Jan. 29, 2025
Breaking Stereotypes in Louisiana's Education
Scott Jarreau from St. Theresa Middle School in East Baton Rouge joins Devin Pintozzi to explore the uncharted terrains of education, skipping the traditional coach's whistle for a fresh leadership style. Scott breaks the mold, proving that education can thrive beyond the sports field. With an educator's heart and a leader's spirit, Scott recounts his journey from a spirited student to an award-winning teacher, all while leading with empathy and innovation. Tune in to hear how Scott's unconventional paths in teaching and his passion for technology are shaping a transformative learning environment for his students.
Stream the Spotlight 4 Success Podcast: https://spotlight4success.buzzsprout.com
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.690
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:03.690 --> 00:00:05.727
We are here at LaCue.
00:00:05.727 --> 00:00:13.993
I am Devin Pintosa, your host, here with Scott Jaro, with St Teresa Middle School in East Baton Rouge, parish.
00:00:13.993 --> 00:00:16.004
That's right, very nice to see you.
00:00:16.045 --> 00:00:17.484
Scott, thank you, I'm glad to be here.
00:00:17.484 --> 00:00:18.228
It's pretty exciting.
00:00:18.228 --> 00:00:19.740
I wasn't expecting to do a podcast today.
00:00:19.740 --> 00:00:26.207
I do them on Thursdays at 8 pm Central Standard Time on YouTube for my Star Wars podcast, the Bombadcast.
00:00:26.207 --> 00:00:29.129
But no, I'm so used to doing this, I do this every night.
00:00:29.129 --> 00:00:33.393
I've done it for five years, and doing it at a convention is something.
00:00:33.493 --> 00:00:34.094
It's pretty cool.
00:00:34.094 --> 00:00:35.755
Yes, yes, got a nice buzz right.
00:00:35.755 --> 00:00:37.256
Yeah, it's awesome.
00:00:37.256 --> 00:00:38.116
That's awesome, scott.
00:00:38.116 --> 00:00:39.621
So tell us about your life.
00:00:39.621 --> 00:00:45.482
How did you get started into what you're doing as far as being your STEM teacher Is that right?
00:00:45.482 --> 00:00:49.645
And then what you're doing, because you're doing a lot of things dealing with podcasting as well.
00:00:50.185 --> 00:00:55.588
So, all in all, I knew I wanted to be in some form of leadership.
00:00:55.588 --> 00:01:00.829
I didn't know if it was education, I didn't know if I needed to be like the best employee at Circle K.
00:01:00.829 --> 00:01:07.612
I didn't know what I needed to do, but I needed to do something, you know, and be in front of people and be around people and be around kids especially.
00:01:07.612 --> 00:01:12.415
But I always was a leader, naturally in that way, even when I was a kid.
00:01:12.415 --> 00:01:14.896
But I knew I wanted to be a male teacher.
00:01:14.896 --> 00:01:17.197
That wasn't a coach.
00:01:17.197 --> 00:01:20.518
That's kind of a thing that I think most people, especially in Louisiana.
00:01:20.518 --> 00:01:26.114
When you're a coach, there's like a stipulation of like well, he's my coach, I got to listen to him, but I wanted to be a male teacher.
00:01:26.114 --> 00:01:27.822
That wasn't always the authority figure, I just wanted to be your teacher.
00:01:27.822 --> 00:01:28.263
You know what I mean.
00:01:28.724 --> 00:01:39.442
And so I got an education, uh, back in 2014 and I graduated from southeastern in May of 2019 and I was the top of my class and not in the sense of like academically.
00:01:39.522 --> 00:01:54.147
I won student teacher of the year that year because of, I guess, being who I was and you know, I was one of the only males in my graduating class and I guess that was a rare thing in middle school, but but, all that being said, I I was very practical with my approach.
00:01:54.147 --> 00:02:00.480
I didn't get, I didn't get caught up in the weeds like a lot of my friends did then because they were so focused on the academic and you know that kind of stuff.
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:12.927
So, I don't know, you have to find a natural way into this thing and it always felt super natural to be able to do what we do and uh, yeah, no, I've been teaching now for six years, uh, at the same school, and I had one year of student teaching.
00:02:12.927 --> 00:02:15.682
So it's been I don't know it's been it's been a very awesome journey.
00:02:15.682 --> 00:02:21.002
I don't plan on stopping it ever unless the podcast gets big, unless we get big together.
00:02:21.002 --> 00:02:23.828
It'd be amazing, wouldn't it that'd be great.
00:02:24.490 --> 00:02:30.251
So tell me about, uh, what brings you like, what are you hoping to get out of the queue and what are you going to be giving back?
00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:31.242
well, I went last year.
00:02:31.242 --> 00:02:32.665
Okay, it was wonderful.
00:02:32.665 --> 00:02:42.965
I was kind of a liaison in the sense of like I'm here to be on behalf of my school and you know I'm I'm kind of the one that takes initiative and like wants to push and do new things.
00:02:42.965 --> 00:02:46.653
Like I kind of brought AI to our school two years ago before it had blown up.
00:02:46.653 --> 00:02:48.778
You know kind of like more of 2021.
00:02:48.778 --> 00:02:51.688
And that being said, I don't know.
00:02:51.688 --> 00:03:09.254
I just think it's important to be on the cutting edge and doing this kind of conference and being around people you know that do these things, it's really important and having that opportunity to be exposed to these new ideas and concepts, even if they might not be the best thing for your school, it could be interesting for you personally.
00:03:09.254 --> 00:03:17.997
So, yeah, I'm here on behalf of the school to be able to bring some cool information back and some concepts that we could utilize in our programs.
00:03:18.018 --> 00:03:18.318
That's awesome.
00:03:18.318 --> 00:03:25.194
Scott, is there anything you'd like to say to the LICU community, like words of wisdom or what have you, as far as this conference, as it progresses?
00:03:25.276 --> 00:03:26.782
Don't take yourself too seriously.
00:03:26.782 --> 00:03:29.183
That's what I always tell my kids.
00:03:29.183 --> 00:03:34.201
But have fun with whatever you do and, of course, make education fun, like right now.
00:03:34.201 --> 00:03:47.030
I'm looking at a bunch of kids in this conference who are doing like eSports and I've never actually tried doing eSports on a personal level, but I've always admired the people that do and I see kids of all ages literally right now I see fourth graders eating chicken filet and playing Minecraft.
00:03:47.030 --> 00:03:48.687
That's pretty awesome that you can do that now.
00:03:48.687 --> 00:03:52.662
When we were growing up, we couldn't play Super Nintendo or N64 in our classrooms.
00:03:52.662 --> 00:03:53.284
That wasn't allowed.
00:03:53.284 --> 00:04:00.040
But now you get to see these kids actually learn and benefit from it, be in a more communal atmosphere at an event like this.
00:04:00.040 --> 00:04:00.981
So it's pretty dope.
00:04:00.981 --> 00:04:02.081
That's awesome.
00:04:02.102 --> 00:04:02.742
That's awesome.
00:04:02.742 --> 00:04:04.143
Well, thank you very much.
00:04:04.143 --> 00:04:10.947
That's Scott Giroux, with St Teresa Middle School, a STEM teacher, east Baton Rouge, Parish.
00:04:10.947 --> 00:04:13.027
Thank you so much for participating with us.
00:04:13.027 --> 00:04:15.288
Thanks, I'm going to stay bomb bad All right.
00:04:15.508 --> 00:04:16.468
Appreciate it, dude.
00:04:17.463 --> 00:04:18.529
This is awesome.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.690
00:00:03.690 --> 00:00:05.727
00:00:05.727 --> 00:00:13.993
00:00:13.993 --> 00:00:16.004
00:00:16.045 --> 00:00:17.484
00:00:17.484 --> 00:00:18.228
00:00:18.228 --> 00:00:19.740
00:00:19.740 --> 00:00:26.207
00:00:26.207 --> 00:00:29.129
00:00:29.129 --> 00:00:33.393
00:00:33.493 --> 00:00:34.094
00:00:34.094 --> 00:00:35.755
00:00:35.755 --> 00:00:37.256
00:00:37.256 --> 00:00:38.116
00:00:38.116 --> 00:00:39.621
00:00:39.621 --> 00:00:45.482
00:00:45.482 --> 00:00:49.645
00:00:50.185 --> 00:00:55.588
00:00:55.588 --> 00:01:00.829
00:01:00.829 --> 00:01:07.612
00:01:07.612 --> 00:01:12.415
00:01:12.415 --> 00:01:14.896
00:01:14.896 --> 00:01:17.197
00:01:17.197 --> 00:01:20.518
00:01:20.518 --> 00:01:26.114
00:01:26.114 --> 00:01:27.822
00:01:27.822 --> 00:01:28.263
00:01:28.724 --> 00:01:39.442
00:01:39.522 --> 00:01:54.147
00:01:54.147 --> 00:02:00.480
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:12.927
00:02:12.927 --> 00:02:15.682
00:02:15.682 --> 00:02:21.002
00:02:21.002 --> 00:02:23.828
00:02:24.490 --> 00:02:30.251
00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:31.242
00:02:31.242 --> 00:02:32.665
00:02:32.665 --> 00:02:42.965
00:02:42.965 --> 00:02:46.653
00:02:46.653 --> 00:02:48.778
00:02:48.778 --> 00:02:51.688
00:02:51.688 --> 00:03:09.254
00:03:09.254 --> 00:03:17.997
00:03:18.018 --> 00:03:18.318
00:03:18.318 --> 00:03:25.194
00:03:25.276 --> 00:03:26.782
00:03:26.782 --> 00:03:29.183
00:03:29.183 --> 00:03:34.201
00:03:34.201 --> 00:03:47.030
00:03:47.030 --> 00:03:48.687
00:03:48.687 --> 00:03:52.662
00:03:52.662 --> 00:03:53.284
00:03:53.284 --> 00:04:00.040
00:04:00.040 --> 00:04:00.981
00:04:00.981 --> 00:04:02.081
00:04:02.102 --> 00:04:02.742
00:04:02.742 --> 00:04:04.143
00:04:04.143 --> 00:04:10.947
00:04:10.947 --> 00:04:13.027
00:04:13.027 --> 00:04:15.288
00:04:15.508 --> 00:04:16.468
00:04:17.463 --> 00:04:18.529
