How One Teacher Leads by Example
Finding Her Passion for Teaching
Tracy Turney-Smith is a prime example of the enthusiastic, supportive, and authentic educator that helps kids discover, develop, and apply their unique talents. She is an example for using authenticity as a tool for building relationships and trust. She’s also a model for how teachers and students can benefit from a growth mindset.
These traits make Tracy a natural leader within the Empowered Community and great educator to add to our Steering Committee for RiseUp Cincinnati (June 2023). Like many educators who embrace Empowered, teaching is not Tracy’s first career. After working in academia, for-profit environments, and non-profit organizations, she kept hearing a calling to teach.
“My husband said, ‘You keep talking about it and talking about it. You should be a teacher’,” said Tracy. So she made the change to classroom teaching. The 2022-23 school year is her 12th in the classroom. She teaches career and technical classes through the Butler Tech program at Northwest High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Embracing Young People
“People ask how I deal with students all day. Honestly – I love what I do. I’m comfortable with them and the kids are comfortable with me. The boundaries are gone – replaced with trust and mutual respect.”
Tracy Turney-Smith
When I tell people I teach, the first question people typically ask is how I deal with students all day. I tell them “I love what I do. I’m comfortable with them and the kids are comfortable with me. The boundaries are gone – replaced with trust and mutual respect. We are honest and open and candid. It is no different than working with adults all day.
Her answer is simple. “I can talk to them sort of like adults and sort of like kids. I can be my real authentic self with them. I’m not talking about oversharing but being honest. We can all share about good days and bad days, strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears.” Tracy’s authenticity draws students to her class, despite fewer bells and whistles than competing classrooms.
“Mine is not an ‘attractive’ career tech program,” said Tracy. “I’m not the Cosmo Lab down the hall with a 21st-century salon. I don’t have a digital media lab full of big, beautiful Apple Mac computers. Unlike the construction lab, we don’t build actual houses. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be as impactful in my classroom.”
What Tracy does offer is a chance for students to be critical thinkers and develop their talents into valued skills that prepare students for life – transforming them and those around them.
Seeing Student Benefits
Tracy’s openness to students and an excitement for their futures truly pays off. Kids love her class. “Kids tell me, I really like you, and I tell my friends and brother and younger sister they need to take your class, too” said Tracy.
Between Tracy’s authenticity and the true passion she possesses after living the benefits from Empowered in her classroom, Tracy was a natural addition to our educator presenters at RiseUp Cincinnati. “We truly want this instructional strategy out there in all classrooms,” said Tracy Turney-Smith. I am excited to tell teachers how it works for me and how it can work for them.
She tells all kinds of teachers, “Empowered is such a cool resource. Between the staff and the Hub – you can always find something new and exciting . . . everything from advice and support from teachers, PD and training, how-to videos and classroom resources and other ways Empowered can help bring your ideas to life.”
“Teachers need to invest in themselves,” said Tracy. “We can’t depend on the district to do it. Educators who find Empowered and attend events and try resources and share their experiences are getting more benefit than they could imagine and they use Empowered with what they are already doing so nothing else has to change.
Tracy explained that Empowered’s RiseUp professional development is different than anything else out there.
“There isn’t someone trying to sell you their latest book,” said Tracy. “The people facilitating the workshops are just like you and me. They’re sharing what works for them.”
She reminds teachers that their time is valuable, and the RiseUp event understands that.
“RiseUp is not a stuffy conference,” said Tracy, “Empowered knows how to put on a party.”
Useful Links
- Connect with Tracy Turney-Smith inside Empowered Hub (FREE account required, create one here)
- Learn more about Empowered’s Training – RiseUp Workshops
- Share how you engage students on Teacher Talk (inside Empowered Hub)
