during the workdays (and the day before my birthday, oddly enough), I was paged to the office. Lorraine and Nan had a cute little gift bag with a Happy Birthday balloon on it. And inside was a Lucite plaque that said “Wakefield High School Teacher of the Year – Elic A. Senter – 2003.” And it sits in front of my WCPSS plaque in my office. After all…it is a little more important…it came from my family.
Memories are good things…especially when they are good memories. Got one to share? (Or are you bored to death after reading this?) Feel free to share it here!
