Ep. 5 - Crafting a Career in Education and Coaching
How passions incubate and emerge at the right time…when you're prepared.
In this episode of the CareerCraft Podcast, we sit down with educator and coach David Joest to explore how his career journey weaves together teaching, coaching, and advocacy work. David shares how his early interest in multiple fields eventually led him to education, and how his experiences—from teaching in challenging environments through Teach For America to coaching cross-country and founding a Unified Track program—have shaped his approach to his craft. This conversation reveals how personal connections (including his brother with Down syndrome) influenced his professional choices, and demonstrates how craftsmanship principles apply to education. David's story shows that career paths aren't always straight lines, but rather thoughtful explorations where seemingly different interests can ultimately converge into meaningful work.
Show Notes:
Unified Track: https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/unified/track-field
Special Olympics - Indiana: https://soindiana.org/
Transcription:
This transcript was generated with AI assistance and has been lightly edited for clarity. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, some phrases, spelling, grammar, and/or other nuances may differ slightly from the original conversation
Collin: Well, David Joest, welcome to the Career Craft Podcast.
David: Hey, thanks. It's an honour to be here.
Collin: So I brought you on because you and I have been friends for a long time and you've really had more of a clear cut path then. I think we talk about a lot in the sense that, hey, I want to be an educator. There's a path for that. There's a clear place where educators work, but I also know that view of kind of what is in the realm of education that interests you has changed a lot. Could you maybe tell me about where that desire to be an educator came from and how that molded over the years?
David: Yeah, I'd be happy to. Back in high school I I was interested probably by the time junior year rolled around in a couple different areas, law, education and ministry. And I I think maybe rather than I don't know, committing hard to One Direction, I I kind of wanted to see I don't know what what a few years would do and and in some ways education seemed to encompass the other fields the best. And so, you know, by the time applying to school was happening senior year, that was kind of what I had picked and for the most part stuck with it. And yeah, I'd say throughout college I think I I gained more interest in financial planning, which is kind of a a different realm from the others. But it's it's interesting that you know a summer internship can can end up you know, being something even if if I didn't totally switch directions that, you know that would end up influencing some work I get to do still teaching specifically in in kind of the realm of contract negotiations now. So yeah it's it's it's been a a windy Rd. even if it's been sort of the same Rd. throughout.
Collin: It sounds like you were figuring out different aspects of it that were really interested in to you. So you mentioned the financial planning, the law. I mean, are you able to draw a thread between those and say that these are the skills I enjoy using?
David: Yeah, I think that academically for a long time, you know probably dating back to like 4th grade when you start doing social studies that was you know something that I enjoyed doing. And I think thanks to the the States and capitals placement, I I fared pretty well in a geography be in elementary school and and you know I think that helped me build some confidence in that area. And so things kind of within that realm, you know history, government, econ, geography just have have always clicked. And so it's just, I mean there's so much of life that touches any of those areas. And so yeah, I think it's it's been it was just fun to kind of explore different aspects of of that field you know throughout life as different things come up whether it's you know stuff that I, you know chose slash had to do through school or just different things come up in in life. My youngest brother, John has Down syndrome. And so the opportunity to work with people with disabilities was something that, you know, first my parents really encouraged and and then I found a love for and have tried to do a lot of as time has progressed. And that was kind of also what got me more interested in financial planning and you know, spent a summer interning with somebody who does financial planning for families with kids with special needs. And so yeah, it kind of feels like, yeah, a lot of things have, you know, even though I didn't maybe know how I would want to incorporate all that, you know, know, 5-10, fifteen years down the road, I'm grateful for all these experiences that now have. I feel like really set me up for the things that I I get to do.
Collin: Yeah, I see. I see that in you. You've got a very strong desire to help other people and you're also very skilled and orderly. I I guess when you choose to be and and you're able to pull it, it makes sense that education would be a place that those kind of can come together and combine. But you're not just an educator, you do cross country and track coach as well. How did that come into the mix?
David: So I I started volunteering with one of the local high school teams my sophomore year and so that was a great way to to give back and and also just make connections in a school and and get some experience working with younger people That I I think was valuable as I would you know go through the College of education at Purdue and that was where I ended up student teaching and now for the last 11 years have have taught as well. So it's yeah, just it's kind of interesting that you know, this, you know, extracurricular activity in, in some ways was largely responsible for, you know, where I've been for the last 11 years.
Collin: Yeah, So we're we're hearing a lot about kind of the formation of your drive to be an educator in education college, identifying some of those skills. What what was it like once you graduated? Were you able to get that job at the school right away? Did you take some time off
David: Yeah. So really enjoyed student teaching at at the school and and there were not any job openings at that point. I graduated from College in 2012 which was kind of the tail end of the the Great Recession and you know contrary to now back then it it didn't feel like there were a ton of teaching openings especially in social studies and so kind of between not having an option there and and also I'd done a a school visit with an organization called Teach for America in Chicago on the South Side and and I was really impressed with what I saw. I decided to apply for the Teach for America program. I figured you know starting a a career could be a a cool chance to just see and and understand and try to serve a you know different part of the country than what I'd known growing up in suburbia and and student teaching kind of in a similar environment. And so I decided to to pursue that in April of senior year and and I was placed at a school on the east side of Indianapolis that following summer called John Marshall. And so that first year out of college was, you know, an interesting and challenging experience because school just, you know, felt different. The school that I went to and and the school that I had soon taught at were usually in the top five or so in the state. And I would guess Marshall's probably in the bottom five. It was kind of in the process of being taken over by the state due to years of low test scores. And you know, there were, yeah, it was just different to understand kind of mindsets about education that were very different than what I'd grown up with. I learned a ton that year and I'm, I'm so grateful for the relationships that I developed there. And so, yeah, definitely a different, you know, different experience though than than what the rest of life had kind of been like at that point or up to that point in time.
Collin: Can you share what some of those contrasts were and what the collisions of ideology were?
David: Yeah, I think what sticks out the most, you know, know, years later is is just the kind of the conflict that was very present just in many interactions. I think growing up, you know, not that every, every interaction was always perfect by any means, but it just didn't seem like there was a ton of tension between teachers and students at school. And I think I was just surprised that you know walking into a room I I felt like kind of the the status quo was just like scowls and and it it took probably two to three months to earn some trust of of the students. And and you know once that was in place things definitely got better. But I I was I think just surprised that that relationally the default was negative and instead of the default being positive which was what I I at least my perception of things you know was up until that point in time. I I think I also learned like even even though a lot of students lives look different than what mine did in terms of you know challenges with with poverty and you know violence in the neighborhood. You know I was fortunate to to not grow up around a ton of that. I I was amazed how similar we all were. And and I think it made me just want to try to create opportunities for students to see that they had value and potential. Even if it seemed like there were things in in life that you know had them believe in kind of other messages about you know what what they might be able to do after after school.
Collin: Yeah, where were you pulling the, I mean those are two steep challenges overcoming the kind of a negative bias off the get go or an adversarial environment and then encouragement despite hard circumstances. Where where did you find the skills or the the ability to try to zig, zig, zag and move this way?
David: It's a really good question. In a lot of ways I I don't feel like I had much of A choice. I I'd love to say that I, you know, I think some days it came from a good spot. I really enjoyed working with some people that were involved with campus ministry there. And so I I think that, you know, just in my faith the the call to to love people, you know, regardless of how how you know they may treat you is something that is important. But also I think it was you know, survival as much as anything. It's like I, you know, I I don't know how else to navigate this interaction other than trying to figure out how to, you know, how to make the best of it. So yeah, good question. I'm not sure I got all the way there,
Collin: what do you think you would have told yourself, looking back on it, 'cause you you? Well, what I just heard is, hey, I went to TFA, saw and went to Chicago, loved what I saw, really wanted to challenge myself with some different viewpoints. And then you're to spend the next year at Marshall. What? What advice do you think you would have given yourself?
David: yeah. And I think now looking back and and this is something that I continually learned even at, you know, now that I'm back at a, a school that that's, you know, academically towards the top of the state, is that, you know, a lot of the conflict that I was experiencing because I was one of the parties involved, I assumed that it was about me. I think you know, early on, especially before that trust had been built, I think I I would have liked to have known that even though I was experiencing the conflict it wasn't necessarily about me. yeah, just that and and relationships take time. Building trust takes time and so you know, those are things lessons I think that just took me a while to learn that year.
Collin: so you're at Teach for America, you're at Marshall, and then the job opened up at your current high school, and that's where you've been for 11 years, man. What was, what was different going in there? And what do you think was different about going in there having that year versus if you'd just gone straight there out out of college?
David: leaving was interesting, right. So the the first couple months were really hard, but I I felt like I had kind of gotten into a a you know, good rhythm there and I it would have been a you know a little bit of a hard decision had the circumstances not played out differently. So I I did apply for a job when it was open and then I still remember it was Memorial Day or is the Tuesday after Memorial Day when the principal at the school I'm currently working called to offer me the job and and then I asked for I think the the day to think about it and within that time I had found out that I was going to get rift acronym for reduction in force. So based on enrollment, my position was not going to be there at the the school that I was teaching at. And so that made what might have been a hard decision very easy because while I had a a year left with Teach for America, I likely would have been at a different school. And so I think my, for better or worse, my allegiance was more to the the students of that school than it was the the organization. And so that made it fairly easy when when the job opportunity was there to to move back to the school where I currently AM. And then in terms of, you know, just where I saw kind of the the benefit of that year. You know, I think just, you know different experiences for you know, better and worse help prepare you for for the future. You know, would would the year have been, you know, easier had I I just transitioned from student teaching to to teaching at at that school. I mean yeah, probably. But I think understanding students that struggle, understanding that like their parents and family still love them deeply, even if you know their attendance might not be what I think it could or should be Or you know, sometimes I don't know, just relationally there are misses. I think my, I don't know, patience and understanding for that kind of stuff just developed so much more than I think it ever would have had I not had the the year Marshall. I think my appreciation for SO as a history teacher teaching about how different groups are represented in history. I I remember so Marshalls probably about 90% black and and so a couple times throughout the day I was the only white person in the classroom which isn't something, you know, growing up in suburbia I'd ever experienced before and and I remember maybe a month or so into Class A student asking and so we're you know we're talking like kind of colonial and revolutionary era of of American history at that point and and assumes like hey when are we going to talk about black people And you know, like and I, you know, I think I had a a an OK explanation at that point in terms of you know, trying to incorporate some stuff and and also you know, previewing what is to come. But but also you know it it highlighted and I I think has continued to influence how I teach and try to help show the representation of various groups you know, in in history throughout you know the whole whole narrative of American history not just you know the civil rights movement or or you know whatever else. So yeah, I think that's something that that I take away. And in some ways it's a little bit harder at my current school because we're we're really close to a large university and it's awesome because we've got people from all over the world. You know just Thursday of this week I had a a student from Poland. We're wrapping up World War One talking about how you know Poland kind of regained independence during that time. And so he was up giving a couple minute talk about you know his family's involvement and things through that point in history. And so super cool, but also when you've got quite literally dozens of of different areas represented, it's a taller task to try to figure out, you know, how to, you know, show a little bit everything. So just kind of do your best. But, but ultimately the the value of doing that I think was very much solidified in in that you know first year out of college.
Collin: What do you what do you think you enjoy about coaching in in in some of the ways you enjoy teaching? What are? What are some of the overlaps there that you found?
David: I think distance running, I don't know. Sports probably in a lot of ways parallel the ups and downs of life. But I I think you know life. Not to be too cliche, but is is you know more of a marathon than a Sprint. And so just allowing or or having the opportunity to to guide people through, you know, an extended period of time, you know, training in, it's not like most days you're you're trying to develop a new skill. It's, you know, a lot of doing the same thing over and over again and and you know, trying to consistently be committed to what's going on and and make good decisions not just at practice but in the other 22 hours or so in terms of sleep and diet and that kind of stuff. And so I I think in a lot of ways, you know what it takes to be successful as a distance runner trickles over really well to to just like good habits for, you know, disciplined living far, you know, beyond when you know the kids stop racing. 5 KS
Collin: And you didn't just stop at being the cross country and the track coach. You also started the unified track program at your high school, right? Tell me a little bit more about how that came to be and where what that's been like over the past few years.
David: Yeah, that that was an awesome, just kind of combination of of interest. I happened to to tag along with the the head coach to one of the coaches association meetings in probably In 2013 I would guess. And that was shortly after the IHSAA - the Indiana High School Athletics Association - and Special Olympics Association had formed a partnership to create the newest sport called Unified Track – which is an official high school sport that brings together students both with intellectual and developmental disabilities and general education peers competing together on the same team. And just with my brothers connection as a Special Olympics athlete individual disabilities, I was happy to to try to you know create that opportunity for students like my brother at the school or I was teaching. And so I'm I'm grateful for the the faith that our athletics director placed in a you know 23 or 24 old kid to get this program off the ground. And we had just a lot of fun getting it started that we were one of 12 or 13 teams to compete in the state tournament. That first year we won the inaugural sectional title for the northern half of the state. And then yeah, the program's been going steady ever since. So it's it's been cool to see that kind of from the the ground up. And that's also just providing some cool opportunities both for for students and I. In 2018, some students from my school were selected to be Indiana's representatives to the US Special Olympics USA Games. They have a a leadership summit alongside the games and so I got to tag along on that trip and it was just great to see, you know, everything that that event was. And so, yeah, I'm just profoundly grateful for, you know, the opportunity being there and and then I guess having the support from those in the building to, you know, be able to to make it happen.
Collin That's awesome. Well, hey, you know, I'm not going to, I'm not going to harp on you for being cliche with your life is a a marathon quip. Because honestly it's a lot of what think about at Career Craft that we are trying to craft careers over the long term that there's a there's a journey right of you. You start with no skill and then you gain some skill but you need to be influenced and and grow with others into until you're finally a master and you're able to return a lot of those skills and operate at these high levels of proficiency and in and in these bigger and bigger circles. So it's it's a philosophy that fits really well with with kind of our our ethos, looking at some of the influences you've had in your life, some of the mentors you've had in your life. Who do you think is someone who really embodies this idea of a Craftsman?
David: I feel like I I've been so fortunate you know growing up in school to have a couple people that that stand out at a you know middle school science teacher who is also the the cross country coach and my high school cross country coach. You know, and then maybe, you know, this is kind of insight into, you know, we we have those people in our lives and and want to learn from them and and in some ways try to become like they are in terms of the positive impact they're able to have. And so you know, for me, Mark Ellington and and Chuck Cappen my middle and high school coaches, Joe Stolpi my AP Gov teacher class. I love teaching and you know maybe my favorite as a student 15 years ago the principal John Williams loved getting to work with him through student government as a senior in high school And and I think I learned a lot from him. I I think those interactions really helped me bridge the gap between you know child and adult slash professional. and then in in my current role the coach that I I learned from for the better part of a decade. Steve Luark, just a cellar coach and somebody I I enjoyed talking about life with. He he'd coached for probably 15 years. He he came to it a little bit later in life. I think he was probably close to 40 when he started and so he was kind of nearing that kind of master stage of of his career And so I mean just what a what an awesome time to come alongside somebody when you're you're 20 and just soak it all in.
Collin Well, David, thank you for talking with me today. Where can people go to learn more about Special Olympics Unified track?
David: Yeah. So Special Olympics has a website. It's largely organization that's broken up by states. And so your, your local, you know, area probably has a group to get involved with in Indiana. Yeah, Love Unified Track. The ihsaa.org has more information about that sport. And yeah, just grateful to to get to be a part of both organizations.