Dominic White '08
Principal at North Belton Middle School, Belton, Texas; B.S. in History (7-12 Certification) and a minor in English
How did UMHB prepare you for education?
The student teaching was instrumental in that you get that hands-on, real-world experience. It allows you to navigate through some of the earlier struggles that others have to endure if they're an alt-cert or didn't have that opportunity to be a student teacher. I thought our professors were amazing throughout that process. Every single one of them taught with passion, taught from the heart, but truly had our best interest in mind. I really do believe the program that we have at UMHB sets all education students up for success, mainly with the observation of the schools that we have to complete. To me, that allows students to realize if they really want to be in a school setting or not, or which level they want to be a part of.
What UMHB professor or staff member best prepared you for your role, and why?
I would easily say that Dr. Joan Berry from the College of Education best prepared me for the role, and because I inadvertently ended up in a class called classroom modifications (which I wasn't supposed to take), it actually taught me how to engage with kids who were not on-level. When you're a teacher, you get kids who are multiple levels behind their expected grade level. Dr. Berry really made me think through, "How do you differentiate for each kid in the classroom? How do you modify curriculum? How do you prepare for the kid whenever you're lesson planning?” So, God knew what He was doing when He put me in that class!
Which experience at UMHB prepared you the best for your role?
Student teaching at both the middle school and high school and “becoming the teacher.” Just that readiness. By mid-semester, I truly felt confident and prepared. And what's unique is that a current teacher that I have here at North Belton Middle School, Marla York who teaches eighth grade social studies for us, was my mentor teacher at Belton Middle School. The first week of classes, I was supposed to just observe; then the second week, teach one lesson for one period; and the third week, teach three lessons; and then, after that, it would be all on, and I would take on full days at a time. Well, after the very first day of school, during the last period, Marla said, 'You've got this!' And by the third day, I was teaching a full day, and then by the second week, I was teaching that entire week and throughout my entire assignment there. So just that readiness, and having the right mentor that they connected me to right here in this community – it's exactly what I needed. By mid-semester, when I shifted to the high school, I truly felt confident and prepared. So, I would say the student teaching was the most instrumental experience to prepare me for this role.
How did you decide to come to UMHB?
My story of even getting to UMHB is unique, in that originally, my heart was set to go to a big school, Texas A&M. It wasn't anything about sports, but just a connection to that school, the influence around in my community of Moody – most people were Aggies – and I thought that's the place where I'd be. I had it set. Financial aid was set. Pretty much I was going to be paid to go to school because I kept my grades up. But, I took a college tour trip to A&M, and I did not like it. It culturally wasn't right for me. It was a spiritual thing. So, I was distraught, because my mind was set on A&M, and when I got back from the trip, I let my mother know and told her I didn't know what I was going to do. So, then I thought about Baylor, but didn't care for that environment as much, either. I had a notice come through from UMHB saying that I was accepted. I don't know how that came about, because I didn't apply. I didn't send anything to them, not even my scores for ACT or SAT! I had never applied! I always wondered if my mom did, but she claims she didn't. So, when I got the notice, I decided to go try it out.
So my mother and I traveled a short trip to Belton from Moody to visit UMHB. After visiting the registrar's office, we went to visit the student life building. As we walked up the steps, here comes Dr. Stephen Crawford, and he noticed who I was, and stopped and said, 'Hey, I know you. You're from Moody. You played football against my son and at halftime, you took off your shoulder pads and then marched in the band. And that just stood out." I got a kick out of that. He asked if I was coming to UMHB and said it would be a great place for me, then asked if I was interested in playing in the band. He said it would be a great opportunity to get connected to a student group. He said, “I believe you would thoroughly enjoy yourself and have a great college experience right here, close to home!” And right there on the spot, I told my mom, “This is the place.” It felt like home with the kind of people that I wanted to be connected to. I just felt it. There was definitely a spiritual thing going on, because God doesn't make mistakes. That engagement with Dr. Crawford hooked me.
And, yes, I played in the band for three years, and my junior year, the most interesting thing happened. As we were meeting the incoming freshmen right before the new year started, I was introducing myself to everybody, except there was this one girl I didn't talk to because I thought she was pretty and she was intimidating to me. Later that day, our band director challenged everyone to try to remember everyone's names, and I was the first to go. So, I'm calling out each person's name by memory and I'm about 30 people deep now remembering all the names. When I get to this girl, I said, "I don't know your name, but you're gonna be my wife." And she ended up being my wife! Those were the first words I ever spoke to her!
How does your faith inform what you do in education?
What's funny is, growing up in Moody, I always felt set apart for something different, something special. I think people around me felt that way. I guess many call that a "golden goose" type thing. And even when I attended UMHB, many people asked, "Are you going for Christian studies?" I kept hearing people tell me, "You're going to be a pastor when you grow up. You're going to preach." Then when I did go to UMHB, people would automatically think that. So when I'd go back home and visit, it would always come up. And so while at UMHB, I was able to be a part of founding a church called "The Well," where initially I was the drummer on the worship team. But through a process and through training, ended up becoming an ordained minister, and so now I have a church in Moody where I'm one of four pastors. But from the time I was a freshman at UMHB, being connected with our local church that we helped found, but then also the life there at UMHB, it was the right environment, the perfect place to, you know, kind of shelter me in a certain way.
I felt parented still while I was at UMHB and poured into spiritually. It definitely impacted me and my role here, because it influenced my character and the person that I am now. I don't have to go around telling people I'm a pastor or I'm a believer. It's all about how you behave. This helps drive me in all of my decision making. If I get a little too upset, the Spirit just comes quickly and takes that thought away and holds captive all of those thoughts that could be negative in all of my interactions. I think of my higher purpose and calling.
What do you wish people knew about your role in education?
I truly believe the majority of our school community understands that the role of a principal is challenging, it's time consuming, and that we're busy. I can see it in the faces of individuals who, in the moment may want to grab my attention because they have a need, or want to speak to a need, or maybe just want to share a thought with me, but they will withhold that because they know "Mr. White's busy." I want them to realize that, yes, even in the busyness of the role, there's still that opportunity for me to be able to carve out time to make sure students are taken care of and are valued and feel supported. In my role as principal, even though it's challenging, it's been the most rewarding position I've been in while in education. I've been a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, an assistant principal, a coordinator for social studies, and now a principal, and in this role, I feel like I can make the most impact on not just the students and the teachers, but the entire community.
What inspires you?
I want each kid to be able to walk through this time in their life – and middle school is a difficult time in life – and look back on this experience with fond memories. I want them to look back and think, "Man, while at North Belton Middle School, I loved that place!" And not because of the content they're being taught, but because of the people here and how they're treated here. What inspires me the most is being able to create a culture and a place where kids feel safe and challenged but have fond memories.
It is a tough time with the growth and the maturity that's trying to occur, and they're getting older, and they're starting to distance themselves a little bit from family, and they're becoming their own and that character is starting to come out. Sometimes their parents see the rub in that, and then they come across where they kid seems disrespectful to even our own parents, and the parents are wondering, "I didn't teach you to do that. Why on earth would you do that? Or why would you think that way?" Well, a lot of parents don't realize this is the time of life where they don't go to you for validation anymore. They don't go to you for advice. They're going to their peers for that. And kids aren't the wisest people, and so they make choices that dumbfound the parent.
What has been the most amazing thing about being in education, and why?
Oh, this is gonna sound so vain, but I feel like a local celebrity! That can be a good thing and a not so good thing. But it's making connections with people across this community. And sometimes you may not even know who they are, but they know you because of your position, and it's, "Hey, Mr. White, how are you?" But I'm quick to ask someone who they are if I don't know him, and then I try to get to know the name, or remember the name. And even for the little kids who are coming up, to make connections with them – get to know our future Broncos. Making connections with people all across our entire community, and they get to know you – that's what I love. And pointing and waving to every single student – that's what we do all day, every day. The number one thing you have to do in a building like this is engage with kids.
It doesn't matter if you're on front-car duty and students are coming out of the cars, you wave to the parent, say hello to the kid, or whatever kind of gesture you want, whether it's the bro hug, or what they call a "dapping up" or a high five – you engage with the kids. During their lunch process, even if it's asking them to clean. "Hey, buddy, I know that's not yours right there, but can you pick that up to pitch in to help with our janitorial staff?" Going into their classrooms, seeing what they're learning, getting side-by-side with them, asking them questions about their experience on campus, and what I can do to help improve their school. Interacting with kids is something that you must do. (He added that his school currently has 1,014 students and he estimates to know about 70 percent of their names!)
What has been the most challenging thing about being in education?
It seems as if every three to five years, there's just a shift in education, because there's a shift in society. Whether it's political, economic, the way people live – there's always these shifts. The other unique thing about education is every grade level of kids as a grade has its own personality. It's always been that way. When you start merging that, the challenge is always going to be classroom management and how to, especially at this level, get beyond the strong emotions of kids. As adults that are coming from our generations, we were taught we must show respect to our elders. Nowaday, it's as if you have to have that paradigm shift where I'm going to model what respect looks like to kids, then explain what that looks like, and then give them the time and the space to catch on. And so more and more you're starting to see that, and more and more also we're having to model and demonstrate that to even the adults. In education, you need to be patient, especially as a principal, to be able to navigate the emotions of kids, emotions of the adults, make sure kids understand how to be respectful, and matching that together, that's been one of the most challenging things. People say kids are getting worse. I don't subscribe to that. They are different.
Describe your favorite moment from your career as an educator.
I would go back to my first full year of teaching at Belton Middle School. When I finished out that year, I ended up being voted as "Teacher of the Year." My first year! I knew I was doing things that were impactful, because people would hear about what was happening, and they would want to come in my classroom and figure out what I was doing. And when folks would come in, they would make comments like, "Yeah, I can't do that." And I remember probably the fourth or fifth time I heard something similar that, I asked, "What do you mean by that?" They're like, "There's no way I can do that, because you're just amazing." And I never understood what that meant until I became an instructional coach, stepped out of the teaching role, and I could go see other teachers operate and realize that some of the things that I was prepared for as a student teacher at UMHB, going through the College of Education, helped, yes, but then there are also some things that are just natural, and it's operating in that natural where people could see that. For my peers to vote me as Teacher of the Year, I thought, "Wow, I really am making a difference!" That was highlight.
What would you say to UMHB students preparing for a career in education?
You will definitely be prepared. The College of Education at UMHB is top-notch. You're going to be prepared but take it seriously and be engaged from day one and each and every day. Because if you do the steps and follow that program the way that it's intended, it truly will set you up for success in being able to not just only get that first position, but to thrive in that position.
What do you wish you had known about your future career before you graduated from college?
Because of the experience I got going through the College of Education, having the observation hours, getting more than what I needed. going through the UMHB program, I didn't feel like I had just walked into something and didn't know what to expect. That's why that's a hard question. I felt like I knew. And growing up knowing I wanted to teach. My mom was a janitor at the school I attended myself. I was always around education. I always thought I'd teach for 10 years. So if I knew that I would be going into leadership, I would have actually prepared myself more for leadership, because after five and a half years, I moved out of the teaching role and became a district leader.
What helps you get through the day?
I am not giving this answer because it would seem like "the UMHB answer" to give, but I'm serious, and I've told the other folks in our campus leadership: The Holy Spirit. If I have a negative thought, it's not even 15 seconds later, it's gone. If I’m having a bad moment, 15 seconds and it's gone. It's that constant abiding in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit. I don't see how people can navigate life without it. Faith means everything to me, and the Holy Spirit guiding me through that wisdom – that's what helps me through each and every day.
What's your favorite school supply?
It's probably paper clips. Paper clips. I'm a fidgeter. Okay, and so the original little fidget for me was just a paper clip. So I'm bending them, unfolding them, playing around with them. I mean, I use them often with all of my little notes and things and my dividers even. I use it even as a bookmark. Yeah, paper clips are my thing.
