Public Education Matters

Various student voices 0:08
Public education matters. Public education matters. Public education matters.

Scott DiMauro 0:15
This is Public Education Matters, brought to you by the Ohio Education Association.

Katie Olmsted 0:26
Thanks for joining us for this episode of Public Education Matters. I'm your host, Katie Olmsted, and I'm part of the communications team for the Ohio Education Association and its nearly 120,000 members across the state. One of those public school educators has been recognized as the top high school teacher in the state by the Veterans of Foreign Wars or VFW organization. Every year the VFW honors teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels. And Salina Education Association member Alicia Ball was selected to be honored by her local VFW Post, the wider VFW district for her area, and as the VFW High School Teacher of the Year for the state of Ohio under the VFW national citizenship education teacher program. But Alicia doesn't teach social studies or American history or any of the other subjects where you'd usually think about having citizenship curriculum instead. Ball's lessons are all about helping your students learn to be good citizens through their work outside the four walls of their classroom. Take a listen to our conversation about what they do and about how these kinds of projects keep ball going when things are tough.

Alicia Ball 1:50
My name is Alicia Ball, and I am an English teacher at Salina High School.

Katie Olmsted 1:54
And you were recently named the Ohio Teacher of the Year by the VFW in their Smart Mayor VFW National Citizenship, Education Teacher Program. Congratulations. Thank you very much. What did you think when you got the news that you got that award?

Alicia Ball 2:13
Well, I should probably sign up for therapy, because my first thought was, oh my gosh, not me. That's not a thing. I actually, I had no idea that the program even existed. You know, obviously I was aware of our local VFW. My grandpa was a veteran, and my other grandpa was very involved in the VFW. And, you know, I've been around, but they actually came into my classroom at about 8:30 one morning, right before Christmas break, when everybody's, you know, super struggling and trying to just make it to Christmas and it was a group of administrators and a local guy, and they all just sort of paraded in with no, I had no idea what was going on, and they awarded me with the award. And I, I was in shock. It was, it was very cool. I felt very honored.

Katie Olmsted 3:07
And that started on the local level, and then you were also moved forward in this competition to be the district winner, and then the winner for the entire state of Ohio. That's a very big deal. Amazing.

Alicia Ball 3:21
Yeah, I guess. And again, I was super unaware that this, this even existed. So to know, I actually they told me when they came in that morning that I had won the local and that actually had already been chosen for the district level. So that was really great. And then it was actually over Christmas break. I'm very, very close with my department of teachers, and we were actually having, like, a little Christmas gathering, and a guy from the state called me and said, Hey, by the way, you won the whole shebang. And I was like, Oh my gosh, okay. Very cool. Thank you very much.

Katie Olmsted 3:54
So what is the winning involved? Did, did they give you a presentation on that? Or do you know, fashion crown for the rest of the year?

Alicia Ball 4:01
I mean, I will, if it's available. Actually the state the VFW, they sort of not backwards. I don't mean that in any negative way, but they do their state convention actually takes place before their District Convention. So pretty quickly, after the guy had informed me that I one state, he said it came with this. It was a hotel stay, and I was invited to their convention in Columbus, and they did this awards presentation. And the whole thing that I was really taken aback by was that, you know, the VFW is an organization for veterans, and if you want to talk about sacrifice of any kind, you know, people who are giving their lives and their their time to to be in the Armed Services of any kind, those are the people that deserve all of the recognition. But the whole gathering that they had for their convention was really about giving back to other sectors. So there's like a there was a firefighter of the year, there was a. Special of the year. But the majority of the presentation was actually for scholarship winners. They were kids who had written essays about a particular topic, and so these kids were actually the star of the show, and they were given they all had to read their essays out loud, and there was bucha scholarship dollars. And really it was just about the VFW giving back, which was wonderful. And everybody felt so honored. There was a nice lunch in and there was, there was a dinner ceremony, and then the hotel stay. It was, it was quite nice. So that was the state, and then a few months later, was actually the district, and that was a little bit more local. I think it was in delphus. There we go, delphus. It was in delphus. And they had a little lunch in there. So I had already won the state by the time I went back to do the district. And I actually was given a $500 gift by my local VFW, which we all know teachers could definitely use. And at the state level, I was actually given $1,000 so it was very awesome. And, and there are two other teachers that were given the state award as well. And and the district, they do a younger kids, a middle and then a high school teacher as well.

Katie Olmsted 6:14
And as we mentioned, this is for their citizenship education teacher program. And you didn't really feel like you fit into that box neatly as a citizenship teacher, but you have a superpower of helping shape great citizens. Talk to me a little bit about that.

Alicia Ball 6:31
Sure, I grow I grew up. I've lived here my entire life, minus my college education in Salina, Ohio, and we're not tiny, but we're not huge either, and so one of the gifts of living in a small town is that I've really been able to work on bridging that gap between school and community and getting kids involved in all sorts of programs and creating events and doing things that get the kids out into the world and functioning as citizens in our small town. So if I were to list my qualifications as teaching citizenship, it's it's that it's making the kids active, it's having them volunteer, or we do yearly a giant toy drive for Dayton Children's Hospital, where I'm actually super duper proud of being one of their top donators every single year. So, you know, write that on my tombstone. We also created a homecoming parade. That's a tradition that's going strong. We do a bonfire. The kids get out and volunteer for we just did a bake sale at an Easter egg hunt and did little temporary tattoos for kids. We volunteered at farmers markets. We do the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics every year. I've jumped into the lake with my kids quite a few times I'm cold thinking about it. Yeah, well, too old for that. Now, I think I'd lose a limb. But just, you know, getting kids out there and and raising money and finding causes that they believe in and showing them that, you know, you can be involved and being a citizen means more than just taking a passive role in your community. So I think that might be what, what cinched my title, if you will.

Katie Olmsted 8:27
Yeah, it sounds like citizenship really means actively building up your community and making it a better place for everyone. But I want, I want to mention something you said there about finding causes that your your kids cared about. How important is that buy in and getting them to be partners in this, what's, what's obviously so important to you?

Alicia Ball 8:48
You know, I think just being able to give kids experiences that they weren't sure that they were interested in, you know, they maybe don't buy in, in the moment, but every year, I get a large group of kids that that dwindles down into a smaller group of core kids that, that do find that they like being out there, regardless of what the cause may be. You know, we have a huge group of kids that do the polar plunge. It takes place at our local Moose Lodge, and the huge group of kids do it because there's a deep fried buffet after that, anybody will do anything for fried cheese. I'm honest. Me too. Yeah, that's why I did it. But you know, and then it dwindles down into that core group that that discover that, Oh, I did jump in the lake, but also I met those, the Special Olympics athletes, and I found a cause that I believe in, or I liked giving back, or I liked organizing this when I was younger, I actually, I'm a childhood cancer survivor, which is semi unique, and I think that's where this citizenship stuff comes from. Because the blessing of living in that small community is when I was I was really, really young, I actively learned, unbeknownst to me, that when something happens, you know, your community jumps in and takes care of you, and they they lift you up, and they make things happen. And that just sort of became a way of life for me, and so then passing that on to the kids that are in front of me every day is one of the greatest joys and blessings of being a teacher. So, you know, I don't know that I have buy in. I bribe often. I'm probably McDonald's number one customer because I do lunch there all the time for whatever activities I can pull out of them, but I think they find buy in after.

Katie Olmsted 10:45
So let's talk about after. Do you have kids who go on to continue volunteering even when they're not in your class anymore, and when it's not just about that event? What does after look like in the school when you have better citizens who will, you know, take care of people when things are not going well.

Alicia Ball 11:05
Yeah. So one of the proudest things I've mentioned that toy drive. We live about an hour and a half away from Dayton Children's Hospital, but tying it all together, that childhood cancer, that's where I went, that's how the toy drive kind of came about. And one of my favorite full circle moments is that I've had students that were very active in the toy drive process that are now nurses and, and, you know, physicians and what have you, at Dayton Children's Hospital. And so I absolutely cannot take credit for their career path or what they've chosen to do, but I could be sleep at night, you know, but those full circle moments of kids choosing a career or, you know, going on to college, I've had students that went to Bowling Green, that that sent me an email and said, Hey, I'm now involved in the dance marathon, and we're raising money for this. Can we come back? And, you know, we did. We've done a couple different things with the Children's Miracle networks. Or we've gone on to have kids that then volunteered with the Special Olympics. I have co workers that are absolutely wonderful. One of my dearest friends is we work on the Polar Plunge together, and she is the cheerleading coach for the Special Olympics as well. So there's just, you know, there's all sorts of little little breadcrumbs that come back to you from those kids being involved. And, you know, I do think it's not everybody, but if you can get one kid that goes on to become somebody who gives back or a better citizen or a part of their community, then I'll settle for one. You know, little wins, but I do. I think it gives them some experience, and I appreciate that. That's if that's my legacy, so be it, I'd be happy with that.

Katie Olmsted 12:54
Do you find that the students, maybe not the ones who go on to be the doctors and the nurses, but a lot of the students tend to be more giving and more, I guess, better citizens in the school community because of the opportunity to give outside of the school?

Alicia Ball 13:11
Yeah, I think so we talk a lot about, you know, there's, you always hear about building relationships, and you know how that creates school buy in. And I have a lot of students that, you know, school is not easy for them, and I think those other activities that we create here that they can volunteer, or we can go out in the community, or they can be part of the homecoming parade, or, you know, whatever it is that maybe isn't academic in the true sense of the word, you know, we are creating an education, and we're creating that buy in, where they do enjoy coming to school, and it creates a partnership. And, you know, these kids, I think they're magical. I really do. If you don't believe that kids are the future and that they're going to do wonderful things, then I don't know how you're getting up in the morning and coming to work. So, you know, creating those opportunities and getting them out in the world, and creating that buy in, and making this a happy environment, because you see them as humans and not just students, that's pretty cool, too. So that's part of that's part of the joy of creating the citizens, I think.

Katie Olmsted 14:25
And it kind of sounds like that's what the VFW is after as well. I mean, they are all about the citizens who are giving back and that life of service. And I feel like you're instilling the love of that in young people, which is amazing.

Alicia Ball 14:42
I sure hope so.

Katie Olmsted 14:46
Have you reached a critical mass of like we cannot take on another project, or are you always adding more projects?

Alicia Ball 14:53
Oh, um, that's my Achilles heel. I've never said no to anyone in my entire life. Um. I do think have I wanted to say, No, you betcha. Have I not that I'm aware of so yeah, we do. We take on a lot of projects. I've had things that weren't successful. We tried to do an alumni event after a football game where I invited the entire community, and only my dad showed up. I've definitely had things. I was like, Well, I'm not going to do that again, but I guess I don't know. I must be pretty thick skinned or kind of dumb, I don't know, but I just keep swinging the bat and seeing where things land. I am super duper lucky to have incredibly supportive colleagues and incredibly supportive family. My administration is fantastic. So they're, they're incredibly supportive of me, trying whatever and seeing what happens, and some are good and some are bad. But I don't like to be told no, so I guess I, I don't know. I don't tell anybody. No either. It'll get me one day.

Katie Olmsted 16:06
But yeah, there's, there's something very real to be said about overburdening, burdening yourself and facing a burnout point. But it doesn't sound like you're there right now. It sounds like you're being fueled by it.

Alicia Ball 16:19
There are definite days, you know, where one of the strange things about this VFW award is that I'm in the midst of probably one of my hardest years of teaching. You know, I think all teachers can relate that you have really awesome years and years that are a struggle, and while people are singing my praises and telling me, you know, oh, you're a teacher of the year, and that's wonderful, and it feels good. I'm struggling to get through a school year that I find quite difficult, and I've had good years and I've had bad years. I've been teaching for 15 years, so I've had handfuls of everything in between. And so I understand that burnout is very real, but I also do think that those outside things give me enough fuel to continue that I'm like, Well, I'm gonna try again. I'm gonna try something else. I currently have it in me, and I I feel stupid even saying it out loud, but I've decided I'm gonna try to fund a field trip to New York City so that my kids can work in a soup kitchen and homeless shelter. We're going to try to volunteer there, and that is a big financial undertaking, because we're not a super wealthy district. The kids that I want to take are not super wealthy by any means, and I'd love to give the kids the opportunity that don't normally get it, the chance to go and give back and see the world in a different capacity. So am I burnout? No, do I keep finding things to make it so that I don't burn out? I guess so. I'm creating things that that make me passionate for for continuing on. But am I tired? I'm having Dr Pepper for breakfast.

Katie Olmsted 18:01
There are way worst things to have for breakfast than Dr Pepper and and I do, I admire you so much for finding the ways to continue fueling your own passion and continue to give to your students. What you're doing for them is so so valuable. What you're doing for the community is so so valuable. And thank you. I think the world is very lucky to have you as their teacher.

Alicia Ball 18:25
Thank you. I appreciate that.

Katie Olmsted 18:27
Well, Alicia, thank you so much. I'm very lucky to have taken up your time. Thank you so much for sitting down and sharing your story with us.

Alicia Ball 18:35
Oh, well, I love to talk so you know, call me back anytime.

Katie Olmsted 18:40
Okay, I will, because I will be checking in to find out how everything's going with that New York City trip, and I'd love to check in about that.

Alicia Ball 18:46
Yeah, okay, well, I'm gunning for November, so we'll see. We'll see how it goes.

Katie Olmsted 18:58
Alicia Ball is still working on figuring out how to make the New York City trip happen for her students who could never afford this opportunity on their own. If you have any connections ideas or any resources that can help, you can contact Alicia directly. Her email address is in the show notes for this episode. I also want you to email me at educationmatters@ohea.org, with any ideas you have for future episodes of this podcast. Season Five is wrapping up with the end of the school year, but we are always looking for your feedback and your thoughts about what you'd like to hear on the podcast in the future, because in Ohio, public education matters.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai