‘True Heroes’; Clemons opens convention inspiring teachers

By Lethbridge Herald on February 21, 2025.

Michael "Pinball" Clemons speaks to teachers at the South Western Teachers Convention Association on Friday morning at the University of Lethbridge. Herald photo by Alexandra Noad

Alexandra Noad – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

More than 2,000 teachers gathered at the University of Lethbridge Thursday and Friday for the annual South Western Alberta Teachers’ Convention Association conference.

Alex Funk, president of SWATCA and a Grade 5 teacher in the Lethbridge School Division, says the annual convection is teacher led and driven.

“Our convention is actually older than Alberta as a province (and) it’s teacher created, teacher led and teacher driven.”

During the two-day conference there are over 150 sessions teachers can choose to go to, and many use it to better themselves to help set their students up for success.

“Even this convention, what we’re doing is planning for Monday,” says Funk. “We’re getting ready for Monday, even though it’s for us, it’s for our kids, we spend a lot of extra hours making sure our kids are getting what they need, not just the curriculum, making sure they’re prepared for the next year and we’re there for them for whatever they need which requires us to be putting in that extra time.”

The convention started with an address from Michael “Pinball” Clemons who spoke about the influence teachers have on their student’s life.

Clemons opened up his speech saying that adversity in life is guaranteed and it’s how one deals with said adversity that determines their success.

“It’s not whether you experience adversity, but how you deal with it that will determine your success and so consistent with that, we want to get past, if we could, the challenges and find that sweet spot.”

He then went on to speak about what a noble cause being a teacher really is.

“You made maybe the most noble choice on the planet and that is to serve my kids, your friends’ kids, your own kids. You are the true heroes of our culture.”

Clemons grew up with a single mother who was committed and dedicated to his success. He says as amazing as his mom was, she couldn’t do it by herself and that’s where the support of teachers came in.

“Who I am started with my mom, but she couldn’t do it by herself, you see there were these great teachers.”

Clemons says it was his teachers dedication to his success that allowed him to win the award for being the top student athlete which allowed him to attend the College of William and Mary.

“I was a student first and it was because of all those great teachers along the way,” said Clemons. “That meant that you are more responsible for me being here today than any coach I ever had.”

When he got cut from the Kansas City Chiefs, just after one season, Clemons was able to get his MBA paid for by a company named Honeywell, who he had interned in his undergrad.

Clemens says 35 years ago he decided to give football another chance and came to Canada. He adds that the choice to try one more time was the foundation that was built through school.

“It wasn’t all because of my mom, she couldn’t do it all by herself, it was that foundation that grade school (and) high school, that was the tangible difference for me.”

Clemons finished his speech by using PhD as a metaphor to how to have a doctorate degree in life to be successful.

The “P” stands for positivity. Clemons says he didn’t understand what it meant to be positive, until he understood that neutral was negative.

He gave an example of someone who always arrived to work on time never exceeding the speed limit, did his work, was never late taking their lunch and left on time.

He says while they arrived to work on time, they never let anyone in on the highway, they didn’t speak to anyone on the elevator. When they left for lunch, they never invited anyone to join them. While their work was done, during meetings they never gave feedback and while they left work on time, again, on their way home they didn’t let anyone in on the highway. When they returned home, they took the same attitude with them.

“Neutral is negative, it’s an illustration of negativity and lack of participation without saying it and it’s worse because you’re living it,” says Clemons.

The “H” stands for being humble. Clemons says we must believe that everything we do must require our best effort.

The ‘D” stands for discipline, which Clemons says is one of two pains we endure in life.

“We all must suffer one of two pains in life, either the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret.”

Clemons believe the greatest honour teachers can pay the country is to do their best.

“The greatest honour you can pay a parent, the greatest honour you can pay this country is the sacrifice for your students to do your best, to give your best, to see them, to try and get to know them, you see, the better relationship we have, the more the connection happens, the greater the results,” says Clemons. “You are more than a hero and I want you to understand that he more you give, the more we all get.”

While the role of a teacher is so important and with the demands of growing class sizes and working with social and emotional learning and executive function skills, Funk says she loves her job and the impact she can have on children.

“I love teaching, I love seeing the bulb moments when they figure something out, or they feel safe and heard are just the most bucket filling moments.”