The speaker, a man in a curly wig and sunglasses, threw Frisbees with money taped inside at the crowd of education students.
It was his way of engaging the audience – an important skill he utilizes for his career.
William Scott, the 2003 Burdines Florida Teacher of the Year, spoke to students at the College of Education’s mothly majors meeting about the need for more black teachers.
“You are needed,” the science teacher said. “You guys are the missing link.”
He encouraged students to be risk takers as teachers and stressed three things.
“It’s not who you teach, it’s not where you teach, it’s how you teach,” he said.
Scott said that teachers have to be consistent with young people by finding a mechanism to draw them in.
Though he spoke briefly, the rest of his presentation was spent engaging the audience in antics and learning experiences that he uses in his own classes.
He showed the creativity of his students, showcasing many of their projects like tie-dye t-shirts and lava lamps. Scott walked on a bed nails, danced, used cue cards, and called himself Superman, stripping down to a shirt with the Superman sign.
“If you focus on the obstacle before you, you will fall,” he said. “You have to look at the goal, the bigger prize, and that is the kids. You are the future of education,” he finished.
Then Scott rallied the students with his own rendition of Nelly’s song “Dilemma” inserting the words, “FAMU” into the chorus.
“Man if I had you for science, I’d be at NASA now,” said Curtis Yarbrough, King of Orange and Green, who presented Scott with a certificate of appreciation.
Scott currently serves as the Christa McAuliffe ambassador for education, serving as a role model and goodwill ambassador representing Florida’s educators. He teaches science at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School and coaches varsity football and basketball.