In her role as a social studies teacher at Sandy Creek High, Patience Douglas teaches history to help shape the future of her students.
Teaching is the family business. Her father and all his siblings taught math or science, and her mother taught primary school.
“I’m a third-generation educator,” said Douglas. “I’ve been immersed in education a very long time.”
Douglas initially fought the calling to become an educator. She studied pre-law and worked in corporate America for 15 years. It was lucrative work, but it did not enrich her heart. She tried out a longterm substitute position, and by day 2 she knew she was home.
“I took a longterm position, and I just never went back. I don’t know what happened to my plant. I hope they watered it,” she joked.
She’s been at Sandy Creek going on 8 years. She loves that it reminds her of the community where she grew up, right down to the same builder building her old high school.
“It felt like coming home in Georgia.”
In her corporate job, she never knew if the work she was doing made any impact. As a teacher, she knows she makes a difference.
“I wanted to be a part of the narrative where I’m not going to be a complainer, I’m going to do something about it,” she said. “If the generation is not evolving the way that they should, if they’re not taking responsibility, if they’re not being accountable, I can’t sit at the table and complain if I’m not doing anything to help.”
Teaching social studies shows students the importance of learning from history and the series of decisions that led us to this moment in time.
“You don’t really know the road that you’re on unless you know the road that you came from.”
She wants her students to be able to encounter tough lessons and be honest and real in a safe space.
“When they go out and they’re part of this global world, they’re going to be okay,” said Douglas. “I want to play a role in making sure that happens.”
“The Honor Role,” an official podcast for Fayette County Public Schools, features employees, rotating through key stakeholders, including teachers, staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. Join us as we dive in and learn about their journeys, their inspirations, and their whys.
Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and promoted on the social media channels of Fayette County Public Schools.
Episodes will also be available here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2200811.
