Allen Haynes

Background

About Allen Haynes

Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, I was exposed to many harsh conditions associated with inner-city daily life. The community in which I thrived was full of drugs, gangs, and violence. As a matter of fact, in 2001, the community in which I grew up was coined (by local police) as the worst neighborhood in the nation. The statement was startling yet true. Unfortunately, the community prophecy where I lived was that the average African-American male would be incarcerated or dead by a certain age. I recall the dangers that became a seemingly hopeless way of life for us. Oftentimes, many of the harsh realities of that environment manifested within the walls of our apartment. A place where most people should feel secure was not always true for me. Despite the fears connected to my immediate world—there existed for me “a world” where I felt safe and secure; that world—school. I sincerely understand the unwavering mandate that all educators must maintain—an inherent awareness of the needs and concerns of our students and their families. While growing in Chicago, I believed the school was the safest place for me within the confines of my world; and there was no other place that I’d rather be, than my classroom—learning. My message (summary) to all who will hear me is this: teachers are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe environment for every student to grow and develop academically, socially, and emotionally. We must ensure that “the world” our students enter is safe and free of all dangers both seen as well as unseen. Our students often enter our classrooms with "adult size" challenges, I believe that it is my duty to seamlessly integrate every one of our students into the collective learning of our safe classrooms.