“As hard as it is to deal with someone, it’s even harder to be that person.” These are the words Tim Larson has tried to live by throughout his 22 years of teaching. “An outstanding educator should be able to do many things,” Tim reflects, “but first and foremost they must be able to put themselves in other people’s situations and try to understand what drives them to do what they do.”
Having a BA in Psychology has helped Tim understand his learning community each and every day. He has watched the demographics of his district change dramatically over the last eight years, especially, with what he calls the hard-hit “recession students.” Poverty is the number one issue Tim would like to see addressed in education reform. “You need to get through Maslow before you can get to Bloom’s,” Tim says.
Tim is experienced and enthusiastic, always working to know his students by “name and need.” Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) is one of the other programs Tim has implemented. PBIS extends learning into the community by way of a ticket system. Store and small-business owners hand kids tickets when students “open a door, pick up dropped groceries, or shovel a snow-covered sidewalk.” The community gets to see that Odessa schools are trying to guide smart and considerate kids. “It’s important for students to know that proper behavior doesn’t stop when they exit our school doors at the end of the day.”
After the school day, Tim switches his teacher hat to the caps of volunteer, coach, referee, and camp leader, knowing firsthand with his own two children that having another connection with a teacher inspires student effort. High test scores are an indication of Tim’s academic success; but it is the whole child, Tim believes, that the teaching profession needs to keep in mind, support, and inspire.
