Join us for a few laps in Newport, Arkansas and listen as Grover discusses how/why he entered the teaching profession at the age of 40 and the importance of community, diversity and expanding your horizons.
Prior to becoming a teacher, Mr. Welch had careers in the military, furniture sales, truck driving, towing, and several other fields. At his core he has always been a writer and love reading and poetry. He states that he is a long way from Kentucky, where I grew up the oldest of three. Grover shared that he struggled after my father left and my mother became an alcoholic, but he found myself in band class and comic books. He firmly believes that everything that has been part of his life has contributes to his classroom and that mentoring students and building relationships are the keys to a great education. As he grows in his career, he's found himself moving in larger circles than just his school and that has helped him realize a few things -- namely that teachers are better together and we have to support one another. According to Mr. Welch, "It has been a trying time with the current problems in education and teachers need to foster better communication, and trust. We have to keep students at the center of everything, which is challenging in the rapid movement of reform, but necessary. We need to use technology wisely, and not as a bell or whistle. We need to remember that we are part of a community of educators and that community has a great future." To learn more about Grover, you can find him on Medium.com or Twitter as @groverwelch.
For more information about the host or this podcast, contact Stacey McAdoo at www.stillstacey.com, 2019atoy@gmail.com or @2019atoy on most social media platforms.
