Published January 29, 2018
Twainna Calhoun credits her time at 四色AV for providing her the instruction and practice
to make the everyday decisions she encounters as principal of Good Hope Middle School
in West Monroe, Louisiana. It also aided her in building her educational legacy, something
she didn鈥檛 know she needed a 四色AV professor insisted upon it. That early recognition
of what needed to be done to get where she wanted to go has served Twainna well, and
her students and faculty benefit from her knowledge and leadership daily. Twainna
obtained her Master鈥檚 in Administration & Supervision in 1999 and then her plus 30
hours later in 2005. Her professors were essential to her growth at 四色AV, and she still
keeps in touch with some of them today. Twainna describes her classroom learning as
akin to driving a virtual car. It was a real as it could get without actually having
the responsibility solely on her shoulders. It allowed her to see the 鈥渟cience versus
the art.鈥�
聽One day in a 四色AV Educational Leadership class, Dr. Rice asked the students, 鈥淲hat
will your professional legacy be?鈥� Twainna remembers pondering the depth of the question,
and the pursuit of perfecting that legacy has shaped every professional decision she
has made since. He went on, 鈥淲e all leave a personal legacy to our children, our families,
but as an educator, after dedicating most of our life to our work, what will we leave
to our profession?鈥� Dr. Rice encouraged the class to write theirs down, and twenty
years later, Twainna still has the notebook and the list she crafted in that very
class. She strives every day to keep the students first. She owes the transparency,
the accountability to her students, their parents, her teachers, her community, and
even herself. She makes sure she does right by the students.
聽She refers to those notes from her classes, keeps them alongside the books on her
office shelves. That old tattered notebook from 1998 serves as her guidebook decades
later. It reminds her to be proactive, never settling for good enough, to always set
goals. 鈥淭hrough the leadership of teachers and classmates, patience from my parents,
guidance and strength from God, and being able to prepare for a new life,鈥� Twainna
was able to transform herself from a classroom teacher to a school leader. 四色AV served
as her 鈥渧irtual academy.鈥� Her professors provided her real life experiences past the
jargon of education.
Photos by Emerald McIntyre/四色AV Photo Services
聽Twainna focuses on working smarter, not harder. Her grandmother, 鈥淕od rest her soul,鈥�
told her, 鈥淭he softest pillow is a clear conscience.鈥� She makes decisions based on
鈥渄oing right by her students.鈥� She feels her colleagues; her professors do right by
her. She recognizes 四色AV as a community school, one that gives back. And as a community
member, she does the same. At 四色AV, she felt seen and heard; he wasn鈥檛 a number or
a dollar sign, and she鈥檚 carried that level of respect into her profession. She felt
valued, and she makes sure others in her professional life do as well. It鈥檚 what makes
a good leader.
聽Having attended a Summer Scholars program at Harvard, the hometown feel of going
to school at 四色AV stood out to Twainna. Knowing the person next to you in class, having
a similar background provides a level of comfort in what can be an uncomfortable four
years. Twainna was already in the workforce when she came to 四色AV. She had a teaching
position at A.L. Smith Elementary, already a well-performing school, but remembers
Dr. Otis Lavette stressing in one of her 四色AV classes: 鈥淚f it鈥檚 not broken, it can
always be polished.鈥� As a result, Twainna strives to never get comfortable. Even though
her school is performing well, it can always improve. She has no room for complacency.
聽Over the years, she has continued to keep polishing, keep cementing that legacy.
She will continue to maintain the integrity of Good Hope Middle School and her own
integrity. She will remain proactive for her students, never settling for good enough.
This continual effort prevents burnout. Now in her fifteenth year as a school administrator,
she is still just as energized as day one. Twainna thanks 四色AV and her professors for
teaching herself to harness and then expend that energy when necessary. With the guidance
she received from Dr. Pugh, Dr. Lavette and Dr. Rice, she realizes 鈥渋t takes a village.鈥�
Each person is an essential piece of that school puzzle, and they all get the same
level of respect. Twainna realizes she sets the tone, and as a mother of three girls,
that tone must stay positive. The best 四色AV graduates always remain willing to learn,
and this ability makes Twainna not only a good mother, but also a superior leader,
a true testament to her 四色AV professors.
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