"A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning." - Brad Henry
If you've ever met Perry you know how passionate he is about education and leadership. Perry is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, an eighth-grade math teacher, and a great orator. While an undergraduate at Winthrop, he was an active student taking the initiative to immerse himself into different organizations with a sincere passion for networking with a diverse set of people. Perry wants to make a difference with his gift of teaching two months in, he is doing just that.
Check out his Q/A below:
Shakora Bamberg: Tell me about your role at Winthrop including any leadership roles, recognition, and positions you held while a student at WU.
Saani Perry: I started my leadership career at Winthrop my freshman year as a 2012 Emerging Leader. I then joined the Association of Ebonites and became a member of the Student Allocations Committee. At the end of my freshman year, I was selected to be the Student Leadership Coordinator, coordinating and co-teaching the Emerging Leaders Program. In this position, I also assisted new students organizations in becoming chartered student organizations, assisting with their constitution, helping them shape their mission and goals for their organization, and so on.
In addition, I also planned and assisted with leadership programming on campus. I was in this position from the end of my freshman year to the end of my junior year. During my sophomore and junior years I also served as a Family Orientation Leader and a Peer Mentor. In addition, I served on the Homecoming Committee during these two years as the Paint the Town Chair - improving, coordinating and implementing the Paint the Town Homecoming Kick-Off Event.
At the end of my junior year, I joined the Nu Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and my senior year served as the Nu Chi Chapter President. At the end of my senior year, I was awarded Chapter President of the Year, and our Chapter won Fraternity of the Year.
SB: What is one thing that you love about Winthrop, and why did you choose Winthrop?
SP: What attracted me to Winthrop was the "home feeling" I got when I stepped off the bus my very first time as an eighth-grader. I visited again my freshman and sophomore years of high school and just knew that Winthrop was the place to be. After doing my research I learned that it was a small school with small class sizes, which was a big deal for me. Finally, I learned that Winthrop was the place to be if you wanted to be a teacher -- and that was the deal maker.
SB: Of all the roles, what would you say is the most important that has shaped you into a better young man?
SP: All of the roles above helped me become the man I am today. Each position made me improve various skills from professionalism to time management, to public speaking, you name it. However, I will say working as the Student Leadership Coordinator and being Chapter President definitely had the biggest impact on my leadership.
In these positions, I had to work with people much older than me, a lot more established than me, or a lot more developed than I was. However, these people expected me to deliver and held me to high expectations.
While I may have felt like I was not ready at times, the people I worked with never lowered their expectations, and always encouraged me to keep pushing, and before long, I just knew that when times got tough, I needed to bite the bullet, get to work, and provide quality work when it was due.
I learned to really take initiative and have things done ahead of time. I learned to talk professionally and with poise.
When sitting in meetings with people in higher positions, I learned to make my points clear and ensure that my voice was heard, even if I was sitting with a high university official, or an official in the community.
SB: When did you realize that you wanted to be a teacher? Where did this passion come from?
SP: I learned that I wanted to be an educator in the second or third grade. I was getting in trouble a lot in school and did not know how to read. However, the teachers I had in second and third (Ms. Cline my second-grade teacher, Ms. Campbell my third-grade teacher) grade NEVER gave up on me, no matter how bad I may have acted in class.
They really had a huge impact on me and taught me that teachers could be trusted. From then on, I turned my focus to education. I may not have always been the best student, but I always worked as hard as I could to learn new things and go as far as I could.
By the time I left middle school, I knew that I wanted to impact children going down the wrong path as much as my teachers were helping me. Before long, I started working with children in community centers, after school programs, etc.
I realized that there was a need for male mentors, and a need for kids to have someone that cares for them and pushes them. The rest was history.
Ms. Clary, my high school mentor/math teacher, definitely inspired me to become a teacher. They never gave up on students, and never allowed students to lower their expectations.
Ms. Osborne and Ms. Towle were two other high school teachers that I had who always pushed me to my limits and never allowed me to slack. They showed me that tough love works and can help a student try harder.
SB: What is a typical school work day like for you?
SP: I am an eighth-grade math teacher and the head step team coach at E.L. Wright Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina. E.L. Wright is a public school in Richland School District Two. My role as a teacher is to plan, teach and implement lessons and activities to regular eighth-grade math students (students who are on or below grade level - no honors classes). I love my job, even though it can be challenging at times.
A standard work day for me is to arrive at the school by 7:00 am, as our school day begins at 7:30. I teach four classes back to back that last an hour and a five minutes long. I then have two planning periods back to back where I spend a little time planning and getting things graded, or ready for the next day.
However, most of my planning is spent in parent-teacher conferences, school meetings, grade level meetings, math department meetings, you name it. On Monday's after school I usually spend about an hour to an hour and a half in school meetings (faculty meetings, department meetings, etc.). After school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I run step practice for our step team. Wednesdays after school I have tutoring for the 103 students that I teach if they feel the need to come to tutoring.
SB: How did classes at Winthrop and past internships help you prepare to be an effective educator?
SP: The Richard W. Riley College of Education is AMAZING. It prepared me well, and I definitely feel like my first year of teaching is nowhere near as stressful as it could be had I gone to a different University.
My classes taught me how to deal with students who have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) or a 504 (a different type of an education plan to provide students with educational accommodations or modifications). In addition, my classes prepared me well for dealing with students that have disabilities or need extra assistance.
What definitely helped me was my full year internship at South Middle School. South is a Title I school, and after teaching there for a year, I had no issues adjusting to E.L. Wright Middle School (which is not Title I but is considered a low-income school.)
I was used to working with students below grade level, or students dealing with issues at home, so once I began teaching, I was able to jump right in, make the appropriate connections with my students, and begin teaching them content, soft skills, life skills, and everything in between that they need to be successful in my class and in life.
SB: As a first-year teacher at E.L. Wright Middle School, do you have a teacher there who has been a mentor to you?
SP: There is a teacher at my school who has been there for over 20 years. She is definitely a mentor to me. She always checks up on me and tells me what has worked and what has not worked for me. She never tells me what to do, however, she always listens to my concerns, and always gives great advice. She is a great role model, and watching her and learning from her has already helped me become a better teacher.
She has taught me to stay leveled, stay true to my career, and stick strongly to my procedures and rules in my classroom. She also has helped me with incorporating activities and things in my room that allow students to get to know one another while still doing work. I look up to her a lot.
SB: When you’re not busy teaching what do you like to do for fun?
SP: I enjoy hanging out with my friends, my Fraternity brothers, going to the movies, dancing, singing, and most importantly, laughing. I am a very social guy, so anytime I can get out the house and hang out I am happy.
SB: Who is your role model?
SP: My overall inspiration and role model would be my mother. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge momma's boy. My mom had a very tough life growing up, however, she never allowed that to stop her from working hard and getting to where she wants to be.
From a rough home life and childhood - my mom really never had anyone but her sisters. Watching her work her hardest to give her four children the best life she could is something I can never repay her for. I owe everything I am to my mother, and I work hard to make her proud and to one day give her what she deserves.
SB: What is an interesting fact about you?
SP: I am half German and half Black. I can speak German and understand it. Another interesting fact is that I live for music and movies. I watch all sorts of movies anytime I get the time to. I could seriously be a movie critic because I love movies that much.
SB: What advice would you give to the freshman class especially the young men entering the same career path as you?
SP: Stay TRUE to yourself. There are going to be so many nay-sayers and so many obstacles that will get in your way and make you second guess yourself. NEVER allow someone to bring you down, never allow a situation to break your faith or make your goal seem impossible. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and even if you have to limp, limp yourself to the finish line.
To the young men looking to be educators, there are so many people who are rooting against you - I'll be honest. But at the same time, there are so much more people rooting for you, the only downside is, you won't hear them rooting for you until you're closer to the finish line. Keep pushing. Ignore the negative comments, ignore the nay-sayers, and remember that you are doing this to change lives. No praise or support will ever take the place of hearing your future students tell you they love you or appreciate what you do for them. Trust me.
SB: How would you tell these young men how to best prepare for college?
SP: Stay grounded. College is fun and should be. However, do not let the social life and the fun get you off track. Stay focused, and work hard. My rule was I worked hard Sunday - Thursday - I'd stay up late, do all of my assignments, skip some events, skip out on going out sometimes, just to ensure my work was done and that I studied hard enough to make the grades I wanted. However, Thursday night to Sunday morning was MY time. No school work got done, that was my time to relax and enjoy life a little. That's what kept me sane. I graduated Cum Laude, so it worked. Also, be mindful of what you do. So many people look up to you as a man in college trying to make something of himself. Give them something to look up to.
SB: What are your long-term career goals?
SP: After teaching for three years, I plan to get my Master's in School Administration and Educational Leadership. After obtaining this degree I want to teach for a few more years and then move into school administration. I then want to get my Doctorate Degree in Administration and eventually become a Principal.
SB: Perry shared with me that he has a lot in store for his students as this school term unfolds. Keep an eye out for this young sincere teacher and educator as his career goals continue to manifest.
