Dr. Edith Flores

I attribute my success to my supportive family and God. I wouldn't have any of this without them. If it wasn't for my husband saying 'stay late, I got the kids,' or driving like a banshee to bring me my computer on the day of my dissertation defense when I'd left it at home, I couldn't have done any of this. One of my committee members on my dissertation was someone I knew when he was getting his doctorate while I was taking kids to science fair as a junior high teacher. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd have a doctorate one day. That just wasn't my thing. I don't see myself like that. My support network has been everything. I was pregnant with my third child when I graduated with my teaching degree, and this year my daughter has been cooking at least three nights a week so I don't have that burden and can focus on papers and edits. I couldn't have done it without my husband and every single one of my family members. If it wasn't for God, I wouldn't have anything. He's gotten me through rough times, like losing a son. I would not deny him for anything, because I love what I do so much. He's got me through it all, so I definitely give him the credit.

What I would tell her is to put good people around you whose advice and counsel that you trust, friends that'll keep it real with you but also tell you the truth. I've heard people going into education who stayed in education, but it really wasn't their forte, what they were into. They actually had a love for something else. I can think over the years of two teachers that left education to go into the medical field, and that's great. Don't stick with something just because you feel obligated. If it's not something you could see yourself doing 20 years from now, then maybe it's not something you need to start doing now. I think you need to really just give something time, and if it still doesn't feel like a good fit, it's okay to stop. You can still take what you learned in college, like if they went and became a teacher, they can still take that knowledge and apply it to another field. It's okay, and they may have to go back and get some more education, and that's okay too. Just have wise people around you, and don't be afraid to step away from something if you feel like it's not working out.

In education, I think a big one for me as a teacher is if you're teaching a state-tested subject, that's really difficult, because how well you do is not on the lesson or the individual wins, but it's what they see on paper at the end of the year, and that can be discouraging. I had 88% of my kids pass their biology state tests after I taught them biology from July to December, and took the test in December, so that was pretty good odds for me. But I would like to eventually get 100%, because I would like to know that I've got it down to where I can teach them and get it. Another thing is that the education system has changed so much over the years, and it can be difficult because you want to teach and that's where your passion is, but you're also managing classroom behavior with students who are not involved. You can't help but become a mom to your students too. I think it's taught me a lot about myself. When I first went into education, I had a student named Aaron who was always coming late to school, and I said 'really, Aaron? Again? You don't have your stuff?' And just out of the blue, he was honest and said 'Ms. Flores, I slept in my friend's car last night because my dad was drunk and he locked me out the house.' I was not expecting that answer, and it really made me reflect on me, because I was instantly judging him. You don't expect stuff like that when you just get out of college in your first couple years of teaching. There's a lot of stuff that happens, like when students pass away or are hit with tragedy. During my teaching career is when Katrina hit. Nowadays kids are nervous about being out in public. Knowing that they have a safe place to come to, do you need a snack to take home, we do it all. That's the stuff that my fellow teachers and I know we do, but that's the stuff that the big people, higher-ups, never see. So that can be a little discouraging and a big challenge to face, because we're getting judged on the things they see on paper and not really what they see day-to-day. That's a challenge for all educators.

Definitely my faith. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have anything. I teach in a public school system where you have to watch what you say, but if my student asked me, I will gladly tell them. Sometimes you can tell them in ways by your actions, and it doesn't always have to be words. If another student is hungry, I'll give them a snack. If I know that they need a pair of shoes, I'll see what I can do. That's really important to me. I'm also really into the Kiwanis organization, and their values are important to me because at the school level, our motto is 'what is best for children?' It's about children too. It's all about helping and empowering children now, because they are our future. They still actually pray at their meetings, and I respect people's faith. I don't think that they have to convert to what I am. I'm just non-denominational, nothing, no label on me. I just love God, and I love people, and it's in my DNA. That's just it, that's how we are. I could not do anything, I would not deny him for anything, because I love what I do so much. He's gotten me through rough times, like losing a son. I definitely give him the credit.