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Candidate Conversations - D'Ion Copeland - 8th Grade History Teacher - Lexington, Kentucky
48 Plays1 year ago
Dion Copeland is a transformative educator and manager committed to high-quality instruction, training, and development. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a B.S. in Middle Secondary Education concentrating in Social Studies. Mr. Copeland is active in his school and professional organizations as an SBDM council member, Diversity Lead and Committee Chair, Social Studies Department Chair, and a member of the National Education Association's Cohort of Leaders for Just Schools. Mr. Copeland is a recipient of the Fayette County Educators Association Teaching Excellence Award (2023), the Kentucky Education Association Diversity Lesson Plan Award (2023), and the Earl C Clements Innovation in Education Award (2023).
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Transcript
Introduction and Setup
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Candidate Conversations by the National Board. I am your host, Danielle Brown, and on this episode, we will speak with Dionne Copeland. He is a National Board candidate from Lexington, Kentucky, and is a part of our early career teacher pilot program in that state. He brings so much energy to the classroom and speaks with passion to his passions.
00:00:24
Speaker
to storytelling will capture you, I am sure. And so without further ado, here is my conversation with Dion. Well, I am so excited to have on our guest today, Mr. Dion Copeland. And yes, I'm calling him by his full name. I'll let him introduce himself. But in full transparency, this is like our third time recording. And so I'm just excited to have a really authentic conversation
00:00:54
Speaker
We did the kind of Q&A back and forth and then tech was teching. So Dion, this is really gonna be just a conversation between two peers, two colleagues, which is what I feel like we are.
Dionne's Background and Certification Journey
00:01:08
Speaker
So with that, I feel like go ahead and get started by maybe just sharing a little bit about yourself, your name, where you teach or what you teach in your year in candidacy.
00:01:19
Speaker
Yeah, so, hey, Danielle, I'm so excited to be here with you again. I don't mind that this is like our second and a half time time. It's because the audience needs to hear what we have to say, right? They do. They really do.
00:01:34
Speaker
So speaking of the audience, hey listeners, my name is Deon Copeland. I am a third year social studies teacher in Lexington, Kentucky pursuing my national board certification. I am in my second year of candidacy working on components three and four. I submitted components one and two last year and I'm awaiting those scores in December like I'm sure many anxious teachers are.
00:02:00
Speaker
Yeah, this is a time of year where I think people really start to feel like, okay, there's two months left in the year as a whole. We know that holiday time around the school year goes by so quickly with vacations off, things that you engage in to bring the joy and love of teaching back.
00:02:18
Speaker
into the classroom and then you're also here waiting on these scores that just inform you of your practice, right? I'm trying to be really intentional that scores just inform you about how you presented your practice. It's not an indication of who you are as a teacher or what you're able to accomplish. It's really just a focus on
00:02:38
Speaker
what evidence you provided that was then assessed. So with that, how are you feeling about scores coming up in like a month? I am very nervous. Okay. I'm nervous and I don't really get nervous. I hadn't thought about it. I have not thought about it since the meeting, you know, and I think part of that is
00:03:04
Speaker
because there's such a long wait. I didn't want to, there's nothing that I can do between when I submitted it in May, maybe in April to December. So, I was no point in stressing about it. You've got to focus, you've got to put that energy into your components, three and four. But just keep in mind that, like you said earlier, it's not a, it's
00:03:28
Speaker
It's a evaluation of the evidence that I submitted and not necessarily who I am as an educator. And you just have to take that and you have to reflect on that and you have to take that reflection and you have to adjust.
00:03:42
Speaker
or you have to enhance what you're already doing that's well. It might not call for adjustments. You might realize from the feedback that, oh wow, I do really well at this. I can scale this and be even better in my practice. So I'm nervous, like I said, just anxiously awaiting the results, but I do feel like I put my 110% into it. So I know that my results will be what I want them to be. I'm putting positivity in the atmosphere.
00:04:11
Speaker
I love that Deanna and I love that you're leading with that transparency because you could have totally gotten on here and said, Oh, like I'm cool. That's a cucumber. I haven't thought about it one day. Like, uh, so I appreciate you saying like, yeah, I'm a little nervous, but also your reflection on what this process is and could mean for you and your practice and ultimately your students.
00:04:33
Speaker
And so with all of that, maybe we should just back up a little bit, do a little rewind. So obviously, you're a practicing educator. You stated that you're in your third year of teaching. So my question to you is, how did you come to
Challenges and Opportunities for At-Risk Students
00:04:47
Speaker
teaching? What was your story that brought you to Mr. Copeland, eighth grade educator? Oh, gosh. So yes, because they used to call me Mr. Copeland, but not because I was the educator, because I was in trouble.
00:05:01
Speaker
So speaking of trouble, what brought me to education? I teach in the county that I went to K through 12 and graduated from.
00:05:12
Speaker
And really what brought me to education was my own experiences in education. So I was a behaviorally challenged student. I had an IEP. I went to alternative school. I was incarcerated in juvenile detention for a short period of time. And all of those experiences, all of that really shaped who I was as a student.
00:05:40
Speaker
I was never academically challenged, behaviorally challenged. And so I think part of why I became a teacher is that I know what it was like to be a student who was quote unquote at risk. And because I was quote unquote at risk, I feel as though a lot of doors were closed for me.
00:06:00
Speaker
A lot of opportunities were kept from me. A lot of paths were not exposed to me. And I think that that's because a lot of teachers have this idea. They have these implicit biases against certain groups of students in certain communities, and I just so happen to be a part of
00:06:19
Speaker
one of those communities. And so my experiences in K through 12 were often negative when it came to school. Like I said, three years in an alternative school, it really made me think negatively about school. But when I got out of the alternative school and I went to regular high school, I learned that I was capable of doing whatever I set my mind to.
00:06:45
Speaker
And I had a lot of CTE career technical education teachers who really saw the leader in me. And I had an opportunity to teach several business classes. And for a period of time, I was actually creating lesson plans and I was grading work for one of my business teachers. And I was like, oh, I really like this. I love this. And so I found that there were a lot of opportunities for
00:07:11
Speaker
men of color, for people of color, just for educators in general. And there are even more opportunities for educators now after COVID, post-COVID, with the critical teachers.
00:07:21
Speaker
But even in 2017, when I was a graduating senior, there were lots of scholarship opportunities for pre-service educators. So that is a little bit about why I chose to go into education. I wanted to make sure that students did not have those experiences like I had. Make sure that even though a student might be, quote unquote, at risk,
00:07:42
Speaker
that I'm opening doors for those students, not closing doors for those students, that I'm presenting opportunities to those students to excel and not taking opportunities away from them, and that I'm exposing them to multiple career paths and opportunities because who are we to say what our students can and cannot do in their futures? It's our job to shape them and build their capacity to believe that they can do whatever they want to and that they got the skills in their classrooms to be able to go out and do whatever they want.
00:08:13
Speaker
I'm so grateful that you not only have the audacity and resilience and who you are as a human being and the fact that you had someone along your educational career path who saw that in you and found ways to engage you and to help you see too, like what options are available to you. Because we know that oftentimes stories that may sound similar to yours don't end with, and I became a teacher.
00:08:40
Speaker
oftentimes they end with, and I dropped out, or I realized school wasn't for me. And so I'm just thankful that you saw within yourself and you said something that is still hitting me in my heart, even though, again, we've had this conversation, but the fact that you had behavior challenges,
00:09:01
Speaker
You weren't academically like you didn't have academic challenges. And I think because of that experience and your experience with the educator that you spoke about, you're probably really mindful about your students, about who they are as a whole. I'm making this assumption, but I'm assuming it's true. Just by the way, you speak about your responsibility to your students and community.
00:09:25
Speaker
Absolutely. I teach to the whole student. Um, if you don't know your students, how do you know how to teach them? How do you know how to reach them? How do you know how to make the content accessible and relevant to them? So I definitely agree that your assumption is correct that I teach to the whole student. I really, my goal in the classroom is to reach them and meet them where they are and get them where
Inclusive and Relational Teaching Practices
00:09:46
Speaker
they need to be. Like that is my goal in my classroom every single day for all of my students.
00:09:51
Speaker
I don't care where you come from. I don't care what your parents' political affiliations are. I don't care what family you are. I don't care what gender you are. I don't care if you don't pick a gender.
00:10:06
Speaker
Um, I don't care. I don't care. What I care about is you. I care about who you are as an individual. I care about who you are. Um, and not just who you are as a student, right? Because you are not, like I'm not a teacher 24 seven. You are not 24 seven. We are all people. We are all human and we have basic needs. Right. And so how can I teach you without meeting your basic needs? How can you learn without having your basic needs met? Right.
00:10:32
Speaker
And I think a lot of times we think about basic needs as, you know, food, water, and shelter. But when you think about an educational setting and we talk about basic needs, sometimes basic needs is differentiation. Sometimes basic needs is culturally relevant instruction. Sometimes basic needs are IEPs.
00:10:53
Speaker
and behavioral plans, right? Kids have a variety of needs and it's my job to learn those students so I can learn their needs and I can meet their needs. And when their needs are met, they can learn. And I've seen that time and time again in my classroom.
00:11:09
Speaker
Deion, you always put the biggest smile on my face. I know it's coming through the mic in the way I'm talking, but oh, we are so lucky to have someone like you in the profession. And I want to name something that as listeners are listening, they may have like maybe caught it, tried to do the math. You said you're a third year educator, correct? And your second year of candidacy, correct? Yes.
00:11:32
Speaker
OK, so for those who may be new to the board certification process or you just happened across this podcast, I want to let you know that not only is Deanna a phenomenal human being and educator, but he's someone who embarked on a pilot that came out of the state of Kentucky as we at the National Board made some changes to an eligibility policy for educators to start the process.
00:11:59
Speaker
So I felt like I'm aging myself, but way back in my day, when I was going through the process, you had to have completed your three years of classroom teaching, successful classroom teaching, before you can even consider going through the process. The eligibility that changed in September allows any educator who is fully credentialed to make that decision for themselves, wherever they are in their career. So whether you're a first year educator, second year, third year, you can begin your process.
00:12:28
Speaker
So Deanna, you speak with so much wisdom, even just your comment about teaching the whole child and why and how and basic needs. And you're going through this process so early in your career. I'm curious, one, how did you determine that this was for you at this point in your career with all the other things that you're learning and experiencing as an early career educator?
00:12:51
Speaker
You know, I'm about to say your favorite thing. Listeners, Danielle and I have had multiple opportunities to talk. And one of her favorite things that I say is that I have FOMO, fear of missing out. And not like most people my age, I'm young, not that Danielle is old. She said she was your age earlier and she was just gonna say she's the same age as me. But when I was
00:13:19
Speaker
What I was saying was that I have fear of missing out and it's different than most people, my age, most young people. You want to be on every scene. You want to be at every party. You want to know all the drama and all the quote-unquote tea.
00:13:31
Speaker
that is going on in my FOMO, what I fear about missing out on is really professional growth and professional development opportunities. I know where I want to go in my profession. I know I want to be the best in my practice or one of the best in my practice. And so my fear is that if I don't jump on opportunities to grow as a professional, then I'm missing out.
00:13:54
Speaker
And so when the opportunity came about to participate in the Kentucky pilot for early career educators, I said, this is for me. Um, and then I thought about it and I questioned it a little bit. Is it really for me because I'm an early career educator and I thought long and hard and I talked to some people, I'm very fortunate to have several NBCT, uh, educators in my building, including at the time, my grade level administrator was, is actually a national board certified teacher. And so when I talked to her about it,
00:14:24
Speaker
She said, oh, you need to do this. Instead, you need to do it now. I talked to two other teachers that teach language arts and STEM. You need to do this. You need to do this now. And so I'm like, well.
00:14:37
Speaker
That's three people saying you need to do it and you want to do it. So you're going to do it. And so I think that that's really what brought me to the National Board was the opportunity and knowing that I have this fear of missing out and I felt like this is for me. Other people saw the potential in me that have this certification.
00:14:56
Speaker
And so that was very reassuring that this was, that I could do this, that I could make this happen. And throughout the journey, it's just been beautiful. It's just been a, it's been great to learn and network and grow.
Inspiration and Professional Growth
00:15:09
Speaker
And I've developed a lot of relationships. I've actually, and I just realized this early this week, actually I've inspired two people to pursue their national board certification in my building as well. Oh.
00:15:21
Speaker
So that I mean and that's I love that one teacher has been she's a veteran teacher and the other teacher we started teaching at the same time and we actually went to high school together but both of them have told me this week that I was a part of their their motivation to join and so
00:15:36
Speaker
I just really, I love that. I love that, you know, the relationships that I've built in the building and other people getting to see me do this and talk to them about it and being willing to talk to them about it and share and just being vulnerable has inspired others to pursue national board certification. I hope some of the listeners are inspired as well to pursue national board certification. I think, again, it's just truly amazing the journey.
00:16:00
Speaker
You have to take time to enjoy the journey. You have to take time to enjoy the reflection and get your students on board and just take full accountability for everything. And it's really just going to help you grow as a person, as an educator, as a professional. And you will really look back and say, hey, can I do this again? And then you'll say, yeah, I have to do it again when I recertify. It's like we've built in the journey and the process for you, haven't we? Yes.
00:16:29
Speaker
There's two things that I want to kind of circle back on or touch on. One, your kind of call to the listeners or community of educators who might hear this. So you consider what this looks like for themselves and their own professional
00:16:45
Speaker
trajectories and goals and i would say one hundred percent there was a part in which you said you know i wanted to do this i thought i could do this so i said i'm going to do this i feel like we need to make that just a clip of its own and have it like as a little motivational button like on the days that are hard we'll just have dion tell us
00:17:03
Speaker
I wanted to do this, you thought you could do this, so you will do this. So that's one thing. And then the second thing that is news to me too, but news to you if you just like heard about this this week, the impact you've had on colleagues by your modeling, your experiencing and your sharing. So you did hint out like this is a journey. It's a journey that you do and you engage in with
00:17:30
Speaker
the students, your learners, your community. So I'm curious as you're going into your second year of candidacy, is there things that you've learned either about your practice, your students, the community, all of the above as you've embarked on this journey? Yes, so I've learned and I was actually just talking about this earlier today.
00:17:54
Speaker
As far as my own practice goes, I learned that I'm relational. I feel like everything that I do is based on relationships, relationships with my colleagues. Like I just spoke on briefly, inspiring others my ability to meet people where they are and really encourage them. And just to see that it's not just with my students, but with adults as well.
00:18:18
Speaker
It's just been really, it's just been a really positive thing to think back and sit on it. I really am a person who is able to make change in the lives of others just by being who I am. And that's, it just really means something to me. As far as things that I've noticed about my students and their learning, I'll really come to terms with it. Students learn differently.
00:18:41
Speaker
You're going to have groups of kids one year that prefer to do things on paper. You're going to have groups that prefer to do things digitally. You're going to have kids that are artistic and creative. And you're going to have kids who are gifted in writing and oral presentation. And you really just have to be flexible. I think that's the biggest takeaway is just to be flexible, not to me and my content partner. One of the things that we say when we're planning instruction is we say, well, I'm not married to this.
00:19:09
Speaker
That's kind of how we let each other know that we might like this resource or we might like this lesson, but if there is something better for our students, if there is something that needs to change for our students, because our students come first, they are first. So if it's not benefiting them and we need to change, we need to pivot, we need to do something to make sure that it is beneficial to our students, we're going to do that.
00:19:32
Speaker
So flexibility has just been the biggest thing is making sure that you are willing to be flexible, that you are reflective. I think that flexibility is a part of reflection because when you reflect on things, there's a possibility that you might change something. And if you're not flexible, then your reflection is kind of useless because if it tells you that you need to change something and you're not flexible enough to change it, what do you do at that point?
00:20:01
Speaker
Oh, that would be my biggest takeaway is just being relational and knowing that I really am able to inspire not just my students, but my colleagues to grow as people and just being flexible, knowing that flexibility is a part of reflection and knowing that as an educator, I have to be flexible to meet the needs of my students. Yes, and that emphasis on being flexible helps to meet the needs of your students is so, so powerful.
00:20:31
Speaker
And so Deon, I think just our own personal dispositions, just being in conversation with you. I felt like we could probably trend pretty like on the positive side. I feel like we were both kind of like figure it out kind of people. And so I don't want that to get lost in this conversation. And I would be remiss if I don't ask like, have there been any spaces where some people might call them barriers or challenges
00:20:59
Speaker
because of who I am, I like to call them pockets of promise or opportunities. But have you experienced anything in your process that either caused you to pause and again, use that reflexive muscle, like made you have to sit and think, how do I get to where I want to be and not stuck in this moment?
00:21:20
Speaker
Yes, so you and I have talked about this before. I actually had, I don't think we really, I didn't get too into detail about it, but there was a colleague of mine who had made a comment about, well, you're in the National Board cohort, so they're just gonna give you the certification. And she essentially dismissed my merit.
00:21:45
Speaker
And that bothered me. It truly bothered me because to me how that came across was that I'm just going to be handed something and I'm not working for it. And I'm working hard. I'm losing sleep. I'm not going to say I'm losing sleep, but I'm losing sleep and I'm working really hard. Nothing is just going to be handed to me.
00:22:08
Speaker
So I had to sit back and I had to reflect on that. This same teacher is also trying, is pursuing national board and they have been doing so for several years. And I think that they were projecting their frustration onto me. And what I had to, when I sat down and I reflect on it instead of me, cause I could, I could have taken that and, and just severed the relationship. Right. But as I said, I'm very relational.
00:22:35
Speaker
And so instead of letting that ruin the relationship and cause problems, cause a drift, I'm willing to share. So I'm, yes, I am in a early career pilot program and I'm getting lots of resources and mentorship, but I'm willing to share that with you because that's the root of your frustration. And I want us all to win because if we all are getting our national board certifications or if anybody who's going for it is able to get it,
00:23:03
Speaker
What does that benefit? Not me, not you, our kids. That's what's first. So that would probably be the one thing was, you know, I had some support and then I realized that I had some, some doubters in ability. And then, um, just having to accept that sometimes everybody's not going to be rooting for you, but you have to root for yourself and you have to be your biggest cheerleader.
00:23:25
Speaker
And so, and you can't let people, you have to kill them with kindness. Like I said, don't dwell on the negativity. Misery loves company. So, right? And so, like you said, a pocket of promise. And I love that you said that because that's what that was.
00:23:42
Speaker
Instead of me making that a barrier, keeping me in that negative space, like, oh, well, am I really being handed something? Am I really working for it? And just saying, no, you're working for it. You can do this. You are doing what you need to do to accomplish certification and just share the resources, share the wealth, right? And everybody can win. And I think that that's been, it's been a really good situation since.
00:24:08
Speaker
I think that's such a mature way to approach that because absolutely you could have said, well, you know, I'm not getting anything handed to me. And that could have been the end of that conversation. But the fact that you saw that as an opportunity to build community in a place that could have been.
00:24:24
Speaker
not maybe so open to that. And I do just want to honor the fact that you are working hard as all National Board candidates are. This is a process that really can't be handed to you because it's a reflection on what you do in the context of your classroom.
00:24:43
Speaker
because my experience as a classroom teacher differs from your experience as a classroom teacher. We can be in the same hallway, same grade, but my craft and art and art and science that I put into my classroom is going to look different than what you do. So knowing that this is a process that is being built on your reflection and reflexive responses to your students' learning is so, so key in the fact that you've
00:25:11
Speaker
Identify that so early in your career is also just so promising. And yeah, you're working hard. And I want you to know that. And for listeners who are listening, if you come into contact with a situation like this, because again, it could be insert, you know, whatever qualifier here, insert, well, oh, aren't you kind of young to be doing this? Even as a candidate myself who started right as soon as I could, which was right after my third year.
00:25:40
Speaker
It wasn't common for early or in the career educators to do this. I was told some similar things like, well, you should probably teach for 10 more years first before you do this. But why? Like I'm ready now. I was ready to refine my practice now. I didn't want to wait 10 years and then have to unlearn something that I could have learned as I'm engaging with my students now. So I want you to take
00:26:05
Speaker
Dion's experience and hold that close because you may run into the, I don't want to say naysayers, but maybe oppositions along the way and know that this process is for you as long as you deem that this process is for you. Oh, Dion, I just, I always enjoy our time so much together. And so I do have a question. Why can't you live in Kentucky?
00:26:31
Speaker
I know, I know. I'll see you in a few weeks though, no weekend. But I do have a question for you that we didn't address last time. And it's actually been something that's present on my mind after having some conversations with other programs and my colleagues here. Is there something that your one in candidacy Dion did or didn't do that your two candidate Dion is like, oh, had I known, I would have told him to do blank.
00:27:01
Speaker
And I ask that because we've been having conversations, you know, there's timelines and there's deadlines for all sorts of things and you really don't have to quote unquote commit to this process until February. Yet, supports happen early. We encourage you to start writing early and reflecting early. As a candidate, do you see the importance of like starting this kind of when you can and you're able, even though May feels so far away, or
00:27:29
Speaker
Do you feel like you can like slow down a little bit? I'm just so curious about what you're feeling right now. So starting sooner. So it's definitely different for everybody. I would say it's especially unique for me because I'm doing, I'm completing my master's program as well.
Advice on Certification and Active Citizenship
00:27:46
Speaker
And I do, I have like five extracurricular roles, supplemental duties, if you will, in my district. I'm a part of a national cohort. So for me,
00:28:00
Speaker
Sometimes things do get pushed back and sometimes things get addressed immediately because I know that if I push it back, there's things back there too. And so I can't push it back because it's going to get lost in the sauce. Yes. And so for me, I just think that as far as like things that I would change based on like knowing that
00:28:22
Speaker
how busy I am, I did change something. I started earlier than I did last year. So last year, you know, I told myself it didn't feel as heavy because I knew that I was taking a test.
00:28:37
Speaker
Then you do the differentiate unit, so it's about differentiation, or component to them, sorry, it's about differentiation. And so it didn't feel as heavy because it's really about your content knowledge, what you know and what you need to study for, for your test. So again, reflecting on that, what do you know, what do you need to do so you can make the best use of your time.
00:28:57
Speaker
So knowing that and telling myself, you need to make the best use of your time because this year is going to be heavier than last year. Like you said, I've already gotten a jumpstart on my writing. I've already recorded the video and whether I use it or not is besides the point I've gotten to, you know, I've got the form sign. My students know what I'm doing when the camera is out, why the camera is out. They know we don't change anything. We're going to
00:29:21
Speaker
just the way we would act if the camera was not there, because we wanted to be a genuine reflection of what goes on in Mr. Coughlin's room. But just going ahead and getting all of that stuff in place, so when I am ready to really dive in, I've already started. It is so important to start. And I've been telling, like I said, my friends in the building who are, who have decided to pursue certification,
00:29:47
Speaker
I've been telling them, I had a conversation with a peer earlier today. She was recording some videos and she had some questions for me. And I told her, I said, just record. She was concerned about student behavior and I gave her some tips. I said, no, they want to see this. I said, you teach sixth grade.
00:30:04
Speaker
I said they don't expect them to be perfect, right? And so when you have behavior, I said this is the perfect opportunity to showcase who you are as an educator. How do you use your knowledge of students to correct their behavior in a way that doesn't diminish the learning? It doesn't make them feel less than in the classroom. It lets them know that you care about them, want them to know the correct things and behave appropriately, and that your objective is to
00:30:27
Speaker
for them to learn and to get through your content. And she said, okay, that makes a lot of sense. So the things that I would tell myself is don't be afraid to talk to people. Don't be afraid to say you're not sure what to do in this situation. Ask for help, ask for advice, and get started early. Those will be the two things that I would tell myself and anybody who is considering
00:30:49
Speaker
pursuing any of, starting with any of the components in National Board, whether that be component one, two, three, or four, look at your components, read the standards, know what is being expected of you. I encourage my colleague to do the scavenger hunt, the resource that's being shared with us because
00:31:06
Speaker
she was unsure of what was being asked of her. I said, I recommend you do the scavenger hunt because the scavenger hunt is really going to make you think about and look for what is this component asking you to submit? How many pages can this be? How many videos? What do the videos need to show? All of that, you can find that just looking through your stuff. So definitely get started when you can because it's going to make a world of a difference when you actually do dive into the components.
00:31:36
Speaker
Yes, and I think that's great words of wisdom for anyone who's going through this process. We realize that there are lots of moving pieces to this process, right? You have your component instructions, your standards, your scoring guide, the five core propositions, the architecture of accomplished teaching. And if you take the time, as Dion has said, to kind of like sit with all of those things. One, they just become a part of who you are as an educator. And two, they act as checkpoints for you to be like, oh,
00:32:06
Speaker
Okay. Let me like reflect on that and come back or let me refine something based on what I know about this and come back. Um, so I appreciate your, your advocacy for starting when you can and earlier if possible, um, just because I do think it supports you and getting the most out of this process. We use language like process and journey because it truly is. It's not, I'm going to sit up and write all night long and submit something the next morning. It's I'm going to plan and review.
00:32:36
Speaker
and then refine and then test it out and then reflect and then analyze and then refine some more. And so I just really appreciate your reflection on that so much, Dion. So as we close this episode,
00:32:54
Speaker
I know that potentially there might be some students who get to hear this. And so I just think it's only fair that if you have a message for your students, Mr. Copeland, I've been calling you Dion this whole time, sorry, Mr. Copeland, if you have any message for your students, I think this would be a good time to say a little message to them before we close out. My students, ooh, a little more for my students. Well, they probably are going to hate us because I'll try to play for them in class.
00:33:23
Speaker
But my message for you is very clear, it's very simple, that you can do whatever it is that you want to do in life. I hope that I have inspired you to be the best that you can be and that you want to be the best version of yourself. As a social studies teacher, I've told you all numerous times that it's my goal for you to be active and engaged, productive citizens in society, in your communities, to stand up, to be upstanders and not bystanders.
00:33:52
Speaker
And I want you to take that out of the classroom. I want you to take that with you everywhere that you go in life to not stand by, to stand up, to do what is right because it's what's right and not because somebody told you you had to do it because you know that that's what you need to do because it's what is right to do. And that's my message.
00:34:10
Speaker
I love that so much. And that was a message for the students. As listeners, I'm sure there is something that you could pull out of that to apply to the personal, professional, you know, you're going through this process. Some of those things will still apply. So again, Deion, I am so beyond thankful that I get to be in community with you, that I get to learn with and from you. And I'm just so excited to see how you continue to grow in this profession.
00:34:36
Speaker
We're so grateful to have someone like you in classrooms, sharing your story, and being a model for what could be an education.
00:34:46
Speaker
I'm so glad to be here and I'm so glad that you thought of me to join you for this podcast. I am super, super, super grateful for your, for your leadership and your mentorship with the program and just your guidance for future NBCTs because it is definitely a journey, but it is a worthwhile journey that I would encourage any educator who is passionate about what they do to consider partaking on me. I love that.
00:35:14
Speaker
Well, thank you so much, Dion. Thank you listeners. I think that's a wrap. Dion can really pull on the emotional heartstrings, and I appreciate his transparency in our interview. I look forward to continuing to follow his National Board journey, and I just want to thank him one more time for taking the time to chat with me.
00:35:34
Speaker
I also want to take some time to thank the co-producer of this podcast, Eddie Santiago, and he's the one handling all the production magic that makes this podcast work. And lastly, thank you for listening to Candidate Conversations by the National Board. Again, I'm your host, Danielle Brown, and we'll talk soon.