ADP Work Making the World a Better Place

George is an inspiration to all of us, and an example of fulfilling the American Dream in his work on a daily basis.  He has discovered what his talents and traits are, what to invest his time in, and has become an expert in his field earning top honors rather than just settling on being an average high school teacher.  Thank you George for sharing your story and allowing us to share it with others.

I know you don’t know me, but you are a huge inspiration in my teaching and in my life.

My name is George Herring.  I am an English teacher in Mechanicsville, VA.

Three years ago I was asked to teach 11th grade English. I’m not a teach-by-the-book type. I wanted something vibrant, thought provoking, and relevant to move my class forward.

“The American Dream” is a theme we are required to teach in the class, so my first impulse was to use that as a theme for the year. I researched and researched…finally stumbling onto your site.

I was overwhelmed. It was perfect! Your message was perfect! The class became totally about them…and we only used the books (Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby, and A Raisin in the Sun…along with a ton of independent reading) as launch pads into bigger discussions about life. Most American Dream stories are stories of failures…so your positive energy is the perfect balance to the dark tales of failed American life.

You would think…that after seeing your video…it might be too corporate oriented to move these kids…but they are enormously concerned about their future…concerned about making a big choice that they will later regret. The change you speak of is SO IMPORTANT…and THEY GET IT. Not one or two students…all of them walk away with something.

My wife…moved by your words…took the video into her office and presented a series of brown bag lunch discussions with it…it was enormously successful…in weird synchronicity she presented to one of my student’s dads. This girl is in special ed and has some very big emotional disabilities…one of them is that she isn’t really talkative…dad came home and started talking about the American Dream at dinner…imagine his shock when his daughter burst out with equal energy regarding the same message! She knew your name and she could talk about what your presentation meant to her. Incredible!

My wife and I also converted your presentation into a Christian adult Bible study…since most of the change you are suggesting is truly of a religious nature. We spent lots of time pouring through scripture to see if Life, Liberty, and Happiness are evident…they are!! Our class really moved the group…a few told me they are looking at life through a different lens now. We just finished teaching it about three weeks ago, and are being asked to teach it again.

Back to my English class…part of my American Dream unit is for students to seek out someone they respect and interview them…talk with them for about a 1/2 hour…and to talk about things that come out of your presentation. This has brought out some of more touching moments in the class. Just this year a student reluctantly chose her mother…and in the middle of the interview suddenly saw how wrong she had been to resent her mother over the years…and suddenly realized how much she loved her mother…and this girl broke down in tears said it was a moment that brought her family back together. I could really go on and on…it’s just that committing to your message…and pushing students to see themselves…it has reaped rewards that go wayyyyyyy beyond the requirements of 11th grade English.

I was picked as Teacher of the Year for my school this year…in no small part because of your program.

I am amazed Facebook has given me an opportunity to reach out to you…I really never thought I would have the chance in my life…and let you know how much I appreciate your passion and vision…and to also let you know how much your work has made this world a better place.

Thanks for reading, George Herring.