All About Mr. Smith
Lackland Air Force Base,
Basic Training, Feb. 1990 |
Hello! Welcome to my website! My name is David Smith and I am happy to be teaching your children this year. It is a great privilege to be involved in their education.
How I got to where I am today: I was born in Roswell, GA. as were my parents and grandparents. I attended Roswell North Elementary, Crabapple Middle, and Roswell High School. After high school, I joined the Air Force as a structural engineer. I worked on all types of airplanes, but mainly F-16 fighter planes. My base station was Hill Air Force Base, located right above Salt Lake City, Utah. I spent almost five years in the military during the first Gulf War. I injured my knee and returned home to continue my education. While pursuing a degree in structural engineering, I took a job as a teacher assistant working with preschool and kindergarten special education students. This job was only to have money to pay bills - I never dreamed that I would be interested in working in a school. Well, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with teaching and being around the kids. I changed schools and changed my major to Early Childhood Education. Since that huge step in my life, I have worked in many different schools as a teacher assistant, inclusion specialist, and a teacher. I have worked with many different types of special education students, but mainly students with Autism and behavior disorders. I have taught second through fourth grades and this is my 27th year with Fulton County Schools. I have also served on the leadership team at three different schools. I have a son named Thomas who is in ninth grade at Alpharetta High School this year. I also have a daughter, named Lily, that is in sixth grade at Webb Bridge Middle this year. They keep me on my toes and a smile on my face! I love being a dad!
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The Starfish
There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked him, "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The old man explained that the starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish," exclaimed the young man, "How can your effort make any difference?" The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to safety in the sea said... "It makes a difference to this one."
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