Community Highlights: Meet Latarsha Jones of The Reading Bench

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latarsha Jones.

Hi Latarsha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved books and I’m confident that my love of reading and learning new things was instrumental in my decision to serve as an educator. Reading and learning also became a means of escape early in my life. My journey into adulthood included being a young mom and that was more than my teenage mind could handle. Luckily, I figured it out with the support of my family. I moved back home with my grandparents and worked for a year.

A few months in, my grandmother had a life-changing conversation with me. She shared her concerns about the limitations of staying home and working a menial job for minimum wage. She also expressed the desires she had for Camrei and I, which extended beyond the neighborhood streets I had grown up on. She knew that in order for me to be more than a teen mom, I needed to experience more, to see more, to be exposed to more and an education was the ticket. Inspired by our talk, I applied to college a year after graduating from high school. I was accepted to Florida A&M University, where I earned a Master’s degree.

I was then recruited out of college and began my teaching career in sunny south Florida! I taught in an innovative school and flourished as a new teacher, then moved to Georgia to continue my career with my family. I continued teaching and moved into curriculum support and finally leadership as an assistant principal. I’ve been teaching for over 25 years and still love books and learning. Actually, my appreciation for both has grown tremendously over the years and now I work with teachers as they develop their love of all things teaching. Throughout my career, I’ve mentored teachers and leaders in education because it was a natural outgrowth of my skill as a classroom teacher. I love helping teachers develop personally and watch it overflow into their classrooms. It brings me so much joy because I know that the students are the ones who reap the benefits.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Throughout my career, I have faced some challenges. In my first year of teaching, a parent asked for her child to be moved out of my classroom because I was black. I was devastated. I was new and excited to make a difference and I already loved that little girl. Fortunately, I worked alongside a leader who helped me navigate the situation and move on. While that was a traumatic way to begin my career, it taught me how to be resilient. I certainly needed resilience when I had a stroke at school in 2013. Yes, a stroke at school at my desk. This school was the 3rd brand new school I had the pleasure of opening over a nine year period. I was in my 4th year as an assistant principal at a school that I loved and a community that I adored.

In hindsight, I realize that I was overextended in all areas of my life and was ignoring all the signs that my body was screaming at me, but on this day in April, my body said, “ENOUGH.” I sat at my desk thinking that I was having a conversation with the secretary, only to hear her say, “Tasha, you’re scaring me.” I thought that I was talking but no words were coming out. The next thing I knew, they were calling 911, asking me tons of questions that I could only answer with slurred responses… it felt like chaos. I was rolled out on a stretcher with teachers and students watching, and there was nothing I could do about it. The doctors performed an MRI and discovered that I had had an ischemic stroke and I was admitted to the hospital. I’m blessed because both the school and hospital responded quickly and appropriately so I recovered with no long-term damage. I participated in physical therapy and took some much-needed time off. Needless to say, my life changed that day which forced me to implement new personal and professional habits. After my stroke, I realized just how much of an impact the job of education was having on me. It was not the kids, I loved them. Yes, there were challenging students and situations but overall, they were the best part of the work. I had to find a way to manage all the other “stuff” that comes with education.

We’ve been impressed with The Reading Bench, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Reading Bench is built on a love for books, building community and strategic coaching. As an educator and leader with over 25 years of experience, I’ve learned that these three components are essential to any successful educational and personal development system. Throughout my time as a leader, I have been known to be unapologetic about doing what’s good for kids, it’s the core of everything that I believe. With that belief in mind, I am able to build community and empower educators to walk out their calling as empowered teachers and leaders. My experience in the classroom, as a curriculum support specialist and as an assistant principal allows me to provide a unique perspective to my coaching clients. I have a keen insight and a proven record of taking teachers from frustrated to flourishing. I chose a bench because I want educators to know that there is space for them at The Reading Bench. I will always hold space for educators as people first and as educators second.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Teaching is what I love. I enjoy connecting with students and teacher leaders. I thrive in community so I make sure to create it wherever I teach, lead or coach. These are the most important aspects of my job as an educator. I often ask myself, and my clients to think about what will remain when all the other stuff goes away.

What do you want to be known for? What’s most important when you teach or lead?
I can truly say that I’ve left a legacy at the schools I’ve been that says I put students first. I loved them hard. I challenged myself and others to be the best versions of themselves so that the students could turn around and do the same. I’m proud of that.

Contact Info:

• Email: thereadingbench@gmail.com
• Website: https://the-reading-bench.teachable.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereadingbench/