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A single conference hallway can tell you a lot about what educators are carrying and what they still hope to build. From the NCASA conference in Wilmington, North Carolina, we sit down with Rochelle Brown, a CMS biology teacher with 26 years in education and a North Carolina Principal Fellow preparing for a full-year internship at Croft Community Schools in Charlotte. She talks candidly about the mix of excitement and nerves that comes with stepping toward school leadership and why being part of a cohort and a strong university program matters when you’re trying to grow.

Website: spotlight4success.com 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success with American Book
Company.
Here we are in Wilmington, NorthCarolina at the NCASA
conference.
I'm your host, Derek Pentozi,and today we have a special
guest, Rochelle Brown.
She is the biolog a biologyteacher for the CMS school
districts, and we're just sothankful to have you here today.

SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Hey, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (00:25):
So what brings you here to this conference?

SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
Um I am a North Carolina principal fellow.
Um it is a big deal.
It's like it you don't just getto choose to be a North
Carolina.
We've talked to a few today.

SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
I mean yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 (00:39):
Yeah, it's a big deal.
So I'm honored to be a part ofthat, um, this program.
And then I am also grateful forDr.
Rosenbaum and AppState, becausethat's who we're from, AppState.
Um, go AppState.

SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
Go Mountain News.

SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
Yes, absolutely.
Um, so they paid for us to beable to come to this conference,
and I have learned so much.
Um, as I stated, I am gettingready to go into my full year
intern at Croft CommunitySchools in Charlotte, and I have
learned a lot since I've beenhere, um, took a lot of notes,

(01:15):
um, network, and I'm just reallyexcited about my internship
journey.
A little nervous, but stillexcited.

SPEAKER_00 (01:23):
That's great.
And have you used any AmericanBook Company books before?

SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Yes, I have.
I remember when I was inWinston-Salem, Foresight County
Schools, we did have those booksfor biology and some of the
other subjects.
Um, even at other conferencesthat I have attended, um, I've
always gotten get the samplesfrom ABC books and try to

(01:51):
motivate or push whatever schoolI am at to either use them,
purchase the digital form, orsee how, even if it means, you
know, if I have one, if I had topurchase it on my own and being
able to try to, you know,influence people to use them
because I feel that um a lot ofstudents it's difficult for them

(02:13):
to stay after school.
I like how your book is set upwhere they take like the little
assessment and then if they missit, they know exactly what
standard to review versus um theteachers or educators always
having to figure it out forthem.

SPEAKER_00 (02:30):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 (02:31):
You know.

SPEAKER_00 (02:31):
And did you see any improvement in your classes,
score improvement, whatnot?

SPEAKER_01 (02:35):
I think I'll the honest answer I want to say is
yes, but I think the mosteffective depends on how they
are implemented in curriculum.
Like, you know, some use itfaithfully, some use it a little
bit.
So I feel if it all depends onthe teacher, it all depends on

(02:57):
how it is pushed to be used inthe classroom, and then of
course, our excitement about thebook and how it can help them,
hopefully it will motivatestudents to be more engaged and
motivated to use it as well.

SPEAKER_00 (03:10):
Yeah, great.
You can tell us a little bitmore about what you like about
your job.

SPEAKER_01 (03:15):
Oh, well, like I said, I um have been in
education for 26 years.
Um for me, when you get intoeducation, we already know that
it's not for the money.
So for me, it is about making animpact, um, seeing students
grow, seeing students learn.

(03:37):
And like I said, I think thereward for me is a good example
is being in the mall and seeinga former uh student that I had
who remembers who I am, rememberwhat I taught them in bio and to
see them thriving in theirlives, married, have children,
have a career.
So a lot of times in education,we always focus on the hard

(04:00):
parts and the struggles.
And it is education, being ateacher is challenging, but
there are times like that thatlets me know this is why I do
it.
I do it for the kids.

SPEAKER_00 (04:10):
That's amazing.
We're very thankful to have you.
I'm glad to be here.
Yes, and can you um let us canyou tell us what how you got
into education?

SPEAKER_01 (04:20):
Oh yeah, so I um actually education was my second
choice.
My first choice was to dosomething medical or laboratory,
science laboratory.
Um, but my mom was in education,and I remember when I graduated
with my undergrad, she was like,look, she was like, you're not
just gonna sit in this house.

(04:40):
So she she was like, um, so whydon't you apply to be a
substitute teacher and see ifyou like teaching?
So I went to CMS and I went toapply to be a substitute.
They found they saw that I had adegree in bio and they offered
me an application to be ascience teacher.
And I'm like, I'm just fresh outof college.

(05:02):
I'm like, okay.
So I filled out the application.
Um, that was probably in June,July, they offered me a position
and started in 1997, and um I'vebeen there ever since, and uh,
it was the best, it was the bestmove.
I I don't regret my my journeyto be in education, although it

(05:24):
wasn't my first choice, it hastruly been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 (05:28):
I'm really glad you found what you love and you
actually stuck to it because alot of people they don't ever
find what they love.
Absolutely, absolutely.
I'm very happy for you.
Thank you.
That's great.
And do you have any last wordsfor the NCASA community?

SPEAKER_01 (05:40):
Yes, um, this is a great conference, and I have
learned so much.
I've met new people, um, and Ieven though we may not get a
chance to come on our own nextyear, even if I have to pay for
it, it is worth taking the timeout to come to this conference.
You learn so much that you knowpeople pour into you so that you

(06:02):
can go back and you share.
For education to me is we helpeach other learn.
We are life learners.
So when someone teaches me, thenit's my responsibility to go and
teach somebody else.

SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
Well, there we have it.
That's Rochelle Brown from theCMS School District.
We're so thankful to have youhere.

SPEAKER_01 (06:20):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
And we'll catch y'all next time.

SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
All right.