Resia and Lewis Brooks
Sometimes couples share more than just a passion for
hobbies, entertainment, or recreation—they share a
lifelong passion for learning like that of Drs. Resia
and Lewis Brooks. As a professional husband and wife duo
steeped in a rich history of educational administration,
the Brooks have earned multiple degrees from the
University of Montevallo, particularly through the M.Ed.
and Ed.S. programs in Instructional Leadership.
Resia, who now boasts over thirteen years of experience
in the field of education, currently serves as the
Principal of Chelsea Intermediate School where one of
her leading goals is to promote student achievement
across the curriculum. Additionally, Reisa has been
actively involved as a regional partner with the ARI
(Alabama Reading Initiative), a statewide program to
improve reading instruction for all public school
students and eventually reach the goal of 100% literacy.
It is amazing to see how Reisa’s passion as an
undergraduate has grown into such an expansive
enterprise over the years thanks to her experiences at
UM that afforded her both “a plethora of knowledge
relative to real life strategies” and an inside approach
to “techniques from professors with extensive
experiences in instructional leadership.” Reisa also
stated that the program, which she felt successfully
combined “educational theory” and “practical
application,” inspired her less with a sense of academic
completion and more with “an eagerness to pursue and
later earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree.”
Lewis, who has also spent more than a decade of
leadership in teaching, acts as the Middle School
Coordinator of Instruction for the Shelby County School
System. If directing teachers is second nature to
Lewis’s position, which began in 2009, the added benefit
is his ability to positively direct the lives of the
middle school students by teaching them about the future
impact of their early life choices. While Lewis has
found the greatest satisfaction in his current role as
educational coordinator and advocate, he traces his
current success back to the engaging preparation he
received while in the Instructional Leadership Program
at UM, an event he considers “the foundation for [his]
daily practice as a district level school leader.”
Looking back on his experience, Lewis cites his growth
as the combination of “insight into current
instructional leadership theory” and also exposure “to
some of the most outstanding practitioners in the field
of education,” proving how the personable interactions
with faculty are a unique facet of the liberal arts
education that UM promotes.
The Brooks agree that the benefit of sharing their
professional goals as spouses is as limitless as it is
fruitful: “We have opportunities to share new ideas and
to challenge one another to better serve our school
district and the community at large. We both feel that
our work in education is a ministry of service.”
Both Resia and Lewis continue to provide their excellent
educational services to Shelby County. |
