Published: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 10:12 AM
Custodian working on teaching career
TEGA CAY --
Right now he’s “Mr. James,” but give him a couple of years.
He’ll be “Mr. Locke” soon enough.
James Locke, 23, spends his days sweeping hallways after several hundred 5-, 8- and 11-year-olds. He also empties their trash, shines their gym floor and scrubs away any manner of substance that his shift might bring. But Locke isn’t satisfied. He wants a more difficult job, still.
He wants to teach middle school – algebra.
“It’s definitely like that,” Locke said of custodial service at Gold Hill Elementary School, “but I look at it and I just say, ‘impact.’ I want to make an impact.”
Locke began studying to become a teacher prior to taking a custodian job at Gold Hill two years ago. He’s attended teaching programs at two local schools, paying his way through with what he hopes will be a brief janitorial career. Each day he has class 8-9:50 a.m., then goes classroom-to-classroom from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. At Gold Hill, he’s drawing a following.
“Young guy working a full-time job to put himself through school to be a teacher,” said Andy Morton, fourth grade teacher. “He was going above and beyond.”
Morton’s class recently nominated Locke for a community service award from a local TV station, which he won. Morton is part of the “bandwagon” of teachers and staff supporting Locke as he goes through the same certification process they did, and for the same reasons.
“When I first got the job, I got it to get a male’s point of view of teaching,” Locke said. “How they like to do what they do, how they prepare.”
He came to the right place. Gold Hill has eight male teachers and one assistant principal. All working in the third through fifth grade, and not by accident.
“It’s intentional,” said Terry Brewer, principal. “We did a lot of searching. We want to have a balance of both male and female teachers.”
Locke has a brother who teaches middle school in Rock Hill, so he has an idea what to expect. But he’s not waiting to get his name on the door. He wants to make that difference now.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Locke said. “By looking at these young kids, there’s so many kids on this level that look up to you.”
Which is why Locke can’t sweep past three doorways lately without some sort of encouragement from a teacher who heard about his awards, who can’t wait to see his goal reached.
He doesn’t particularly want all the fuss, but doesn’t mind it too much. He’s more concerned with the students asking if he’ll show up at their football games or concerts. Students not at all unlike the ones he hopes to impact for years to come.
“If they ask me to come, I try to be there,” Locke said. “I try to make it my number one priority.”
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