Professional Partner of the Month: December 2008
Harvey Edwards
"Harvey shows great enthusiasm and passion for the work he does, creating both a fun and challenging learning environment. I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of his classes and you can clearly see that his students gain a great deal of confidence and knowledge from having him as a teacher."
- Jeremy Fegert, Program Director, The Second Mile
"Harvey works with our students in the best tradition of truly great educators: he teaches, he inspires, he motivates, and above all he shows them, by example, how to be responsible, caring, and compassionate members of the human family."
- Larry Lawson, Teacher, Selinsgrove Area High School
As a high school English and Humanities teacher at Selinsgrove Area High School, Harvey Edwards first and foremost focuses on his students, leading and joining them in the exploration of the world of knowledge – and by all accounts, he does this with incredible skill and caring. But Mr. Edwards goes far beyond the classroom in his role as educator. As Student Council Advisor, Tolerance Troupe Director, and Youth in Philanthropy Mentor, Harvey Edwards works with students in more diverse ways and settings, enthusiastically engaging them with a style that's both fun and serious. For the powerful impact he makes on his students, The Second Mile is recognizes Harvey Edwards as its December Professional Partner of the Month.
Selinsgrove Area School District (Snyder County) encompasses a rural area and a university town (Susquehanna University). Thus the range of students runs the gamut from the upper economic levels to those less fortunate; from college-bound to workforce-bound coming out of high school. Larry Lawson, a colleague of Harvey's for almost twenty-five years, notes that Mr. Edwards works well with all of them: "He has profound and continuing success with students of all levels of ability." For those who have met Harvey Edwards in person, it becomes instantly clear that he's one of those rare individuals to whom everyone is drawn, and who makes everyone feel important, one explanation for his skill at working with any population of students.
Where does he get the most satisfaction in his job? In different ways while working with different students, as stated by Harvey himself:
| | "The classroom satisfies my general sense of service to the young people in my community. All of the other groups I work with expand that sense of service to a broader array of people. They volunteer, teach through drama, and provide financial grants to non-profit agencies that serve children in our community." |
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Clearly the varied days and responsibilities appeal to Harvey, keeping every day fresh and allowing him to work with individuals, small groups, and larger ones at different times. One of the groups advised by Mr. Edwards is the Student Council, the members of which he has worked diligently with to make the Council a highly effective advocate for all students. Mr. Lawson elaborates:
| | "The fact that we have such excellent school spirit in Selinsgrove can be attributed, in no small part, to the Student Council's systematic efforts to promote school-wide appreciation for students involved in all aspects of school life. Under Harvey's guidance, Student Council has also become the principal liaison between our school and our community. The students on the Council (and many others in the school) have literally rolled up their sleeves and learned the ethic of service through their direct involvement in the community. Over the years, innumerable hands-on activities directed by Mr. Edwards have helped hundreds of students - perhaps thousands - to learn the value and personal reward of community service." |
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And the motivation for this whole cycle starts with Mr. Edwards' students: "I work with some great young people. In general, they are caring, decent and smart…Every day is different and almost all are great." These young minds and hearts are seen by Harvey as valuable commodities that need special care and attention to make them even greater. Larry Lawson expounds on his colleague's magic:
| | "The people we most admire are those who demonstrate the deepest commitment to their chosen endeavors, and Harvey illustrates this commitment perfectly. In fact, Harvey often speaks of teaching as his "calling," and this attitude manifests itself clearly in his conduct of his classes and in his relationships with his students. Every one of Harvey's classes, whether for those students who are highly motivated or those for whom school is the most onerous of obligations, begins with the premise that learning can and should be fun. The "fun" we're talking about here, however, is special. At its best, education brings with it a delight in discovery, and Harvey shares this delight with his students every day. He has a marvelous sense of humor and a nearly legendary ability to entertain his students. Harvey uses those remarkable talents - to help his students reach a deeper understanding of their world; to help them develop the skills in language and reasoning that allow them to take their place in the dialogue of informed citizenship. Our students are excited to have Mr. Edwards as a teacher because they know that he will challenge them to think in new directions, and to express themselves with greater precision. They are also excited because they know they will be having fun at the same time." |
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The formula of engaging the students, showing them you care, and then having fun with them while you take them on a dedicated journey, may be the one-line "summary" about Harvey Edwards and his effectiveness. It's certainly a formula for success when Mr. Edwards takes his team of sophomores to The Second Mile's Leadership Institute. He appreciates that the Institute encourages students and teachers them to work together to jointly identify concerns and issues relevant to school climate – and then work together to develop solutions. Not only is this recipe crucial for success of the project, according to Harvey, but it's also "an absolute necessity for learning."
As he has been teaching a quarter century, Harvey has seen many changes and challenges over the years. He identified accountability as the greatest one of these challenges facing the field of education today. Since great emphasis is now placed on high-stakes testing, which pressures everyone from students and teachers, to parents and administrators, Harvey believes that "there has to be a balance struck whereby teaching remains an art and not a regimented duty." With this pressure quite possibly comes a less personal approach for some. But to Harvey, no matter the circumstances, he lives by the quotation that he shares with all the student teachers he's mentored over the years: "Students do not need to know all you know, they need to know you care."
When not working on classroom or extracurricular activities, Mr. Edwards spends time with his wife of 25 years, Patty. Together, they have twin sons: Tynan and Cassidy, who graduated last spring from Elizabethtown College and Holy Cross, respectively. They also have two Golden Retriever "doghters:" MacKenzie and Stella. When asked about life and career highlights, Harvey listed his delivering a speech to award-winning junior and senior high school writers and artists at Carnegie Hall (2006); being a 2007 Finalist for PA Teacher of the Year; and being an Inductee into Ultimate (Frisbee) Hall of Fame (2007).
Whether he's prompting students to take on a leadership role, think about a great book, or reflect on a project, Harvey Edwards is continually focused on the high schoolers with whom he spends his days. He leads them on a journey of self-discovery, always keeping it fun and exciting and positive. Because of this leadership and the positive impact he's had on so many -– either directly with students or indirectly through the good work he is leading them to do –- The Second Mile is proud to recognize Harvey Edwards as its Professional Partner of the Month for December.
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