 Joining me on up close today is one of the nation's most celebrated public school teachers. I'm so honored to welcome today Mr. Alhassan Sousseau. Alhassan is a winner of the prestigious Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. He's a winner of the National Member Benefits Award and a New York State teacher of the year. Alhassan also is a two-time recipient of the National Social and Emotional Learning Innovation Award for Teachers. That is quite a record of accomplishment, Alhassan. Alhassan, I know you have quite a story as both an immigrant to the U.S. from West Africa and that you are not only a celebrated teacher but an author and a public speaker because so many of your students in telling their story and in that you are not only a celebrated teacher but an author and a popular speaker because so many of your students in telling their story have spoken of how you have transformed their lives through your teaching. So I'm hoping, Alhassan, that you'll share with us today how has your life story shaped your view of public education and your approach to the classroom? Well, first of all, Sarah, thank you so much for having me this evening. I'm looking forward to this conversation with you and educators around the country. Yes, I am originally from the Gambia in West Africa. Gambia is Africa's smallest mainland country with a population of about 2 million people. I came to the United States back in 2000 at that time I was 16 years old and I came to America like many immigrants before me seeking a better life for myself and for my future family. And how did I become an educator? Well, that journey started in 2008. It was my first semester of college at the local community college in my town. I was unsure about what I wanted to study that semester. So I took two classes, you know, English and math. However, that summer tragedy hit my family because my 19 year old sister at the time was diagnosed with hepatitis B. The medical facilities back home in the Gambia were not advanced to treat such a disease. So one of the only ways we could have saved her life was to bring her to the U.S. to get the medical care that she needed. So we went through the process to file her a visa application and we were told that we would need $25,000 as a deposit for her medical bills so that U.S. taxpayers would not be, you know, responsible for her medical. So my boss at the time saw the agony that I was going through and asked what was going on. And I explained to him what my family was going through at the time and he said, you know, child, I would give you the money tomorrow. And he did. So we applied for the visa. She went for the interview and unfortunately she was denied the visa. And the next four months, we went through a number of appeal processes to appeal that decision. Unfortunately, she was still denied. And on November 14, 2008, you know, it was 738 p.m. So, you know, I, you know, picked up the phone, you know, as soon as I saw the number, my heart stopped because that was my dad's phone number and he was in the Gambia, which is five hours ahead of New York time. So it would have been like almost one in the morning. And, you know, this could, this definitely could not be good news. What I feared quickly came true when I picked up the phone call and he said these four words, your sister is gone. Because I come from a culture whereby, you know, we do the burial within 24 hours of the person's death. So I was on the phone with my family back home arranging her funeral for the next day. And I finally settled down around one in the morning when I laid down. And then two hours later, I received another phone call from my dad, not thinking much about it. I just picked it up and he said, well, it just got worse because your grandmother just passed away too. Yeah, within eight hours of each other. So, you know, I flew back that morning to be with my family. And then when I returned back to the States, that's when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. You know, I was going to become an immigration lawyer to ensure that, you know, another family would not go through what my family had been through and to also empower young immigrants to have a future in this country that my baby sister never had. So I went to the University of Vermont and within three years I got my bachelor's and then took the LSAT. And when I was putting my law school application together, that's when my pre-law advisor asked Lisa Holmes, who still teaches at the University of Vermont, why I wanted to become an educated, so why I wanted to become a lawyer. I explained to her about my family story and what we had been through. And, you know, after I was done telling, sharing that story, she thought about it for a while and said, Alassane, if that is truly your mission to empower young immigrants and to work with immigrant families, I'm not sure, sure law school is the place for you. I was like, hmm, why is that? She said, well, think about it this way. By the time you are able to defend those kids in the courtroom, one of two things would be happening. They would either be heading to jail or they will be in the process of getting deported. Why don't you think about doing something that will ensure that they would never even have to see the courtroom? You know, that put me on my tracks. It's like, what? Do something that will ensure that they will never even have to see the courtroom. I paused for a while. Well, my first response to her was, how come you didn't tell me this three years ago? Because, you know, how can I have known each other for a while? I'm like, you know, at least you knew what all my plans were this whole time. Come on. So, but after thinking about what she said, it absolutely made sense to me. And I then remembered what Nelson Mandela said, that education is the weapon that one can use to transform the world. And that is how and why I became an educator. And today at the International Community High School, I teach 100% of my students are recent immigrants to the U.S. And today, instead of defending them in the courtroom, I prepare them for a successful future in the classroom. Wow. That is an incredible story. Ah Hasan, thank you so, so much for sharing so richly with us, those formative experiences. And so how many years now have you been teaching? This is my 10th year of teaching. Wow. And so what inspires you today? I mean, we've been through a lot in the education realm, especially in these past three years. So those formative experiences I know where they shaped your initial entry into the profession. Now, many years later, what continues to inspire and inform your teaching practice today? Yeah. So for me, it's, well, I think at the core of doing anything, you know, it is Nietzsche who said that he who has a way to live for can endow almost anyhow. And I think, you know, in education, there's a lot there, obviously, there are no shortage of challenges when it comes to, you know, being in the classroom and beyond in the field of education. But if you know the reason of why you are doing anything, you are certainly able to endow the obstacles that you would face. And I always tell my students, the price is easy when the mission is clear. And for me, the mission is very clear. You know, my mission is that at the end of the year, those young people will have a future that my baby sister did not have. And every year that I strive to ensure that when they graduate, not only do they have the academic skills, but they are able to succeed in life beyond the classroom and not only external success, but to live a fulfilled life. So I approach my teaching then, not necessarily as a history teacher, but rather I am teaching the whole person. And what is it that these child who is sitting in front of me, what is it that they would need as they make it in this larger complex society that they happen to find themselves in as no immigrants to this country. And you know what, Al-Hassan, when I first met you, one of the things that I heard you speak about and I was so impressed because so rarely do you hear professionals use these phrases, this approach. You talked about bringing love to your classroom and that love also was at the center of your education philosophy. And I think that's something so powerful. Can you share with our audience what you meant when you said that and when you say that? Yeah, I think, you know, love and also taking the time to learn and understand your students' stories. And I think for me, it was a teacher who planted those seeds for me during my formative years in high school because I came to this country with $20, two pairs of pants and a shirt. And that was it. So what do you do in those challenging times? And when I was in high school, you know, my ESL teacher, Miss Felter, you know, in her classroom was, we call it many United Nations because, you know, all the kids who didn't fit in, that's where we all go to during lunch. And she not only did she open her door but opened her heart for all of us. And when we enter that classroom, we feel not only safe and secure, but we feel welcome in being there. And as a result of that, you know, she fed us, she took care of us, she clothed us. And she also on top of that helped us to acquire the necessary skills so that we are able to succeed after we leave our classroom. And as a result of learning, going through that experience, when I became an educator, I intended to live my life not only with a clear mission but also steps to help me in ensuring that when students enter my classroom, they are able to feel comfortable because, you know, brain research has showed us that, you know, the brain is 31% more effective when it is in a positive environment than in a negative environment. So therefore I strive a lot to create those kinds of environments so when my students enter my classroom, the first thing we do is we start with an affirmation. Why affirmations? Because whatever you say about yourself tend to become your reality. What you believe becomes your reality. It's not what you want, it's what you believe. So by giving them those affirmations at the beginning of the day, whatever they are coming in with, wherever they are coming from, doesn't matter. What matters is once you step foot into that classroom, you know that you are loved and then you belong. At least for this next hour, you could be yourself knowing that you matter and that every day because somebody did that for me when I was going through my education journey and I want to ensure that I'm able to do that for the young people that I engage with on a daily basis. That is so good. And I'm going to blow your horn a little bit here Ahasan. Ahasan, I understand that with that inspiration of love, you created a program at your school, the result of which was an increase in the graduation rate from 31% to over 80%. That's incredible. Can you talk a little bit about that program? Yeah, so that program started during my second year of teaching. So I during my first year, while I was very clear on my mission and while I was very passionate about what I was doing, I did not necessarily connect with my students and I faced a lot of challenges. But then that summer, I read this, I read a book called How to Win Friends and Influence People. And, you know, it is a series of principles about, you know, relationships and communications. And that the second principle of the book, not only transform my teaching, but also my life in general, and it simply said this, to be interested rather than interesting. If you want to have a meaningful relationship with people, you have to be interested in their stories rather than attempting to find for them to find you interesting. And when I learned that my second year, I didn't realize the mistake I was making. While I was teaching these young people with all the passion that I could muster that year, I did not know much about their stories. And that second year, I started taking the time to learn their stories, to sit with them, to understand their backgrounds, their hopes, their fears, their dreams. And in that process, within one year of doing that, and this was the, you know, I was fortunate to teach the same cohort two years in a row. And within one year of implementing those methods of teaching, they are test called triple. And these are the same kids who, you know, the previous year, the year before their test score was about 29% and then the following year, you went up to like 70%. Why? Because it's the relationships. So because people, yeah, people really don't care about what you know until they really know how much you care. I know it's a cliche, but it's true. It is true. So yeah, so then when that happened, you know, and I teach 12 graders at the time, what I still do. So a number of those kids ended up graduating. And then that's when, you know, I discovered that only 28% of them would be going to college. And based on our school's history, 50% of them would drop out within a year. And when I came across those numbers, I was like, wait, wait a minute. So only 14% of our students would make it beyond first year of college. And what is the order 84? What's the order 86 students 86% going to be doing? Well, I come to find out that most, if not all of them end up going to work in minimum wage jobs. And as an immigrant myself, I know the detriment of that because that is going to lead to a cycle of intergenerational poverty. And, you know, and then I got to think about what my mission of going into teaching was. And once I realized that I was like, all right, we have to do something about this. So then what do you do? So I spoke to my principal about it. But yes, we are aware of the statistics and we are taking necessary measures to ensure that, you know, we can improve over the course of, you know, the next few years, said, okay, that's great. So then I started doing my own research into, okay, what else could these kids be doing that could prepare them for a successful life beyond, beyond high school. So then I put together different elements of what I was doing in the classroom and then compile it into a program, which became known as the morning class. And it is rooted into five core elements. We start with mindset and attitude because I'm a big believer that without the right attitude or mindset, it's very, it's very difficult to go far in life. But then once you develop those two behaviors, then now you have to have a clear vision for where you want to go in life. So the second element is vision and goals for the future. So the students create vision boards for their personal goals, social aspirations and what they want to contribute to society because I believe that the secret to living is given. And when we empower young people at a young age to be a givers, then, you know, they can begin to find fulfillment in whatever they end up doing because it doesn't matter what kind of job you do. If you are service oriented, if you have a service oriented mindset, forget it. You will succeed in any profession that you go into. So then once we do the vision boards and they have a clear goals and visions for their future, then we learn the skills of effective communications, leadership, and we end the school year with financial management. Because, you know, I believe that, you know, we talk about equity a lot, financial literacy is equity. So that is important for young people to learn about that. Because when that kid ends up going to college or not, if they are able to possess those skills, hopefully whatever little they end up making could eventually translate to something manageable for them and for their families. For their future families. So when we started the program, that was never the intention of what it ended up being. The intention was to help my students to have a successful future after high school. But the sort of first year, 29 students enrolled into the program, all 29 ended up graduating, and then 100% of them ended up going to college. What? And I tracked them that year and 73% did come here of college. Yeah. And then the following year grew to 42 students with similar results except that two out of 42 did not end up going to college because at the time they were undocumented. And then the following year, then we started a campaign to create scholarship for the undocumented students so that, you know, that will not become a barrier for them to achieve higher education. And luckily after that, the following year, New York State created the New York State Dream Act where we don't have to worry about that anymore. So which is very helpful. And it's a before school program that takes place, you know, an hour before school. And so when I approached my principal about this initially, she was like, well, the program is very noble and all the elements sounds good, except one component said, what's that? The hour before school, you know, that's not going to work. That's like, well, why is that? Well, come on. We both know this. Our students are notorious for coming to school an hour late. What makes you think they're going to come in an hour early? She's right about that. I was like, well, I do know one thing though. I don't know whether they're going to come or not, but I know one thing about human beings. We all spend time where we see value. And if we see value in this program, I am sure they will show up. And seven years later, without a bead, every year over six, almost 60 to 70% of our seniors enroll in this program. And as a result, not only our attendance improve, but also our graduation rate ended up improving significantly because a big hurdle was attendance. And this program contributed significantly in taking care of that problem. That is quite a story. Al-Hassan is so inspirational. And for our audience, like, isn't it obvious why Al-Hassan is such a celebrated educator? Al-Hassan, I certainly hope that you are having opportunity to share both this mindset that you talk about and this actual practice with other educators nationally. How is that going? Are you having those opportunities? Yes, absolutely. Things, you know, becoming the New York State teacher of the year and then the NEA national teacher of the year. I have always been, you know, I've been invited to not only in New York and across the US, but also internationally to speak about these things, you know, that I do in my classroom. And, you know, my message is not complicated. The secret to teaching is to cultivate a natural meaningful relationships because why is that important? Because in order to influence somebody, you have to know what influences that person. And the job of a teacher, you know, I consider teachers to be leaders. And the number one job of a leader is to influence. But how am I going to influence you if I don't know what influences you? And we can be, you know, that is done, at least in my experience, by taking the time to learn the student stories. You know, one component of, you know, the morning class that basically became the backbone of what we do is every semester we go away for a weekend retreat. And so we go away for an entire weekend. Ironically, we just came back from the weekend retreat this past Sunday. We were in Philadelphia this whole weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And when you spend, you know, almost 48 hours with young people, you know, 50 of them, you know, looking back on their lives, you know, the choices that they have made, what lies ahead, and the plans that they could create for themselves. It ends up transforming not only their social life, but also their academic performance. Because those two, those two things are not mutually exclusive. You can do well if you are not doing well. So that's just it. We cannot succeed academically until our personal lives can develop. And, you know, I have a lot of statistics to back up my practice, but it's not unique. You know, in 2012, Loyola University study, they conducted a study whereby they analyzed 213 schools and they have discovered that schools with strong social emotional learning curriculum on average outperforms their counterparts by 11 points on their standardized exams. And, you know, that is not an accident because, you know, it's that foundation of building meaningful relationships first. And, you know, there's a lot of attention being given now to social and emotional learning. And there may be some of our listeners who are not familiar with that now very academic term and phrase. When you think about social emotional learning, Al-Hassan, can you define that for us? Yes. So I differ. You know, if you Google it, there are so many jugons when it comes to SEL. Yes. I think about it as a very simple. I define social emotional learning this way to empower young people to live meaningful lives through self-actualism. For me, that's it. How do we empower young people to become more of who they are? Because the goal is not to change who they are, but to help them uncover who they are so that they could show up fully into the classroom. So one of the things I always talk to my students about is that, you know, when I teach 12th grade, so by the time they enter my classroom, you know, they all know my name by then. You all know who I am. And what they don't know at the time is that I'm visually impaired. So when they enter my classroom, then, you know, the first week as I am working through, working them through, you know, all these psychological principles that we're going to be, you know, working on throughout the academic year. Because for me, that's very important. The first two weeks, I don't teach history. I teach them about all these, all the things that I believe matter. And why? Because, yes, it's taken away from the curriculum. But after those two weeks, once the foundation has been solidly built, it makes the curriculum learning much easier because then the plane can easily keep flying when the engines are strong. So, and so, you know, when I shared a story with them, and then, you know, many times, you know, they tend to be a little surprised about it at the beginning. But eventually, what they come to learn and appreciate is that anybody you will ever meet in life is going through something and it's important to acknowledge that first. And then what we are going through might be unique, but it doesn't make us less than or better than anybody. And when we understand that, once I share my story about my struggles and how they are going to help me that year to succeed, then I am opening up the door for them to start engaging with each other at that level. You know, one of the compliments that I get quite a bit is when visitors come to my classroom, you know, is so lively, so passionate, but at the same time, so in the kids are very engaged and vulnerable with each other. And people are like, how's that possible? Well, it didn't happen by accident. You know, it's a whole process that we go through at the beginning of the year to ensure that while we're going to have a lot of fun, we also have to understand that, you know, I can't succeed without your help. And you can't succeed without my help. So then therefore, how can we work together, despite whatever cultural differences that we might perceive of each other to, at the end of the year, get to the ultimate goal of all of us passing and hopefully graduating and moving on with our lives in a meaningful manner. So that's how I think about SEL. I know there are so many times with it, but you've given them the tools to live meaningful lives through becoming more of who they are. That is just brilliant. And thank you so much for making a very sometimes complex academic structure so readily accessible and understandable. Yeah. So the three things that every student wants to know in our classroom is this. Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you? And what do these three things have in common? It's because at the end of the day, we are all seeking the same thing. What I want and what you want. Whatever you will, whoever you will ever meet once, we are all wanting the same thing. We all want to feel validated. And if we can validate our students' experiences in the classroom, trust me, the rest of the challenges that we perceive in the classroom will eventually evaporate because once they have seen, once they are heard, once they feel like they belong. And at the end of the day, it's about students will definitely learn more for you than I think that they will ever learn from you. And they will only do that if they feel connected to you. Well, there are so many powerful lessons in the stories that you're sharing with us today and your experience Al-Hasan. And unfortunately, our time is nearing a close. I have just a few more things that I just have to ask you. If we're to reflect on what educators have been faced with over the past three years, only one very, very significant component being the pandemic. And you had the opportunity to inform policymakers and other educators and advocates' perspectives of how to promote the absolute best in public education, all things considered. What would your recommendation be? That's an interesting question that actually made me think about this quote from John Steinbeck is in his book called East of Eden. And in that book, he mentioned that now I'm going to try to paraphrase the quote. I don't know. I would remember it for Vedom, but let's see how best I can do. He said in that a teacher is not only an intellectual paragon and a social leader, but the matrimonial catch of the countryside. A family indeed could be proud when the boy married the school teacher. Now, of course, this was in the 1900s. Early 1900s, when he was writing this, it was considered a female profession at the time. But that glowing picture of what it means to be a teacher that Steinbeck portrayed in that book is what has been lost in the profession. And how do we get that back? Well, I think if you are a policymaker, I think three things are important to realize. It was important in teaching. First and foremost, teaching is a profession, and it needs to be treated as such. So it's then therefore important that we get paid equally as professionals. Because statistically, teachers are five times more likely to have to work a second job than people with a similar degree. For teaching to be considered a profession, we have to be treated as professionals. And in therefore, we have to be given the autonomy to exercise freedom within our curriculum. And when I say autonomy, I'm not saying blind autonomy, let everybody just do what they want. No, that's not what I'm talking about. But if you look at lawyers, how do they get better? Doctors, how do they get better? Well, they get better by collaborating with their colleagues to improve their craft. And I think that's the second component in how to think about this process. And finally, I mentioned this about students, the social and emotional well-being of educators. You cannot provide what you do not possess. And then when we expect our teachers to be there for our students to help them with their social and emotional well-being, well, it is important to ensure that the teacher is actually doing well themselves. So we need to start thinking about investing in the professional development of teachers in the area of social and emotional well-being. And I think if we can do these three things, we will restore the respect and the dignity that Steinbeck portrayed in East of Eden. I'm going to ask you one last question, one last question. Just for fun, if you had the power to ensure that one particular thing would forever after be made a part of public education, one particular thing, what would that be? One thing. Well, education is not usually a one thing problem, but let's see. But you can change one thing. You can't change the world, but you can change one thing. You can change one. So I think those, the three components I just mentioned, if we are able to change just one of those, that would definitely go a long way. If we are able to pay teachers as professionals, if we are able to give them autonomy over their curriculum, if we are able to help them with their social and emotional well-being. Well, I think because for public education to the backbone of any community, I would argue, would be the teachers. Because the backbone of any community is how strong their public education system is. And public education system is as strong as the teachers within that profession. So then our number one goal should be investing in the development and the well-being of the people who actually end up making all the difference when it comes to public education, which I would argue would be the people in front of our students every day. Excellent, excellent, excellent answer. And you know, we agree. We are the NEA Foundation and we exist to promote the absolute best in public education. And when people ask us, what is the best in public education, we say, well, of course, the educator. And all of the best in public education believes begins with well-supported educators, of which, of course, you are certainly an exemplar. And Al-Hassan, it has been truly an honor to spend this time with you. I just want to thank you once again for sharing so vulnerably and honestly and directly your story, how it shaped your thinking about public education, your experience today. I want to thank you for all that you have demonstrated with respect to the best in public education. And of course, we at Up Close Podcast wish you all the very best. Thank you so much, Sarah. And, you know, thank you, the NEA and the NEA Foundation for all you do to ensure that this profession continues to be the beacon of hope and opportunity for generations to come. I am deeply grateful for all that you all do every day to support us in ensuring that we are able to take risks in our classroom, knowing that we will be protected because of the work that you all do on a daily basis. You're so kind. Thank you, Al-Hassan. Thank you. Thank you, everyone, for joining us today. I look forward to this continuing conversation with you on the next episode of the Up Close Podcast with your host, Sarah Smith.