The Masked Teacher: Recent Episodes
Richelle Augustine
I'm a high school teacher, well I'm now a "masked" high school teacher. My students this year will be podcasting their own stories, sharing the things that are tied into their identities and personalities both the good and bad. So along with them I am doing my own podcast. Join me as we jump into a variety of topics and interesting ideas.
I had the chance a few weeks ago to interview Mr. Mark Wilson who is in reality my teacher mentor! *When I went to make my very first episode I intended to have him as my guest, but he was off that day. I think this turned out better this way! I have absolutely loved working with him for the last seven years, but more importantly I cherish him as my friend. Though our connection goes way back to my own high school days to Cyprus High School where I was a student. Though I never had Mr. Wilson as my teacher, I knew who he was! He was that one English teacher that always literally stood taller than the rest. He was never thought of as an arrogant teacher, but one who really loved literature. I watched a few of our high school basketball games with him leading the wobbly teen boys to some pretty impressive season's during my three years of Cyprus. Though he never knew me, little did he know there was a young man in one of his english classes who had to fight a system of injustice in education and asked to be removed from special education courses. This was no easy task, as the system had led this young man to believe that he was not "smart" enough for regular education classrooms. In fact, when this young man begged the school to be removed, a warning was given that he would be a failure. But nontheless this young man pushed himself. When he sat in Mr. Wilson's english 11 class, little did Mr. Wilson know the kid who was sitting there, not once did he sought him out as the "special ed" kid, instead this young man was like all the rest of the awkward teens in the room. That was 31 years ago, hard to believe it! That young man I married and has an amazing career. He's been to college and fights for the underdogs of this world. Not sure Wilson if you ever knew this about him. The irony is that Mr. Wilson ends up teaching at a new school in my neighborhood, where my 17 year old daughter, nervous because boundaries changed due to this new school being built, walks into her 11th grade english class and feels settled. It is Mr. Wilson the "Giant Soul" who welcomes this nervous teen. What? How can that be? We were a bit shocked to learn who her new teacher was. I had waited for our last child to have the opportunity to be in his class, which I am thankful he has had that experience. Just like his father, this young man fights for his education of not being placed inside a box or to become a number. So I never had the pleasure to be Mr. Wilson's student as a teen, but I have been given the gift to be a watchful student as I worked beside him. Carpe diem Mr. Wilson - you truly are my friend!
This is just practice on how to record your podcast, that is being recorded for you to use.