This unarmored discussion is with Daniel Tobias Flint, originally from Chatham, New York and now teaching in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida. The 2022 Gilder Lehrman U.S. History Teacher of the Year for the State of Florida, takes us on a journey into the everyday realities of impactful teaching.
We navigate through diverse school settings, discussing the challenges of building connections in an environment where violence and loss are sometimes as common as textbooks and chalkboards.
Daniel shares his insights on the importance of parental involvement, the art of teaching the child before you, and why discipline and structure go hand-in-hand with empathy. As we wrap up, you'll be left with an appreciation for the educators who dedicate their lives to shaping the future—one student at a time!
Guest Link:
*LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-flint-ab846020/
This unarmored discussion is with Daniel Tobias Flint, originally from Chatham, New York and now teaching in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida. The 2022 Gilder Lehrman U.S. History Teacher of the Year for the State of Florida, takes us on a journey into the everyday realities of impactful teaching.
We navigate through diverse school settings, discussing the challenges of building connections in an environment where violence and loss are sometimes as common as textbooks and chalkboards.
Daniel shares his insights on the importance of parental involvement, the art of teaching the child before you, and why discipline and structure go hand-in-hand with empathy. As we wrap up, you'll be left with an appreciation for the educators who dedicate their lives to shaping the future—one student at a time!
Guest Link:
*LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-flint-ab846020/
Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue pleased to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is a awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck Just look in a show notes or you can put in the search engine Mario P Fields parade deck and get all access To my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. Welcome back to unarmor talk. Everybody. I'm your host, mario P Fields.
Speaker 1:For the first time, listeners and viewers, welcome to an amazing show and, for those of you who have been with me going on for years now, thank you so much for your continued support and thank you for always sharing, liking and watching the videos on the YouTube channel and also downloading the audio on any Audio podcast platform of your choice, because they all generate charitable dollars. You guys know the deal. If you don't know, go to wwwstillservinginkcom. That's where your money is going, helping students in low-income communities in the community I'm referring to is Pitt County, north Carolina.
Speaker 1:Well, today we have another Amazing guest who's willing to remove his armor to help people, man develop and better understanding that we're all emotional, but to think is a choice Daniel Flynn. Everyone want to highlight some things about Daniel before I turn the virtual mic over to him in 2022. Just so you guys know, he was a West side high school teacher of the year. It gets even better and the 2022 give odor. Learn then you as history teacher of the year for the state of Florida. I don't have that special button, so here we go and more what's up, daniel, how you doing man.
Speaker 2:I'm doing fantastic. Are you doing it's? I can't thank you enough for having me on the show. I really can't.
Speaker 1:No, I you know I'm blushing right now because you have a special place in my heart or being in that education space Just really helping develop our future professionals around the world. And with that said, daniel, can you give the listeners of viewers? It's a little bit about yourself, my friend.
Speaker 2:Right, currently 45 years old and even though my students say I look like I'm 30, you know, education keeps you young, which is a lot of fun. I was a born and raised in upstate New York, got my associate's degree from Hudson Valley Community College and then I got my bachelor's degree from Union College, one of the first universities established after the United States Constitution was ratified, and so after 1791, union was founded, 1795 People like William Seward and others that graduated from there. I've been teaching now in Jacksonville, florida, since 2000 and About 2008 I've been here. I've been teaching overall since 2003. The majority of that has been either a title one schools, inner city. Title one references to 80 to more than 85 percent of the students, or 80 I'm saying like 70 to 85 percent of the student population is on free reduced lunch, so low socioeconomic neighborhoods, and it's in mostly.
Speaker 2:Most my career has been spent here in Jacksonville, florida, on the west side of the west side, on the west side of the city. So teaching nothing but US history. So to the 11th greatest. As I joke with everyone, I am in the 11th grade forever. I will never matriculate to 12th grade.
Speaker 1:You look good man and it let's jump. Let's jump right into the topic. For my basic understanding and getting to know you, it seems like over the past year, daniel, you really care, you. You, it's not lip service, you care About your students. Have you ever had a moment where a student said Mr Flynn, why do you care so much?
Speaker 2:You know I have that quite often. You know I train teachers. Currently, right now, I'm what is called clinically educator trains a lot of the teachers that you know I'll train and stuff like that, and you never know what you're gonna get. You know it's like the old force, you know, gun for reference. The life is like a box of chocolates.
Speaker 2:Well, students are the same way. You know you don't know how that, how that child is gonna approach you and I've had students come in, you know, just hoppin mad about whatever, and like just today I had a student that she's absolutely fantastic, been great the whole year, but today, oh, so this Flint, don't talk to me, I just want to sit out. How to refer? I was like whoa, whoa. Of course, she was like she was cursing other stuff, you know, and I was like okay, I was like whoa girl, just, just, what's up? You know I was like I don't want to bother, don't want to talk to me. It's like all right, okay, just take my assignment, just go sit down, relax, just sit in the corner. It's like I want to sit. That's like girls, sit wherever you want, I don't care, you know, just sit wherever makes you comfortable, and she, and so she just sat there. She just, you know, and I didn't bother. You know, and I know you got to have empathy with this job. You have to. You can't be a robot, you can't sit there and all the you know, and I've seen to you. Holy, the girl cursed. You should write her up Really. The minute I write that kid up, the minute I get verbally aggressive with that, I've lost them. I might as well not have have him in the class. They shut down, they break down and they're not going to do anything, at least this way. Yeah, she cursed me out. You know, whatever I just I don't have time to sit there and listen to what other people are saying. I know my kids, I know my students. I talk to them every day. I talk to them, not at them.
Speaker 2:And so, yeah, this girl, who's been fabulous all year long, had a bad day, had a bad morning, whatever happened, and nine times out of ten towards the end of class. You know we're in the, so we're. We teach on a 90 minute block. So, like, the last 30 to 40 minutes of class is what I call the work period, the, the you do part of our class, so she gets up and so I kind of talk to you outside.
Speaker 2:I was like, yeah, sure, what's up, it's like, it's like I'm sorry, I'm like for what I like, I like for what? And I was like, uh, I didn't mean, it's like I was like before, let me stop you right there before you say anything. You have nothing to apologize for. You're fine, everybody has bad days. Because, like miss Flint, you never have a bad day. And I was just like and I tell my students that all the time I was like you will never know that I'm having a bad day because I won't let you know. And the thing is, you guys are my therapy, you know. I tell them I come in here to relax, I come in here to to get stress relief. And they all think I'm crazy for saying that, you know. But it's true, I do. I love talking to my students, I really do. It's, it's therapeutic. I've got like 35 different, you know, you know, therapists in my room, because they don't tell you how they feel. They have no filter.
Speaker 1:Well, the beauty of your approach and I love it is how you're going in, going I Allowing you all to develop and not reacting to them personally, but responding and going. I care so much about you all. You're actually therapeutic, we're, we're, we're people around, a lot of people are going. All these kids today, you know all these kids today, but here's.
Speaker 1:Daniel. You know, here's the job that you did. Here's Daniel going. They are good. You know it's so, and and and I love how you don't try to. You know, talk to try to connect and get an understanding. But you, it's your behavior, your choices which makes them feel more supportive. Have you found that effective? And do you teach other teachers to go? Hey, stop reacting. Let me show you some, some behavioral skills that can make the situation a little bit better.
Speaker 2:So a lot of times I you know. So our discipline series, we go from class one, class two, class three, class four. Class one is like you you curse somebody out, oh wow. Class two is like you walked out of the room. Class three's you're sitting there duking it out fighting. Class four is a weapons violation.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I haven't written a class one through four in the last six years on a student and I don't. I don't believe in discipline referrals because they don't. It's not that they don't accomplish much, it's just you just lost that kid. Now you have to sit here and you've written this kid up. It's so much easier to talk to them and find out what's going on. Versus, hey, I'm just going to write you up and then kick you out of my class because now what you've Just told that child, they don't matter, right, you don't, you don't care. Now, the trick is to make them think you don't care, while you really do care.
Speaker 2:Now, I know it sounds, it sounds, it sounds really awful and you know, and I tell my students all what. So my kids asked me, they must ask me all the time. You know, and you never. We never refer to the, the students we have is they're not yours. They're not, they're your students, they're our students. So, regardless if you got my class or not, if you're at West High School, you're one of my students. So I'm going to take the time, you know, and I hear in the hallway you know you ain't my teacher. I guess I was like, whoa, just slow your roll for a second. What's going on? Talk to me, you know, and like why you just sitting here running, cursing and yelling down. I don't man, I'm just pissed off. I'm like, okay, well, that's great, you have, that's okay. Can you tell me why it was like? No one's asked me that.
Speaker 2:It's like you trying to trick me. It's like, no, I'm not, I'm just, I just. It's like you know, I care, you know. Oh yeah, it's like I care, I'm trying to figure out, you know, what's going on with these kids. And it's hard, you know, and you just want to talk to them and figure out what's going on with their day and have you Go ahead.
Speaker 1:No, no, because I'm so motivated and it's time until you just taking the time to talk, like you said, talk with them, not to them, or not act them, if you will. Have you ever had a student that was just not getting it right all over the place, maybe a Mario P Fields and then all of a sudden a student comes back and they're just doing some amazing things in industry?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I've had a few students over the years that have done that. Right now I've got you can look this student up on Facebook. He calls himself the hair physician. You know, when I knew Kenyatta Flowers better wise known as Dread Million, better wise, known as I mean he had his own clothing line in high school. He had his own music group in high school. I mean, you know parents I believe one of the parents was in jail, I think it was dad. Mom was just not in the picture, grandma, I think was.
Speaker 2:But this kid came to school motivated every day. You know he was going to be somebody and I send him messages back and forth every now and I was like I love what you're doing. He's got a shop in Atlanta and this kid, I had to earn his respect. He just, you know it's hard. You know, being a white educator in a predominantly black school, it's just, you know, and I don't ever use race to sit here and articulate a point to my students. You know, it's just. I want them to understand that you know someone does care and they want you to learn and someone imagine someone telling you that you can go somewhere, you can do something, and that's impactful, that's meaningful and he is just doing phenomenally. And I that's like my paycheck right there. You know, if someone tells you you're going into education for money, then you got sold a barrel of life somewhere because there ain't no money in his job. But the reward is the students that succeed, whether they go into the military, whether they become entrepreneur, regardless of whatever they do, and they come back and see you. That's a good feeling.
Speaker 2:And to go back to your other question do I train other teachers? I do, but it's one of those things that you know you can't bottle what I do, and I mean you could come in and observe it all day long. But my one question is what I always ask teachers that I classroom, because I'm as a CET teacher, I'm clinically trained to observe and I can make observations and help them, train them. And my first question is do you talk to your kids? Do you talk to them? Do you get to know them? It's like, well, I don't want to get to know them. Like you know, I'm here to teach them content. I was like, okay, that's great. But with that mindset you're never going to get anywhere.
Speaker 2:And I tell this to new teachers all the time that the days of these kids respecting you day one is gone. You've got to show them why you matter. You know I go back. You know power perceived is power achieved. Show them that you have the authority to be there. And kids want structure, they want discipline, they do. They absolutely crave it. So I have like the wall of me in my classroom. It's all about who I am, degrees, you know, and awards and all that kind of stuff so they can go up and see it. In the middle of my classroom I have a table that has all has items from all aspects of my life and as I'm teaching class, if you want to know something about stop class, I'll be more than happy to answer the question. You don't have that conversations. I would. I never do I never for like hey, when I was 12 or 14, I did this that they don't want to hear that because it has no relevance to them, because I was in 90s.
Speaker 2:Right. You know, and probably the biggest thing, I tell new teachers, kids don't learn from people they don't like they don't. And I have a lot of teachers that you know. When I'm not writing any referrals on discipline, referrals on students, it's like I found out this kid's just a royal pain in somebody else's class. So I go to teach, like, really like, oh, how is he not a problem for you? He's like all over the place, did you talk to him? No, they're, I just write him up and kick him out and I was like well, that might be your problem, you know, and it goes to the work. The best, the best and the worst part is is that when I call home to mom or dad, nine times out of 10, I got to go to grandma, you know, because either mom's not there, dad's not there.
Speaker 2:You know, a lot of these kids don't have that male father figure in the house and it's just like you want to find out the dynamic. Here's a big misconception that people have. It's like oh, I can never teach. These kids are so awful, this out of the other. A lot of these kids are the adults. When they go home, they're the ones taking care of the kids. They're the ones taking care. You know, maybe both parents are working. You know, I've seen mom working two jobs and then the son comes. Son or daughter comes home and they're taking care of three or four siblings. They're going to pick them up from school. They're doing this and they are the adult. They literally are the adult. And then the confusion comes when they come to school. You know, then they're treated like a child.
Speaker 1:You know I go out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that can be an interesting point because you know, like you said, if you don't gain a better understanding of what the heck's going on in their home and their family structure, you might not even realize that when they go home they are the adult. And now, when they come to you and you're treating them like a kid which reminds me to this point, because I know that can be you know, whatever emotions you may experience this hardening, maybe frustrating but have you ever experienced an event where just really I used a metaphor really just sunk your heart, where you're just like, oh my goodness, have you ever had that while teaching?
Speaker 2:You know you do this job long enough you're going to lose students. It's a fact of life. And I've said, let's say I'm at 15 right now over the last 20 years I've lost 15 students, either to drugs shootings. You know, this past year I had a student that I had last year. You know he was a gangbanger, he was 100%, he was going to live and die by the sword in that way. You know, come to find out he was gunned down in the street, laying face down. You know, and it's just like no one cared about this kid and it's just like you know, they sent group counselors to school but no one knew him, but everybody wanted to pretend like they knew him. He was the greatest kid on the earth, you know. And I, you know this was a kid that I physically had in my classroom, that I spoke to, and that's hard, you know. And a couple years before that, you know, I I'd never been prone, I'd never seen like gang violence, like displayed out in front of me. I mean this. He was shot in another county. You know it was.
Speaker 2:You know, you still hear, and you hear about it secondhand, piecemeal when it happens. There was a couple years ago one of our more popular students. He was getting on the bus this happened literally right down the street from our school shot five times, five times getting on the bus, and you know I was supposed to have my class that day and it's just like he died. You know, he died twice in the operating table and he was in surgery for like nine hours and it was just. It takes the life out of you when things like this happen and as an educator like you know what. There's nothing you can do, it just happens. And and it's hard, you know. And he came back to school. That was he's at Val d'Astas. State is where he's at now. He actually he was trouble maker kid, he was absolutely. But you know the bus driver thank God for the bus driver she pulled him onto the bus and drove him to the hospital. You know that literally saved his life. And you know he came back and we talked and it was just, it was just.
Speaker 2:But it rips you out, you know it just it's like you feel like you did something wrong. What can you? And there's there's nothing you can do, there's nothing, you know, and I I try to every day make my classroom a place where my, where my students can come in and relax. You know there's nothing. You know it's not the end of the world if you don't get the work done in class. Nothing in the world as long as my class can be like a respite for your day to learn about US history.
Speaker 2:You know people think that it's all about it's not. It's, it's about the human factor of education. It really is. You know kids aren't a number, they're not a dollar sign, they're not this or not that. You know we yeah, we stress test scores because that's the nature of the beast. There's a child in that seat, there's a human being there that you, that you, have to impact on a daily basis. You know you asked about the beginning of the school year. You know one of the things that I do that's different is that can you remember any year, first days of school, I mean like legit remember.
Speaker 1:Well, I went to school in 1850. So uh.
Speaker 2:One of the things I do is, uh, I have to ask Cortez Brown, I have to ask uh, sorry, to make you brown about that one. You know, one of the things that I do and I've been doing this for about 10 years now is I go to school and I have a black suit with white shirt, black tie and black shades you know, it's the whole men in black thing and I don't say anything. I let the kids come in like who's this crazy white man with the shades? And I spend the whole day. I spend the whole day in character, you know. And so when the door shuts, you know and I'll we have a day B day schedule for the first eight A and B day, which is Monday and Tuesday. I'll do that. Then the next day I come, it's just like this, like the armor is off. You know, that's my armor for day one and day two. So when the door shuts, it's like I'm silent and I don't have a seating chart. So it's always culturally dynamic where kids sit, so you really can get a good understanding of you know. So, oh, yeah, it really is, and so I sit there.
Speaker 2:Who's gonna talk first? You know who's gonna make the first move and I always wait for the kids to do, I always wait for them to say the first thing. And the longest I had was, a couple of years ago, 30 minutes. No one said a thing. And I'm not talking. I'm not saying to work, because I have things on the board and let them know and it's like, mr White man, are you gonna say something? And I'm just like well, my name is Mr Flint, thank you for speaking.
Speaker 1:I was waiting for one of you guys to sit there.
Speaker 2:I was waiting for one of you guys to open up and this is like why are you in a suit? I'm like, why are you wearing what you wear? Oh, cause I like it, I like this, you know, and it's funny, they remember the suit and tie in the shades and they don't. If they don't remember anything else, that's fine, you know Because? But they will always remember the first day stepping into my world and that's how you get out. And then you start to, and, believe me, when that armor comes off on that Wednesday, then the conversations become and then they're racing to the door or not, racing away from your door.
Speaker 1:And that's beautiful, daniel, how you. I love your approach on how you set the conditions for an experience, and not about, well, let's do some paperwork, to do whatever, or, you know, let me see what kind of words or references I can use to make your situation and they talk about icebreakers getting to relate to your pet.
Speaker 2:No, not gonna work.
Speaker 1:But I do. I love your approach and I love your passion for caring and giving the students an opportunity. Because you know I don't wanna take too much more of your time while you're making wonderful things happen and we're gonna make sure you're the Galaxy Teacher of the Year in 2025, my friend, I'm already voting, if you can leave the listeners and viewers. I mean, you gave some wonderful tips, not just for teachers and educators, but, I believe, for parents too, to gain better understanding. The kids don't get a vote, you know right. They don't choose their parents. And if you can listen to some of the soft skills the skills that Daniel has been talking about they're invaluable. But if you can leave one tip with the listeners and viewers, what would you leave them with?
Speaker 2:You know, I remember when my first boss had hired me, kenneth Reddick, and he always tells me that you teach the child you get not the child you want, and that sticks with me every day. You know you have to be there for that child and that kid might irritate you all day long, but you know what? Talk to them. You never know they're having a bad day. Well, you know what, if you can give them that one space where they can just relax and be themselves, and then, hey, guess what? You know, they get to learn some amazing content along with it. So I love US history yeah, I absolutely do. I think it's one of the best content out there. But if you got to talk to these kids, you have to. You have to get them interested in what you're doing. And for parents, be involved. My God, be involved.
Speaker 2:If your kids on social media find out what they're putting out there, I can't tell you how many times that I've seen kids and I'll walk around their posts. It's like you really going to post that out there, do you really? I was like universities are going to see that, other people are going to see that and that that's what you want to put out there. I was like Mr Flint, my mom is like, well, you're my. That might be the problem there, that your parents don't know what you're putting out there, and this is a big deal. And just talk to them. Whether you're a parent, educator, if you are in the business of education, talk to these kids, because if you're, I tell my students all the time be worried when I don't know what's going on in this building. I tell them that all the time. You know, and it's that's probably the biggest piece of advice I can give any new instructor, any parent you know, and they're all and you know I talked to parents all the time.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, I'll leave you with this thought you know parents, nine times out of ten, will tell me that they are your problem from seven to two. Then don't call me unless it's like a dire emergency and that kind of sucks the wind out of you, but then it's just like okay now. Now it's on you to sit there and really build that you know that space for that child. You know so.
Speaker 1:Wow, well, I my you, you know, you know I've talked before this show you. You are one of my heroes, my friend and I just really, really, and I'm honored to be able to have met you in a seated wonderful things You're doing and everyone. Just so you guys know it. You know my prayers with the families and those impacted, and even you, daniel, with the 15 students that have been lost in your 19 years of wonderful service, but also for everyone to just understand, and 19 years of impacting hundreds and thousands of Professionals that's around the world. So I applaud you for that, my friend. So thank you so much, man. Please continue to do wonderful things. Let's go for teacher of the galaxy in 2025. I love you, brother.
Speaker 2:I love you man, I appreciate it, man, all right, thank you.
Speaker 1:Mario, take care, we'll talk soon. All right, everyone, you guys know the deal. In a couple of weeks, if you're listening, you'll hear me again and if you watch on YouTube, you will see this face. But as I sign off, god bless you. May God continue to bless your family members and may God continue to bless your. Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and Watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media it's follow me on the parade deck. That is wwwparade deck calm, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon. You.