Transcript
What inspires you from WFSU Public Media? Here's this week's Voices That Inspire. I am Christopher Lee Small, and I am currently the program director for the Ed Leadership Masters and Specialist Program at Florida State University. Our program is designed to prepare teacher leaders to become certified as assistant principals and then subsequently move on to apprenticeship roles. I had a chance to do this as part of my doctoral work at Florida State University. I've been a principal assistant principal, academic coach and teacher. The thing that comes of mind is a long list of individuals who believed in me even when I didn't see it in myself. Along, I think everyone's journey, we have these pivotal moments in spaces where someone or something happens, not to tear you down but propel you forward. And that becomes to this day my inspiration of kind of recalling those encounters along the way of individuals who just kept nudging me forward from elementary guidance counselor who came to my house one day who said, I noticed you weren't at school today because you didn't have a lunch for the field trip. I've taken care of your lunch, let's get to school. Had nothing to do with anything academic, but that showed me the importance of service and the need that we have for individuals who can pour into individuals who may not otherwise see it or may not otherwise have that exposure and that's been my calling card of, hey, I want to be the type of principal that exposes students, that exposes teachers to the unimaginable and builds a path for them to be even better than me. Although I've done a lot, there's so much more to be done. And so how do I make sure that I am remaining inspired in everything that I do to inspire someone else to do it even better when it's their turn? My name is Christopher L. Small. I am the current director of the online educational leadership program at Florida State University. I continue to lead, inspire, and serve. You're listening to voices that inspire.