After serving as a CTE teacher for six years at Leesville Road, Mr. Roderic Brewington has turned a new page in his career; for the remainder of the 2011-2012 school year, he will serve as the newest administrative intern at LRHS.
Becoming an administrator was a tough choice for Brewington. “Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, but I was looking for other opportunities where I could help improve education in a bigger way,” said Brewington.
His role is similar to that of a student-teachers: He will assume the role of an administrator until the time when he finishes his degree, at which point he will have the opportunity to pursue other careers.
“I’m not sure exactly what I want to do yet, but I hope to have a better idea by the time I get my degree,” said Brewington. “Maybe something in the Department of Instruction or maybe something on the ground level, like a vice-principal. I’m not sure yet.”
Earning a Masters of School and Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill requires different work than that of a high school computer teacher. Mr. Brewington has since had to learn a new schedule and a new set of responsibilities. “As a teacher, when the bell rings, it’s time to go teach kids XYZ. As an admin though, it means going to supervise an area or working on a project of some sort,” said Brewington.
Not only does being an administrative intern bring about new duties, but it also comes with added perks. ” It’s nice getting a more elevated view of the school. I’m not stuck in my same classroom all day now; I get to wander all over the school.”
However, Brewington also acknowledged the drawbacks of being an admin. “You lose out on a lot of the individual relationships you develop with students in your classes. Also, they’re less personal now that I’m not just their teacher.”
Over the past several years, Mr. Brewington has also served as the school’s varsity men’s basketball coach, a role he hopes to maintain this year. “Hopefully my schedule will still allow me to coach, but we’ll just have to see how things go once the season gets started,” said Brewington. “No matter what happens, my assistants are going to have to step up and be a bigger factor than in years past.
Micheal Adams, senior and member of the basketball team, hopes that his old coach will be able to continue on with the team.
“With [Coach] Brewington, you can see how much he loves the game and wants to help us get better. He can be harsh when we need it, but for the most part, he’s a good coach and a good guy,” said Adams.
Cynthia Briest, senior and former student of Mr. Brewington, agrees with Adams about her old teacher’s demeanor. “Mr. Brewington is a real easygoing person, for the most part,” said Briest. “I’m happy for him that he’s gotten the opportunity to do what he likes, but to me, he’ll always be that cool computer teacher.”
Leave a Reply