Derek Davidson, Baltimore

A s part of the Chalk it Up to Teachers campaign, Teach for America and Experience Project bring you this teacher's story through an interview.

Derek Davidson, 8th grade / social studies teacher in Baltimore

Describe your first day of school.

I grew up on the south side of Houston in a neighborhood quite similar to the one I teach in now. In many ways, I could be one of the kids I teach. As a middle school student, I never saw the value of education. I hated school and eventually dropped out of high school. After dropping out, I saw how limited my employment options were without an education. I worked 50 hours a week as a clerk in a bakery selling bagels and cakes for minimum wage. I was completely unhappy, and dropping out began to seem like a big mistake. So I gave school another shot. I got a GED, went a local community college, and eventually transferred to the University of Texas at Austin. Something clicked inside of me. I understood the importance of education. Today, I try to facilitate that click in my students. I want to save them from the sort of existence I suffered in a bakery.  

What has been the most memorable moment of your teaching experience? At the end of the second week of school, before the students had a feel for me and before I had opened up to them, there was a faculty challenge: The 8th graders versus the faculty in a game of basketball. So the game starts, and basically, I dominate. The crowd was in shock. As school was about to end, the principal yelled out “next point wins!” The 8th Graders had the ball, and they were running up the court. One of the other faculty members tapped the ball away and passed it to me. I sprinted the length of the court expecting to blow the lay-up. But miraculously it went in. The crowd exploded into cheers. After the game, there was a line of about 30 students who wanted to pat me on the back or shake my hand and congratulate me. That was the first time that I had had fun with my students or shown them any bit of Derek Davidson, rather than Mr. Davidson. I gained a lot of respect that day. Thank God I made that lay-up.

------------------------------------------
Chalk It Up. A campaign to bring recognition and appreciation to teachers!
Share. Invite a friend to check out this story.
What's Your Story? Tell us about your experience.