Educator Insights: Wisdom from Veteran Teacher Scott Brunswick on Student Connection and Professional Growth

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I am excited to share the first Why Edify Wisdom Educator Spotlight. Every educator has a story and something to share with other teachers. Collaboration is one of the best forms of professional development.

I’m happy to share Scott Brunswick’s wisdom in his own words. He was my first principal, and I’m glad we stayed connected throughout the years.

Please tell us a little about yourself, including your experience in education and anything else you would like to share.

My friends say that my stories take too long to tell, but I will try. I was born and raised in a small town in northern IL. I went to Monmouth College 67-71 and graduated with a history major to teach secondary education. During my first year out of college, I subbed in various districts around my hometown of Richmond, both in IL and WI.

First full-time job in 1972-73 teaching high school and middle school social studies and physical education for two years in a neighboring town, then 19 years back in my hometown teaching junior high and coaching basketball at the high school level. I got a principal license and moved to the Northwoods of Wisconsin in 1993—two years at North Lakeland and ten years at Arbor Vitae-Woodruff. I retired early in 2005 due to the uncertainty of a prostate cancer diagnosis. I was recruited back to my hometown and did two years in a job share of the superintendency 05-07. I am really retired, but I still taught and supervised grad students for another five years and coached basketball in Sturgeon Bay for 14 years. Sorry about my long story, but I did warn you.

What have you learned from a colleague that has made you a better teacher?

Learned from a colleague?  I'm unsure if I learned this from watching good or bad teachers. I learned a couple of important things. Your success will not lie in how much you know but in whether or not kids connect with you and the subject matter. Kids need to know that you have a genuine interest in them as people. As a social studies teacher, I needed to find a way to make my teaching relevant to whatever was happening. Sometimes, that could be difficult, but I needed to find a connection. One thing that helped me was that the kids had to come back and eat lunch in our homeroom with me eating with them. That was a time to chat and connect on a different level, sometimes even spinning the globe on my desk for extra credit. Could they stump Mr. B? Spin it, put your finger down on a country. Could Mr. B name the capital? 🙀🤞Another thing that helped over the years was being a coach and connecting with kids in another way.

What “earned wisdom” do you have that other teachers can benefit from?

Earned wisdom?  It took me a while to get there. I was an A student through school, and early in my career, I couldn’t understand why everyone couldn’t do that with a little hard work. I did not have much empathy. I learned, sometimes the hard way, that everything is not black and white. There is a lot of gray out there (as a Principal, I especially had to understand this).  Not everyone is born with the same “horsepower.” Not everyone was lucky enough to grow up in a two-parent stable family like mine. I had to be able to meet kids where they were and do whatever I could to move them forward, both intellectually and socially.

What personal or professional development book (or both) would you recommend? Why?

It’s been so long, I can’t remember a professional development book I read. But I can give you the names of a couple personal development books that I loved and used.

Years ago, our keynote speaker at the state Principal’s convention was Dr. Alan Zimmerman, a motivational speaker. The first book of his I read was Brave Questions, Building Stronger Relationships by Asking the Right Questions (*ad). I used a technique from this book on our next Opening Day in service at AV-W. I placed teachers together who normally did not interact and made them question each other. It was amazing how much they learned and how appreciative they were afterward. The other book of Dr. Z’s that I loved was The Payoff Principal, Discovering the 3 Secrets for Getting What You Want Out of Life and Work. Extremely pertinent book, whether for educators or business people.

What is your favorite song on your morning commute to work (or in general, if you’re retired)?

I have many favorite Beatles tunes, but weirdly enough, on my way to golf or work at the winery, I play one of Dr. Zimmerman’s subliminal motivation tapes, which have messages embedded in the music. The one I listen to instills confidence.

I am sure by now you wish you had never asked me to share, as I have gone on and on.

But I am so happy to help any educator, especially you, because I see someone who has continually grown as a teacher and contributed positively to his students, his school, and his community. All the best, my friend.

Maybe you’re interested in sharing some of your “earned wisdom.” If so, let’s get in touch. I look forward to sharing your story with the Why Edify community.

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