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Marie Page, DECA Teacher
Putnam City North High School
The Association of Marketing Students, more widely known as DECA, is 11th- and 12th-grade teacher Marie Page's educational focus. Page has witnessed many success stories during her 10 years at Putnam City North High School and is known for the expertise and life lessons she provides in fashion merchandising, fashion management and sports and entertainment marketing classes. Below, Page talks about DECA and her teaching career:
DECA’s goal is to provide students with the necessary skills needed to survive in our challenging and always changing world. They learn to have empathy for others and how to have positive working relationships. They must understand economics, business plan development and marketing presentations. We even make sure they understand dressing for success. This way, whether students attend college right after high school or enter the work force, they will be prepared.
In class, students are taught four important aspects of DECA:
• Leadership Development: To be a leader as well as a follower
• Social Intelligence: How to conduct themselves in social graces
• Civic Consciousness: How to give back to the community
• Vocational Understanding: How to prepare to take their place in the business world
Not all learning takes place in the classroom. Working with the community is always fun and supports what students are learning in class. Students have worked with the Children’s Center in Bethany. They have visited the state capitol and met Guy Liebmann, our state Representative. They work with local businesses in their work-study program.
I meet with several different teachers throughout the year to find out what they are teaching and how I can incorporate their subject matter into my lesson plans. By working with the core teachers, I teach students how math, English, history and science is used in the fashion/marketing world. I also explain to my students that without these core subjects they will not be successful in the work force.
I look at each student as a unique and intriguing individual. I try placing myself in their shoes and imagining what is going on in their minds. I think about the many obstacles that they must face each and every day. Some come hungry, others come from broken families, and yet, others have to hold down a job to help assist with household expenses. With this in mind I ask myself, what can I do and how will I do it to reach my students.
I sometimes allow students to share their stories and concerns and call this “Therapy Session.” Students seem to love the student involvement and classroom discussions. Here we share ideas on how to solve problems at hand. For more private concerns I have them write to me in journals where I can write back words of encouragement. This is how I reach my students.
One particular experience that sticks out in my mind is my second year of teaching here at Putnam City North. My fashion management class was a class where unfortunately most of the girls did not like each other. This made it hard to teach. This is probably where my first therapy session began. I remember one day I locked the door and let the class just hash it out. To my surprise, they were brutally honest about their feelings towards each other. What was discovered were the many misunderstandings and false truths. We cried and laughed and soon a better understanding took place between the students. The class became a very tight knit group and to this day they still remain close friends. This is a teaching moment that I will never forget.
Once students know you care about them, the individual learning can then take place. This is very important because students need to feel that they have a place to go. A place where someone will take a hard look at them and say, “You do matter.”
One thing I love is when students come back to visit me. They tell me how much of what was taught in class has helped them further their education and careers.
My favorite part of teaching is watching my students grow. It is like looking at flowers that have not budded yet. And then one day you turn around to find the most beautiful flowers ever – my students.
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