July 2009 - ORU Alumni Connection
The Teacher is Mightier than the Statistic
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In Tulsa alone, there are about 880 ORU alumni in education, and on July 21 the ORU Alumni Connection luncheon was targeted directly to them. Jarod Mendenhall, the assistant superintendent for support services at Union Public Schools, spoke to a small portion of these educators before they headed into another school year.
Mendenhall, who is completing his doctoral degree at ORU, has been in the education field since 1991, working for Bartlesville, Broken Arrow and Union Public Schools, the latter for more than 14 years. After six years as a history teacher and coach, he began pursuing an administrative career, working as an assistant principal, a building principal and executive director for curriculum design and school improvement before stepping into his current position, where he serves more than 14,000 Union students.
"Nothing I do is in the classroom anymore," Mendenhall said. "But I never forget what it's like to close the door and have 30-35 students looking back at you."
With a background of nearly 20 years in education, Mendenhall has seen how the role of a teacher has changed drastically, as children who walk into the classroom are struggling with problems much bigger than completing their homework.
"Lots of kids are being treated like adults," he said. "It's important to look at some of the things kids are facing. You don't know what they've been through last night, or if they have even eaten."
Mendenhall believes as issues go unaddressed and ignored, by the time students reach high school, they are apathetic and uninterested, and unfortunately, become another statistic.
"You can predict a dropout very early. By ninth grade, you can tell whether or not the student is going to receive a diploma or even a GED," he said. "The graduation rate is 68-71 percent around the country. For the 2007-08 school year, Oklahoma had a 2.9 percent dropout rate. Now, you may think that is low, but if it is one child, it is too many."
"What are we doing?" was the question Mendenhall presented. His solution to bringing effectiveness back to the classroom is through relationships, engaging students, sponsorship and educational leadership.
"As a teacher, you have 180 days to get them to the next level," he said. "Relationships do matter; knowing your children makes a difference. If you do not love kids, it's going to be tough to be an educator."
From the school counselor to the bus driver, Mendenhall said it is imperative that every school employee sees him or herself as a leader and takes on that responsibility.
"There is a need for leadership on every level, not just in the classroom," he said. "All students want someone to pay attention to them, care about them and be encouraged. They get enough negative. Your job is to be positive."
As leaders, Mendenhall explained that educators will only receive as much involvement and enthusiasm from their students as they are willing to invest themselves.
"Engagement is the most common predictor of student success in academic achievement and behavior," he said. "I never expect teachers to be rock stars, but when I walk through the hallways and see teachers that are engaged and happy to be there, their kids are often doing the same. And those are the classrooms that have results. That is always true in anything we do."
He ended with a quote from Aristotle, his personal motto that he hoped other teachers would live by as well.
"We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act, but a habit."
OAC is taking a break in August. The next OAC luncheon will be held on Sept. 15 and will feature special guest Dr. Mark Rutland, ORU's new president. Be sure to RSVP on our Web site once the event is posted.