Conversations with Darrin Flowers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrin Flowers. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Originally, I had dreams and aspirations of attending law school and becoming a lawyer. Upon graduation from Saginaw Valley State University, I started to substitute teach for extra money. It was at this moment that I fell in love with the classroom. I also noticed that wherever I substitute taught and regardless of the schools’ demographics, there always seemed to be little to no black men in the buildings. I took this as a sign that I should join the field of education. So, I immediately reenrolled in SVSU’s education program to work on my teaching certification. After spending 10 years in the classroom, I decided to obtain a Masters in Administration and a Masters in Curriculum Design and Implementation from the University of Detroit Mercy. This would allow me to move on to Administration. I am now the Assistant Principal for the Jesuit Academy at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hard to say if it has been smooth or rough as I am a “the glass is half full” type of thinker. When it comes to education, you will always have hurdles, and you will have to learn how to do more with less. These hurdles can include students, parents, faculty, funding, space, curriculum, the list goes on. I chose to not focus on the hurdles or struggles but more so focus on how do we overcome these hurdles and struggles. Schools and students are not going anywhere, so why worry about the struggle? Let’s focus on what we can do to remove these struggles and hurdles. There has been a change in how students learn and think. But this is change that we will just have to accept as educators and game plan on how to use it to our advantage. The struggle is when educators, institutions, or citizens do not want to change. Your average citizen usually has very strong feelings on how schools should work, but they’ve never really been inside of a school since their graduation date. While some educators and institutions on stuck on how we did things in the past. This creates a flawed logic on what should or should not be going on in our schools. Another change would be parents and how they view education, discipline, and student needs. But it is on us as educators and institutions to get all stakeholders on the same page as to what direction is best for the child and the current culture and climate of schools. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As Assistant Principal for the Jesuit Academy, I run our 7th and 8th grade. I handle all things academic, disciplinary, and extracurricular. My day consists of fielding parent phone calls and emails, checking on students’ needs, running detention, monitoring curriculum, mentoring and conducting teacher evaluations, actively recruiting new teachers when needed, and finding new and innovative ways to keep students engaged and organized. I also coach two sports in the building, High School Bowling and Middle School and High School Track. After school and on the weekends, my time is spent at practice, meets, and matches. I would say that I specialize in relationship building. Once you build a relationship with the child and parent, everything else seems to fall in place. The student will produce for you based on this trust and relationship. Same goes with the parent. I try to always be present to help facilitate the growth of this relationship, so I attend a lot of events outside of school. I am probably most known for my recognizable beard or fashionable gym shoes I wear during free dress and outside events. LOL, I am most proud of my educational and athletic accomplishments. To teach a full load, go to school, and still coach two sports at a high level was extremely tough, mind-numbing, and time-consuming, but I made it through. In the end, I have 2 master’s degrees, and our programs have 2 Catholic League titles, a Regional and State Championship in Bowling, a Regional and State Championship in Track and Field State, and 2 Middle School Track Championships. I think what sets me apart from others is my versatility and energy within the field. When most want to go home, I am ready to attend the next event. Some of the duties I hear educators complain about are actually some of my favorite parts of the job.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Yes, I learned that if you stay ready, you will never have to get ready. Virtual learning was hard on everyone. But as a teacher, you had to spend more time getting prepared or transferring a lesson from being in-person to virtual. Knowing how to use zoom, Edmodo, class dojo, and various other learning systems was of high priority. But if you have never used these before, you were learning on the fly. COVID taught me to try to always stay ahead of the curve within this field. I actually got lucky because about 2 years before COVID, I had a class on online learning. So, I had a few arrows in my quiver when it came time to go virtual. The other thing I learned was that face-to-face time with students is ESSENTIAL to their growth. While digital learning can get the job done, when it comes to elementary and secondary, you need that interpersonal communication to help them develop proper social skills, classroom procedures, and all-around educational understanding. 

Image Credits
Students from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy