As a kid, I was a particularly bad student in school. I wasn’t mean and I always got good grades, but I was still kind of a nightmare for most teachers to deal with – curious, inquisitive, creative, goofy, noisy, and loved to do anything for a laugh.
For example…
- In third grade I once wore a dress to school, private Christian school none the less, as a means of protesting our dress code. Turns out female students could wear something called koolats, which were basically shorts, while boys were stuck with long pants. This did not sit well with me on very hot, kickball and monkey bar filled days. When I complained to my teacher, she responded by saying “Fine David. You can’t wear shorts but you are welcome to wear a dress if you are so upset by the dress code.” Challenge accepted. She was quite surprised when I stepped off the school bus up wearing a beautiful pink dress. This was not well received, but she honored her word and the dress was worn the entire day.
- In fourth grade, we were tasked with bringing in something to show what America was all about. Most kids brought in flags, bald eagles, and pictures of the founding fathers. I however, saw an opportunity for fun. I brought in a tray of apple pies and a couple gallons of ice cream, figuring that this was a great way to liven up class with an impromptu party. Nothing like a room full of sugared up fourth graders to endear you to a teacher.
- In fifth grade my teacher actually resorted to bringing in a cardboard refrigerator box and placing it over my desk in a way that only allowed me to see her over the top of the box. I think this was meant to shame me into submission and minimize my ability to disrupt the class… um giant cardboard box with a silly kid in the front of a crowded classroom. Yeah, let’s just say the box did not last long.
I continued to be a goof off in subsequent grades, bringing home the coveted honor of Class Clown from my beloved Kenton Ridge High School. Ahhh, a dream realized.
So why am I jeopardizing my professional, grown-up, responsible adult image by sharing all of this potentially damning information from my “permanent record”? Well, it turns out that starting later this month, I am going to be a teacher. (no, I’m not quitting the Ohlmann Group gig. Best job ever!) I will continue to work the day job well into the wee hours of the evening, just as I do now.
This fall I will be teaching a course in Marketing to students at The School of Advertising Art in Dayton. I am excited to join the incredible team of instructors at SAA and honored to have the opportunity to teach such a wildly creative and brilliant group of young minds. In spite of my poor performance as a student, I have always thought it would be fun to teach. I am very fortunate in that I married into a family filled with excellent teachers, all of whom I will be relying on to help me be successful in this endeavor. I have no plans to place students in boxes, but rather to get them to think outside of them when it comes to marketing.
Teaching this course will be a new adventure for me – one which I am both nervous and excited about. It’s pretty safe to say that I will be both the teacher and student in the months ahead. I approach this opportunity with an open mind, a lot of ideas, and a commitment to do my best and to learn how to make my best, better. Wish me luck!
