‘It’s more than teaching, it’s my calling’: Educator uses life experiences to impact students

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – May 6 to May 10 marks Teacher Appreciation Week.

It’s a time to commemorate all of the classroom heroes for the work they do. In the Brazos Valley, several work to leave an impact that follows their students into adulthood.

One is Phe’Licia Thompson. She’s the criminal justice and student leadership teacher at Rudder High School and has been there for three years. She said she was destined for the job.

“I was actually a supervisor at the Brazos County Juvenile Detention Center for two years before actually coming here,” Thompson said. “My husband had to have an emergency open-heart operation and caused me to resign from there because I had to take care of him, and the day that I actually resigned from there, I got a phone call that they had an opening here at Rudder High School for a criminal justice teacher.”

Since she’s been there, Thompson has taught the fundamentals of law and the many career paths within the criminal justice field.

“A lot of people, when they think about criminal justice, they just think about law enforcement, they think about police… that’s it, that’s all, but it’s not,” Thompson said. “You have forensic science, you have detectives, you have law enforcement, you even have paramedics.”

Along with the skills learned in the classroom, Thompson has led her students to multiple competitions including Skills USA. Her students have earned around 10 awards.

The teacher, who’s had an almost 30-year career in education, said those experiences are priceless.

“A lot of these students have not been outside of Bryan-College Station so to get them involved in a competition or an organization that would give them that opportunity to see other kids or other students in other things, that’s what I wanna do,” Thompson said.

She also strives to make an impact that exceeds the classroom and competitions. Thompson shares her own life experiences to remind students they can do anything.

“I’m very transparent with students because if you’re transparent with them, anything they go through in life, they’re gonna come and be transparent with you, and so building that relationship and building those bonds with students is so essential and very vital for me.” Thompson said.

But it isn’t a one-sided relationship. She said her students also make an impact on her.

“They’re so pure in heart,” Thompson said. “When they see their teacher going through or they’ll see the tear fall or whatever, it’s the hugs. It’s the Mrs. T, you’re so strong, and I’m just like baby, ya’ll make me strong, but I draw strength from them.”