Know that as you are reading this today, I, along with a portion of my family am preparing to return home from Seattle, where we have been, tying up loose ends regarding my brother’s home and other things. I intend to keep my word to you this year and profile him intermittently here on the blog, in a series that looks at the journey involved in one person’s life on the path to becoming an incredible leader. My brother was a tremendous man, and a phenomenal educator, teacher, coach and friend. Even in his death, he continues to educate me about life…which is just as he would have wanted it. I thought it fitting to take you back to the first time he was here on TommyMom. Enjoy. As I reread this interview, I had a good laugh and several smiles. I’ll be anxious to share with you even more.
Tim Driver has been in education for 23 years. During this time, he has been both a teacher and an administrator.He’s taught a spectrum that includes everything from junior high to graduate school. Some of his most effective work has been with at-risk youth; designing and implementing a program specifically for them and running it successfully for 12 years in the Lake Washington School District.
He has also coached at the high school level in four different sports for 24 years, with numerous trips to state tournaments and a state championship in 1992.
He will be speaking at the upcoming FATJEF in Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, April 24, 2010.
The reason for the slightly casual, somewhat irreverent approach to this interview?
He also happens to be my kid brother. As awesome as he is, in the eyes of his older sister…
he’s still a “punk!”
Favorite book:
The Bible, No Other Alternative (when it gets published)a book that he has written, chronicling his journey with the founding and administering of his at-risk youth program. Update: I have this manuscript and am considering an E-book to be made available here. More on that later! ~Teri
Favorite sibling: Never mind… ;0)
I have no favorite sibling…………..I’m an only twin.
Favorite board game:
I’d have to say chess at this point in my life. That may change to checkers as I age.
Anything else along these lines you’d like to cough up?
Love to write lyrics and thought provoking comedy. I also speak all over the place to many groups as well. I enjoy that very much.
Why did you go into teaching?
All through school, people would ask me to help them in one class or another. I got to the place where I gained a little bit of confidence there. But it wasn’t until I worked with high school at-risk kids that I decided that was what I wanted to do. I also had many GREAT teachers such as Bruce Brown, Thad McManus and Don Harney who were great role models for me; along with Mary Ousley, Jim Murphy, and too many others to name.
Favorite subject:
History, Political Science, as it relates to teaching people how to study it.
While I happen to know that teaching is a passion; for you coaching happens to be right up there with it. Why do you love to mentor in this way?
Coaching IS teaching. John Wooden never called himself a coach, but a teacher.
Just as in the classroom, you’re teaching so much more than your subject or sport. You are teaching life lessons.
The reason I enjoy coaching so much is because you can see growth in kids’ lives so dramatically over a 3-4 year stretch.
The title of one of your presentations for the upcoming FATJEF in April is “Helicopter Parenting: It Isn’t a Good Idea. Do you care to expound and explain?
Parents have an INCREDIBLY important role in the lives of their children. But some parents don’t understand that ONE of those roles is to teach them independence. Parents who never let their kids have a problem, a conflict, or a struggle without their intervention are doing their kids a huge disservice. I will be discussing some strategies that parents can use to create boundaries for themselves, that allow them to still be actively involved but in appropriate ways.
What, in your perspective, is a healthy balance between a “Helicopter Parent” household and the public school situation described in John Taylor Gatto’s article “The Seven Lesson Schoolteacher?”( keeping in mind that most parents really do want what is best for their children.)
Not to oversimplify, but if people are relying on school to fully educate their children, they are in trouble. Likewise, if people are counting on home to fully educate their children, they are in equal trouble.
I think that even when people do a good job of home educating their kids, there is still a tremendous fear that they aren’t measuring up. One of the greatest things you helped me to realize, is that there is a very fine line between an at-risk youth and a driven honor student. It really makes you think about motive. Care to explain this one?
I have not met a competent teacher yet that doesn’t question their own effectiveness. We ALL do.
Having taught both ends of the spectrum, from junior high, up through the graduate college level; I can say confidently that people are people. Labels that are attached to them can have incredible impact. I’ve found that honors kids are really quite deficient in some areas, scared to death that people will discover it. Likewise, at-risk kids are incredibly PROficient in some areas, equally as scared that someone will find out. Grad students are no different.
What is one of the greatest life skills or character traits in your opinion that you believe a parent or mentor can model for kids?
Integrity
What is the greatest thing that a student ever taught you?
That I need to have a teachable spirit every day and learn every bit as much from others as I am expecting others to learn.
Anything else you want to say at this time? ( Bear in mind that I can censor you at the click of a button) But go ahead…really.
Is the witness excused?
Thanks for doing this for me….
Not a problem. I actually cheated off of someone else’s paper.
I will attempt at some point in 2010 to do at least 3 kind things for you in return…
maybe.
I shant hold my breath.
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