Teaching Fellow Feels Called Daily to Grow and Challenge the Status Quo

Photo Submitted

Bernard Smith (far right) posed with fellow Arkansas Teacher Corps Fellows.

Bernard Smith cares deeply about academics, service and social justice. He decided on a teaching career so he could incorporate all three.

While an undergraduate student, he began looking for an alternative teacher licensure path. He found a great fit in the Arkansas Teacher Corps program.

"It was the perfect culmination of all my core values and aspirations," he said. "Even through the interview process, I found that ATC was very passionate about supporting all students, and I wanted to explore what that could look like for my classroom."

The Arkansas Teacher Corps is a partnership among the U of A, the Arkansas Department of Education and Arkansas public school districts. The program recruits "committed individuals from diverse backgrounds and all majors" to teach hard-to-staff subjects in high-needs schools.

Smith became an ATC Fellow in 2017 and was placed at Blytheville High School to teach math. Then he added computer science to his teacher's license and launched the high school's first computer science program.

"That was a plot twist," he noted. "I never saw myself as a computer science teacher. These students are now learning about one of the fastest-growing technology needs of the world. It's critical in their development as they prepare for their adult lives."

The program has also been good for Smith. He networks with other teachers and enjoys applying his math expertise to a technology field.

A high achiever and encourager, Smith served in various roles while an ATC Fellow. He was a math content tutor, a summer mentor and the director of equity at the 2020 and 2021 summer institutes.  

"At my own summer institute, I realized that there was much more to my development than just knowing how to teach," he explained. "The guidance I received allowed me to grow both as an educator and a person. I wanted to impact other teachers in the same way. I wanted to have those tough conversations surrounding education."

He delighted in those "aha" moments when Fellows grasped the importance of their role in students' lives.

Smith said he feels called daily to improve, grow and challenge the status quo. "Systems that have been in place for years, decades, are now clearly exhibiting flaws that many noticed from the beginning," he said. "I want to be a change agent wherever I go. Things can get better, but it requires effort from all of us."

Following his three-year program commitment with the Arkansas Teacher Corps, Smith shifted into the Arkansas Academy for Educational Equity, another U of A College of Education and Health Professions program. Fellows teach full time in this program while growing their teaching skills through rigorous coursework, coaching, content-area support and practical resources. They learn best practices that lead to positive student outcomes. Smith will graduate in May with a master's degree in Educational Equity.

He'll continue teaching at Blytheville High for now. Math is a constant in Smith's life, so it will likely be part of his future work as well.

A musician, he plays the clarinet and piano. He also enjoys a certain fantasy tabletop role-playing game.

"I'm obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons," he said. "I've been playing and leading sessions for at least three years now. It's interesting to think about how many of my hobbies require mathematics on some level."

This story is the latest in a series called the Dean's Spotlight, featuring outstanding students in the College of Education and Health Professions. Visit COEHP's online magazine, the Colleague for more news from the six units that make up the College. Visit the Arkansas Teacher Corps website for more information on the program.