Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1539593
Joy with students at her floral workshop at the Magnolia Agriscience Community Center (at Magnolia High). The bouquets are sold, used for community farm-to-table dinners or given to community members as gifts. How the Community Schools model transformed my purpose By Katrina Joy M Y F I R S T R A D I O C A L L as a police officer alerted me to a crime scene where a 16-year-old had been shot and killed by a rival gang member. In the moments that followed, I did not have the luxury of time to process the grief and tragedy of the situation. It was the first of many indescribably difficult situations I would face during my six years working in law enforcement. Too often, those situations involved children whose lives should have been full of possibility. Each time, I had to bypass my emotions so that I could do my job. Later in life, those neglected emotions would resurface in a completely different context — a classroom full of students. Working as a police officer taught me a lot about my identity and values. I worked alongside men and women who cared deeply about the communities they served and many of those partners are still dear friends who I consider family. At the same time, while I still believe police work to be an incredibly honorable service, there was often a tangible feeling of grief I felt in my work because any rehabilitation or proactive measures felt impossible; many of the radio calls I responded to required me to be reactive. I made space for this frustration while being exposed to hard truths about our society and seeing more than someone could be expected to process on a daily basis. Through the realities I absorbed, I quickly found my heart expanding for all those whose life paths didn't afford them opportunities to thrive. In particular, I felt drawn to youth who needed to be exposed to the open window of education and have someone walk next to them to show how they could let in the light that knowledge offers — the strength emerging in themselves grounded by their values. The theme that surfaced was the desire to transform my personal mission from one centered on help into one of hope. After a series of building events involving youth that caused my heart to beat for a different kind of purpose, I decided to resign from police work and become a teacher. But the impact of my years in police work gave me a unique lens when it came to teaching. I had seen decisions made that had challenging, sometimes fatal consequences, and I came into teaching caring less about test scores and more about how students could see themselves in the curriculum, their overall wellbeing and who they could become when engaged in a meaningful educational experience. Patrol From to Possibility 12 cta.org Spotlight