The Hoosier Way — An NBA Threads Story with @herefaux
What made your favorite teacher stand out?
In high school, Mr. Smith turned chemistry into a must-see event every day by connecting concepts like stoichiometry to his escapades in Ohio State’s laboratory. During my own five-year stint as a middle school teacher, I explained internal rhyme to my students by belting out the first few lines of Eminem's “Lose Yourself.”
While I by no means was as invigorating of a teacher as Mr. Smith, my experience did reveal a facet of education that I still firmly believe even now in the private sector:
The best educators make themselves relatable to their students.
For Joni, NBA Threads user @herefaux, her approach to teaching for over two decades draws from her love of basketball. Step into her classroom and you may find her predicting upcoming games or introducing her students to Caitlin Clark’s incredible shots from the logo in between lessons on classic literature.
“Basketball is a good way for me to connect with my students,” she explains. “Normally, I’m a pretty strict teacher and keep them working from bell-to-bell. When I first started talking to them about basketball, they looked around like they were unsure. A couple of weeks into each semester they figure out that I really know what I’m talking about.”
Joni finds teaching English fun, especially getting into the nitty gritty Greek and Latin roots that make up our everyday words. She has experience teaching kindergarten all the way through eighth grade, making her adaptable to any age group.
Being acquainted with basketball as a young girl was just as easy. Growing up in Elkhart, Indiana, Joni was swathed in tales of Hoosier success and Pacer greats like Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, and George McGinnis.
“I’ve been watching since I could remember. When you’re driving through Indiana, you’ll see a basketball hoop on every garage or barn. My dad used to say, ‘Basketball was the only game in town.’”
Even though she’s a tried and true fan of Indiana ball, Joni is not opposed to cheering on the Golden State Warriors thanks to generational talent Stephen Curry (though his affinity for reading also plays well for English teachers like her).
But outside of seeing the spectacular shooting prowess of Reggie Miller or the rise of Tyrese Haliburton, the Hoosier with a heart of gold enjoys seeing others enrich themselves with literature. One particular story from a fellow Threads user stands out to her.
“I want to shout out @Oliverspeaks1,” Joni starts. “He has been very open about his journey teaching himself to read as an adult after he was unable to in high school. He’s very vulnerable with his struggles and is very inspiring to me and to my students.”
Stories like this accentuate Joni’s belief in an equitable education for all, which is why she has used this platform to promote an organization near and dear to her heart.
“Brandon R. Scarborough’s Dreams Academy is a multi-layered mentoring program that teaches young Black men the skills they need for successful lives,” she said. “He also hosts a podcast that has been instrumental to me in the last couple of years called ‘Dear White Teacher.’”
If great coaches can foster great talent on the court, great teachers can foster great minds in society. And NBA Threads’s favorite teacher has proven that the state of Indiana can make an incredible impact in the classroom.
Learn more about Dreams Academy, its sister program Queens Academy, and the substantial work they do in the Akron, Ohio area.