A warm welcome to the Valley for Hardin Valley Middle’s new Head Principal, Dr. Rachel Harmon! Some leaders are born, others are grown and a select few are both. I think we scored one of the rare ones and she is going to make HVMS an outstanding experience for students, staff and the whole community.
Adam: We’ll start easy, where were you born?
Dr. Harmon: Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was in the Navy.
We didn’t live there long. We moved to Middle Tennessee when I was five. I moved to Knoxville while in college, and I’ve stayed here ever since.
Adam: How long was your dad in the Navy? Did he retire from there?
Dr. Harmon: No, he didn’t retire. He served for 10 years. He’s one of eleven children from Michigan, so it was kind of his way of getting out. He was stationed in Iceland for a while. My mom joined him, and then they later moved to Charleston. He was in Jacksonville probably the longest time, and then we lived in Meridian, Mississippi for a year. It’s now a big place, but when I was there, it was teeny. He was told he was going to move again and the options were not great. He and my mom were concerned because I was five at this point. They really wanted to consider the long term projection, so he decided to leave the Navy. Actually a big part of who I am today is because of how I watched them reestablish their lives. My dad has an associate’s degree now, and my mom became an LPN. I watched them through their journey, trying to establish roots and careers while having a family already in place.
Adam: So how and why did they choose Middle Tennessee?
Dr. Harmon: My mom was actually born in Knoxville. When my mom was three, they moved to Madison, Tennessee. When my mom was nine, they moved again to right outside of Detroit, Michigan for the auto industry. My mom’s sister is 10 years older than her and had gotten married and decided to stay in Madison. When my parents were looking at whether to return to Michigan or to live closer to family, they chose Tennessee. It was a little bit more rural, a slower paced life, and they felt like it was a better place to raise a family. They also thought about going back to Jacksonville, because they had a great support system there, but ultimately Tennessee was where they landed. So you know, it’s kind of funny when I think about it because it was kind of a random choice.
Adam: So what was your middle school mascot?
Dr. Harmon: A bobcat. I actually went to a school that demographically was not like Hardin Valley, but was similar to Hardin Valley in the fact that all the schools were on the same campus. We were the Greenbrier Bobcats all the way through elementary, middle, and high school.
Adam: And what college did you go to?
Dr. Harmon: I went to UT for my undergrad, my master’s, and my EDS. For my doctorate, I went to the University of Cumberlands.
Adam: What was your major?
Dr. Harmon: I majored in English with a concentration in rhetoric and writing. My master’s degree had an education focus, then a focus in leadership for the other two.
Adam: So how many years have you been in education?
Dr. Harmon: I’m about to start my 16th year.
Adam: Young still!
Adam: Have you sponsored any clubs or sports over the years?
Dr. Harmon: Yes! I sponsored the student council for a long time. My husband and I actually met at a student council convention when we were in high school. We didn’t start dating until we were in college, but we became friends and hung out. It was the Tennessee Association of Student Councils, a professional organization. We would go to meetings, and became friends. If I’m being completely transparent, I knew I was going to marry this guy, and he was a big influence as to why I ended up at UT. It’s kind of embarrassing to tell people I went to college for a boy. We weren’t dating then, but I just had this conviction that we were going to.
I also considered UT because it was cheap! UT was cheaper than some of the options I considered. When I started into education they asked if I wanted to sponsor the student council. I was like, “Heck yes I do” because it has played such a formative role in my life. Honestly, I taught leadership classes and I think a lot of those experiences actually prepared me for being a school leader. I think leadership is something that’s worthy of being studied. You have to practice it to get better at it.
Adam: Why did you get into education?
Dr. Harmon: From a philosophical perspective, I think that it is important to serve people. I think that when we’re looking at serving, education is a great place to jump right in. But also in addition to that, I feel like having an education, not just the content, but making connections with people and working with teachers, principals, and support staff that care. That is the way that you can actually try to improve someone’s decision making power. Not everyone that comes along is going to take advantage of what we try to do for them, and that’s the hard part about this. You see all the potential in the students, and sometimes they will disappoint you because they don’t actually do what you know they’re capable of. But we’re adding to their capacity to be able to realize and say I can do this with my life. The really neat part about middle school is, you don’t get to see that immediately, but then when you’re out in the community and you see kids doing the things you have taught them, it feels so good. I think about the kids that I see. I think, oh that kiddo was such a struggle, we spent a lot of time together, and then to see that they are doing okay. I realize the things that I’m doing do have an impact on them.
I love school. When people say, “Oh, you have to work this summer, how sad.” I think, are you kidding? I love being at school. I love the school setting, I always have. I would always help my teachers set up bulletin boards, organize papers, and help out. I’m not from a family of educators, but it’s definitely in my blood. I think maybe I’ve started my own little spawn of educators because my daughter won the Little Future Teacher award at Rocky Hill.
Adam: How did you transition into administration? Why did you choose that?
Dr. Harmon: This is hard, I want to say this very carefully because there’s a big nuance that can make it look like I want to be a leader just for the sake of being a leader, versus I wanted to be a leader that’s also an educational leader. When I went into education, I always knew that I wanted my impact to be at a bigger level. I loved coming to school because I had great teachers that made a difference, but then I also had some teachers that I thought, “Man this class is kind of boring”, or I thought “These people don’t really care about kids.” I thought the best way to address this was to make school a really positive experience for everybody. I wanted to take a step above that and try to create an environment where all teachers have classes that kids or teachers want to be in. So for me, it was more about coming back to that idea of service and opportunity. I was able to do that with students when I was in the classroom, but I knew that I wanted to be able to influence on a larger scale.
Adam: What’s your funniest education story?
Dr. Harmon: I was trying to think about this because there are a lot of things I could tell you, but the first one that came to mind is about one particular student. This child was really struggling with getting along with his parents. The parents called stating their concerns. They said that the student had tried to run away at one point, and they thought he might try it again. We decided we would talk to him and look through his bag. The other principal and I tried to just have a casual conversation with him because we didn’t want him to feel like we suspected anything. The parent had given us permission to search his bag. When we looked through his bag, it was packed for a runaway. But you know, it’s packed like a middle schooler would pack. We found several pairs of underwear and no other clothes. Then we pulled out a stick. We asked “What is this?” He answered that it was a paddle. We asked what it was for and he said, “ It’s for the coyotes.” I had to look away because I didn’t want to laugh. The other principal said, “Are you going to give him a tap on the bottom?” I lost it! I said “I need to go get some water.” I was trying not to make him feel bad, but I thought he was basically envisioning someone with a machete in the jungle. This story sticks with me forever, and I laugh when I think about it.
Adam: What’s a heartwarming story from education?
Dr. Harmon: Gosh, that is such a tough one. This is not really a story, It’s more just like a feeling. It excites me when I see former students going into education. I have two students that are beloved teachers at Rocky Hill and Bluegrass Elementary. That is awesome! We live in the Rocky Hill community, and I also worked at West Valley, so I know a lot of people that cross paths. When I have friends that say ”Do you know Rachel Harmon? She was one of my favorite teachers, and she’s a real reason why I teach the way that I do.” I think, wow that’s so crazy because that was over a decade ago. That’s a really great feeling. I had another former student post on Facebook that she’s going to teach at West Hills and that she needs some books. When I saw this, I made Jack and Eloise go through their books so we could help her. Once again, it was a former student who is going to be able to impact hundreds of other students. It feels really good. I was actually telling my husband, I haven’t had anyone teach in middle or high school yet, so maybe that needs to be my goal to try to get a few to come and work with me. There’s a student that I’m leaving at West and I’ve told her, “You’re going to be a teacher one day and I would hire you.” She said, “No, I’m not.” She’s going to be a junior this year, and I’m kind of curious to see if my forecast will come true. I’d say it’s things like this that are the most heartwarming.
Adam: What would you do if you weren’t in education?
Dr. Harmon: I can’t imagine doing anything else. So my answer to you is hopefully I’d be independently wealthy! On the side, if I ever do that, I’m really fascinated with real estate. I think I could be a real estate agent when the market’s good, but I think my anxiety would not allow me to do it when the market’s struggling. I like to talk to people, I like to look at houses, but truly I can’t imagine myself doing anything else than education. I say all the time, “I’m one of the crazy educators that keeps coming and keeps showing up.”
Adam: Who was your favorite teacher when you were a student?
Dr. Harmon: Oh, Goodness, how do I pick? I’ve had so many wonderful teachers. I’ll give you a brief list. My kindergarten teacher, Ms. Holt, made school a great place. I was super anxious and scared to come to school. I wanted to learn, but I had separation anxiety from my mom. She was a wonderful teacher. I loved my first grade teacher, Ms. Resha, I was seven at the time. My fifth grade teacher was Ms. Reese, she recognized that I really loved to read and that I needed to be challenged a little bit more. She did a dialectical journal activity where we read The Giver and then we had a conversation about the book. That was just such an impact on me because she saw me for who I was and opened my eyes to dystopian fiction at such a young age, which sounds super nerdy, but I ended up teaching a lot of dystopian fiction in my classes. I had a lot of great middle school teachers, but I feel like middle school was more of a social time. I still keep in touch with several middle school teachers, and it has all come back full circle. So there were two sisters that worked at Greenbrier High School. One was a guidance counselor, and one was my English teacher. My town was really small, so everybody knew everybody. I was a first generation college grad and they told me I had a lot of potential. They sort of lived across the street, but once again it was a small town. They invested a lot in me. Amanda, the English teacher, took me to Rhodes College for a college visit. Nikki, the guidance counselor, took me and my childhood best friend, who is also a teacher on an EF tours trip for our senior trip. It wasn’t anything that they did particularly in the classroom, although they did great things, but they built a relationship and I wanted to spend time with them. I’ve stayed in touch with them. Amanda is an elementary school principal in the same district that we grew up in. And then Nikki works for the district. When I posted that I was working here, their cousin told them she worked at Hardin Valley Middle School also. Yeah, it’s just funny how something that happened 200 miles away and 20 years ago is still having an impact on what I’m doing in my profession.
Adam: Which admin, over the course of your career have learned the most from?
Dr. Harmon: I’ve only ever worked for great principals, so it’s hard to say. I’d probably say Dr. Bartlett has been the one person that I’ve learned the most from for three reasons. The first would be that he was the one who encouraged me to get my EDS. Second, he was really the one that pushed me, and he was also the first principal I worked for. I think that’s when you get your impression of your baseline knowledge. The third reason would be because he is a student of leadership, and one of his strengths is building capacity in other leaders. That’s not to say that David Claxton and Ashley Speas have also contributed to my learning, but it’s just been in a different way. I am one of the lucky people. I can say I’ve never worked for an incompetent principal. I haven’t even worked for an okay principal, I’ve worked for amazing principals.
Adam: Have you earned any professional awards?
Dr. Harmon: I won student council advisor of the year way back when. At West, I won Principal of the Year my last year, which felt good. It’s like a popularity vote, but I’m okay with that. I had only been there a year and a half and it felt good to be recognized.
Adam: What personal accomplishment are you most proud of?
Dr. Harmon: I would say I’m the most proud of my kids, but they’re a work in progress. We’re about halfway through, but it’s funny because Scott, Jennifer and Ara say, “You’re never done raising your kids.” I’m really proud of the people that they’re becoming. Every time I spend a little time away from them, such as when they are at summer camp, it’s like they’re going to blow me away with what they’ve done, the experiences they’ve had.
Adam: What do you wish every parent knew?
Dr. Harmon: I wish they knew that people go into education because they care about their kids. Even at times when there are uncomfortable conversations, or a little bit of disagreement, we are all in it because we care about the kids. We may not always agree on what that looks like, but everybody in education is well intentioned.
Adam: What do you wish every student knew?
Dr. Harmon: That 80% of success is trying. We’ve got kids that have academic difficulties and we’ve got others that are just natural students, but effort really is the difference maker. I just want them to show up and try. I also know our teachers need to create a relationship with their students so the students want to show up and try.
Adam: What’s the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher?
Dr. Harmon: The relationship piece. You can have all of the instructional knowledge, you can have all the content knowledge, but if you can’t connect with students, then they’re not going to care and they’re not going to want to learn.
Adam: What improvement would you most like to see made to public education?
Dr. Harmon: More money for teachers. I’m so thankful for the raises we got this year, but it’s still not enough. It’s no secret that principals make more money than teachers, and my husband and I are still having the conversation of how groceries are so expensive. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I was still making a teacher salary.
Adam: What is something that you’d really like to bring into the school? What could really help your school?
Dr. Harmon: I think that there’s space and opportunity for middle schoolers to still be kids. What I mean by that is, we have daily physical activity time, but they just go outside and walk. I would like to see an opportunity for students to pick up a gaga ball or do a little bit of foursquare so they can still blow off a little bit of steam. They could have opportunities to have some casual interactions, and learn to resolve conflict or be on teams. I’m not saying to have a class recess, but middle schoolers do not enjoy walk time. There are opportunities to remember that these are still 11, 12, 13, and 14 year old kids.
Adam: Does your school have space?
Dr. Harmon: If you go to the back of the school we have land that is perfectly flat and already leveled. I can’t tell if it was just a part of leveling the site, needing to have X amount of space off the school, or if they’ve already earmarked it because the back hallways don’t connect. This area would be perfect. There’s also a courtyard in the middle of our campus, but it’s only accessible through the art classroom. It would be a great outdoor area and from a safety perspective, it’s completely enclosed. These are two spaces I think we could use for things like Foursquare, etc. It would be very easy to put up cones and have some painted areas. We just need some concrete and some supplies.
Adam: What hobbies do you have?
Dr. Harmon: I love to read. Especially in the summer. I like to spend time with people. I have a pretty varied social circle, so I like to go with this group and then go with that group. My family really likes being on the lake. When we moved, we bought a house and put in a pool. I like to spend time by the pool. When I’m sitting down and watching tv I usually have to do something like the New York Times Wordle because I don’t know how to settle down or turn my brain off. I also love to travel, but I don’t really call that a hobby because I don’t have the money to do that on a regular basis. ha ha. But we like to go places and do things.
Adam: What is a good way for a student or parent to spoil you?
Dr. Harmon: Oh, this is an easy one. Write me a note telling me about how I’ve personally impacted them. I’m a words of affirmation person. It’s free too.
Adam: I still have all my old notes from students.
Dr. Harmon: Yeah, I do too. They’re in a drawer.
Adam: Is there anything you would like to add to say to the Hardin Valley Community?
Dr. Harmon: One of the things we’ve added this year is a social media presence. We have a Hardin Valley parents’ page, but then I have added an Instagram and a Facebook page. I plan to share it so parents can get to know the people they’re sending their precious gifts off to school with. The more the community feels like they know us, the more trust there is going to be.
Dr. Harmon: I would also like to tell everyone that we are having Popsicles With the Principals on August 5th. All parents are invited, and I want all parents to know that they are welcome here and to come out and join us if possible.
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