Staff Book Recommendations: Paul Smith
Walking with the Wind by John Lewis is my go-to book recommendation. It is, hands down, one the top five most important books I have ever read. John Lewis is a personal hero to me; he’s the reason I decided to become a social studies teacher years ago. I was one of those strange young people that knew what they wanted to be from a young age: a high school coach and teacher. I saw athletics as the one venue where Black, Brown, and White folks worked together well, so I decided it would be the avenue I wanted to be a part of in the world. One year, John Lewis actually came to my school and spoke to our history department. It was an amazing moment where many dreams came together. Though I was only in the classroom for seven years before I found other avenues to continue working in education, I continue to try and uphold the values that Congressman Lewis stood for.
