The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

[Five Reasons to Work at YES Prep] Reason Five: Positive Relationships

November 10, 2011 by Lindsey Windham

Hey everyone!

We are pretty excited about the mini-blog series we are putting together of FIVE reasons to apply to work at YES Prep.  Over the next 5 days up to our Sunday, November 13^th deadline, you will hear from some different voices in the organization as you prepare your application.  We are looking forward to receiving it!

I taught HS English at YES Prep East End for three years before becoming the co-Director of Recruitment and Selection, and I want to kick off the series by talking about one of our five Core Values: Building Transformational Relationships.  This is the part of YES Prep that is the most special to me!

1. Transformational Relationships with Students

Students come first here at YES Prep. I was just having a conversation with a prospective teacher, Lauren, and my colleague and friend, Lexy Arroyo.  Lexy is the Director of Academics at YES Prep Southeast and has been with YES Prep since 2007. (Hey, Lexy!)  She was talking about how easy it is to have conversations and resolve conflict at YES Prep because EVERYONE at YES Prep is driven daily by doing what is best for students.  It’s those relationships with students that sustain us. We are educating not just students, but dynamic, three-dimensional young people with hopes and dreams.  The relationships that we build and sustain with students through daily interactions, bid trips, spring trips, and getting to know their families, provides all of us with the grit to persevere through their hard moments on the path to college.  

The picture on the left is me with Candy, Erika, and Paola in the spring of 2009.  On the right, I'm with Erika and Candy in the spring of 2010.  This spring, these girls will graduate from YES Prep East End as part of the first graduating class of Explorers!

2.  Transformational Relationships with Staff

I can say with so much confidence that the friendships that I built with staff on my campus got me through my first year of teaching. Several times I have talked with my school director, Luz Navarro, and co-teacher at the time, Leah Granacki, about what got me through that first year. (Full disclosure: I was a hot mess of “WHAT am I doing?!”)  My answer is: “You.” As cheesy as that is… it’s true!  Without the friendship and support of Nella Garcia, Dave Pedra, Amanda Rawlings, Leah Granacki, Pam Mathai, Sarah Murphy, Jessica Harrison, Jeremy Jones, Natalia Fernandez, and more, I wouldn’t have had the support I needed to do one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done: teach.  The group picture below is of our amazing 10th grade team dressed up as "Alice in Wonderland" for Halloween 2009!

This is just a small slice of my experience, but I think this is one of those “X factors” at YES Prep that comes across when you talk to a staff member or a student that you just can’t discover any other way.  If you want to talk more about this, please feel free to email me at teach@yesprep.organd I’d love to chat with you more!

Lindsey

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