Her Story
About Anita
I was inspired to become an educator through my band director at Southwood, who would have me teach several students who were learning to play instruments. I said, I like this, so I decided to go into education. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana in 1981 with a BA, and from there I started teaching from 81 on through 2014, giving me 33 and a half years in education. Now that I'm retired, I teach private lessons to students from school in the afternoon, a few homeschool students, and I also teach senior citizens in the morning time, which I really enjoy because they are fun. Sometimes if they haven't practiced, we sit and talk, and it's good therapy for them. I help out at a school on Wednesdays, play for a church on Sunday, and I play in one group on Monday night and another group on Thursday night. I practice my piano, clarinet, saxophone, and flute. What I'm most proud of is touching people's lives through music, because I still have students that I see who really enjoyed being in my classes and the lessons that I taught them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anita
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my relationship to the Lord and His instructions in my life of what to do and how to do it. That relationship has guided me throughout my career and continues to guide me in everything I do.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to stay focused on what you have to do and then have compassion for others. Staying focused on your work while maintaining compassion has been essential to my success as an educator.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be more compassionate and care about the children you're teaching. If you're going to teach other people's children, you've got to care. I know with the education system the way it is, it's not like it used to be back in the 80s or 70s. We're going to have to have more compassion and more discernment. You're gonna have to love the Lord and love God's people, because some children can get on your nerve, your last nerve, but you have to love them anyway.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Discipline is a problem and keeping the kids focused is a challenge. As I study the history of us as Black people, learning was always the top thing on their agenda. It's not quite like that right now, and there's a lot of problems with that. The lack of focus on learning compared to what it used to be is something I have a lot of problems with.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Caring for people is most important to me. Like you learn in the Word of God, Jesus was compassionate, and we have to learn to be compassionate toward one another. It's not always me and myself, but it's what we can do for others and help others with their needs. Being compassionate toward one another and being able to listen are my core values. People say I'm a good listener, and sometimes you just listen and it will give you the solution or give you what to say.
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