A Teaching Dream Realized: Lawrence Clark's Journey to the I Promise School

Ever since I was in 3rd grade, I always dreamed of being a teacher. I can recall sitting in front of Mrs. Livingston’s class at Katherine Thomas Elementary School in Windham, Ohio. Not only was I paying attention to the lesson she was teaching, I was also taking note of her teaching techniques and classroom management style. I loved the way she would engage us in her lessons and how she directed us with a firm hand with her zero-tolerance policy. She created an optimal and safe learning environment for each and every one of us and it was obvious that she cared for each of us as individuals, too. Ever since then, I knew that teaching was my destiny.

Fast-forward to 2014 and it is my senior year at Aurora High School in Aurora, Ohio. I can remember my friends and classmates who knew they wanted to attend college after high school

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but were unsure what degree they wanted to pursue. Sometimes, I would lie and say the same thing to fit in, even though I knew exactly what I wanted to do after high school. It was the same thing I wanted to do since I was in third grade: teach. Later that year, I received my acceptance letter from Kent State University and declared my major in Middle Childhood Education, thus officially beginning my journey to becoming a full-time teacher.

During my time at Kent State, the semesters flew by. Field Experience and Clinical Experience were all complete, student teaching was approaching and the fastest four years of my life were quickly coming to an end. During the summer of 2018, I had seen a news headline that stated, “LeBron James Opens New School In Akron.” I remember disregarding that headline. Even though I thought it was totally amazing for LeBron to open a school to serve his community of Akron, I knew that I could never teach there. I wasn’t good enough.

In February 2019, I would receive a phone call for an interview for the 5th Grade Teaching Position at The I Promise School. At this point, I was very skeptical. Although I was grateful for the interview and the opportunity for a chance of a lifetime, I knew deep down that they were not going to hire me. Why would they? I have zero teaching experience and I just graduated from college. I thought to myself that there were probably hundreds of teachers that applied for the same position that have been teaching for twenty-plus years. The interview concluded and I felt that I did pretty well. I also knew that this was probably the last time I would ever hear back from anyone at The I Promise School.

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It was now March 13th, 2019 and I was substitute teaching in Cuyahoga Falls. I received a phone call around 9:15am from Akron Public Schools. I will never forget hearing these words: “we are offering you the job at The I Promise School.” After hearing that, time felt like it stopped. Overwhelming joy came over my body, and I couldn’t contain it. I remember jumping up and down and spinning around after hearing those words. I knew somehow that I had to pull myself together because I had to pick up the class I was subbing for in two minutes. I will never forget that day.

The staff members I work with overwhelm me with support and have done so since my first day. The most important thing I want people to know about The I Promise School is that it is more than a school; it is a family. Since my first day at The I Promise School, it feels like I discovered a family that I didn’t know I had.

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Written by Lawrence Clark, 2018 graduate of the Middle Childhood Education program. 

Want to learn more about the MCED program and Lawrence's experience in it? Watch the MCED program video for more on Lawrence's experience!