A college student plodded down the hallway of an inner-city school with his baseball team. As he walked, the ground embraced his big purple feet, leaving invisible paw-shaped footprints where every footstep had fallen. His head poked out of a green spotted nose, as he searched for a listener, book in hand. Spotting a laughing, smiling third grade boy, Steven Singleton, dressed in a Barney suit, sat down to read to him.  When Singleton finished, he approached the teacher of the class. She glanced at the boy, then back at Singleton and explained that both of the boy’s parents were incarcerated.  “He doesn’t stand a chance,” the teacher told him. Singleton looked at the teacher, surprised. He does stand a chance. 

Singleton, Canyon High’s new assistant principal, understood what being “poor” really meant. He understood what it was like to live on “that side of the track.” Because he wanted to help others, he decided to become a teacher. Not only is Singleton a teacher, but he is also one of the top three secondary level state finalists chosen to compete for Texas Teacher of the Year.  The finalists will travel to Austin to interview with a panel Sept 10. The winner will be announced in Austin early October and will then represent Texas in Washington D.C. for the honor of National Teacher of the Year.

“I had to fill out a very long essay for my teacher of the year application,” Singleton said. “It was about 12 to 15 pages. I had to write about everything from my education background to my philosophy on education. I was just brutally honest. I gave my unique opinion, which goes against the norm.”

Facing hardships such as growing up in a divorced family, living with several different relatives and attending many different schools, Singleton said he never really believed in himself. If it weren’t for his high school principal, Mr. Johnson, he said he would have never attended college.

“Mr. Johnson called me in one day to talk to me about my ACT scores, and encouraged me to attend college,” Singleton said. “At the time, I wasn’t really thinking about college. I honestly thought that I would just farm. He always checked up on me and made sure I was staying on the right path.”

Singleton’s mother taught special education for 20 years, and she was a huge influence on Singleton’s decision to become an educator.

“I watched her in the classroom and noticed how much she cared for all of her students,” Singleton said. “I learned what an impact teachers really have.”

After teaching 7 years, Singleton decided to become a principal.

“I only affected so many kids every day being a teacher, but being a principal, I can impact 10 times that,” Singleton said. “Often we see our peers suppressed in a classroom because of stereotypes. I want to see personality blankets lifted so that students can be themselves and learn the way they learn best.”

Tacked to a cork board in Singleton’s new office is a photo displaying his childhood home in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where bald eagles flocked annually. Now, in reflection of his childhood, Eagles will once again flock to assistant principal Singleton, as he makes his new home at Canyon High.