Elevate: Terri Helms

Timothy Webb: Thank you all for joining us today here on Elevator. Broadcasting from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. This National Park College podcast highlights a different nighthawk with each episode. We'll talk about their journey, challenges, key moments of success, their moments of elevation, leveling up, and overcoming. I'm Timothy Webb, your host, and I'd like to welcome to the program, Terri Helms. Thanks so much for joining me today. Terri Helms: Thank you. Thanks for the invitation. Timothy Webb: Oh yeah. Terri, tell us a little bit about yourself. Terri Helms: Okay. Well, I am program director over Child Care Aware, West Central, which is a childcare resource referral agency. And my journey here, I was raised in Texas, and that's where I spent my childhood. And then from there moved to several different places. Timothy Webb: So how long have you been here at National Park College? Terri Helms: National Park College, I was hired when the CCR grant was awarded in July, 2012. Timothy Webb: So as the program director of Child Care Aware, West Central, Arkansas, what the hell does that position entail? Terri Helms: Well, anything and everything having to do with early childhood, childcare. We do professional development for the childcare providers. We do pre-licensing for those interested in opening a childcare center. We will help them through the application process, tell them what the requirements are, and help guide them to the correct people they need to contact, the regulations they need to know. We engage with childcare providers facilities, whether it's family, childcare, home, or centers to provide professional development, coaching, mentoring, new staff, classroom teachers. We provide technical assistance, such as going and helping a teacher set up a classroom, or to observe and help them problem-solve with anything they may have questions about. We do many things. We enjoy, most of all, doing the events and having partnerships with community organizations. Just recently we participated with the Mid-America Science Museum for their noon day celebration, and distributed books to families. Timothy Webb: Okay. Okay. That sounds like a lot. Terri Helms: We do a lot of fun things. Timothy Webb: What are some of the challenges that you face doing all those different tasks? Terri Helms: The challenges can vary from, do we have the correct resources for the people, what they need? Do we have information they're wanting? Do we have the time to do everything that we need to be doing? Well, I'll say I do, and my team follows me. We enjoy the challenges and problem-solving. And we most of all enjoy serving others and helping them get to where they want to be as far as quality childcare goes. So to me, that's a great highlight of what we get to do, to help others succeed at what they're doing. Timothy Webb: Right. Are there any common myths about being the program director of Child Care Aware that you'd like to clear up for our audience? Terri Helms: Well, I don't know what the myths are. What have you heard? Timothy Webb: I haven't heard any either. Terri Helms: I guess myths around childcare and early childhood education sometimes gets muddied into what some are familiar with having a babysitter that was 12-years-old. You're just sort of there. Early childhood education is working with children and helping them through their developmental years. They are so key in their success later and through life. So that's one myth I hear is, "Oh, you babysit. What kind of job is that?" It's like, no, there's so much more. And when we begin explaining that, and telling them the regulations, and the requirements, and the impact of child development, and what it goes into a day in a childcare center, they're just sort of overwhelmed with, "I had no idea that went on." But the myth that all we do is play, eh, we do that a lot. But we do a lot of work too, that goes with that. Timothy Webb: So you touched on how important those early years of child education are and development of a young child. I've always heard that it's very important to play music for your children and to read to them. Are there any other things you'd like to tell our listeners about that would help their children? Terri Helms: Reading and music are great for children. You always want to be appropriate, because they're going to repeat what they hear. So whether it's good words, bad words, nice things, or bad things. Children appear to be like little parrots at first, but it's their way of learning. Even with a young infant echoing their little babbles and coos, that's developing communication. And so, the engaging with children I think is one of the most important. And allowing them time to explore and have time on their own with supervision is very important for children. So I just think providing children the opportunity and answering their millions of questions that they have. Because you can only ask a question if your brain has been stimulated to think. So when you stop having questions or you tell them to stop asking questions, you're basically telling them, don't think any further of this. So we want to be able to respond to questions, even if it's with a question, why is the sky blue? Well, why do you think the sky's blue? And listen to that three-year-old, they're going to tell you something very creative. But it's helping them develop language, and thinking, and processing information. So I know as a parent and as a former early childhood educator, the questions keep coming, but that's a delight. It really is. Timothy Webb: Yes, all those parents have experienced the multitude of questions that our children sling our way. But that's a good tip, to hit them with another question's. I like that. I like that. Terri Helms: That's right. And we don't always know the answer. Just tell them I don't know the answer, but maybe we can find a book at the library, or maybe we can ask papa. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Terri Helms: Pass it off on someone else. Timothy Webb: There you go. Terri, can you tell us about some of the biggest obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are today? Terri Helms: Where I am today is sort of a... I never dreamed I'd be in this position and thought, because I was never exposed that anything like this existed growing. Up we're guided towards you can be this, you can be that, and whatever. Years ago, when my children were hitting high school, and I realized what am I going to do when they graduate? I'm not one to set idle. And I thought, okay, I'll do another career. I've been a homemaker, part-time worker, volunteer for almost 20 years. So when I started back to college as a non-traditional student, I had a year behind me. And the challenges were, "Okay, well you don't have a vehicle to drive to college. You make $50 over the cutoff to qualify for financial aid, so you got to pay for it yourself. And, how are you going to get educated? How are you going to complete this degree you want in order to move on?" I was able to get online, this was back when that was just coming about. I know now people go online education, it's everywhere. At that time, even my friends that were educators were very skeptical. Is it a crackerjack's diploma? It was an excellent education, Pacific Oaks College and Pasadena. And so I was able to mark that off my list. I didn't need a vehicle. Internet connection was that eerie little sound that no one recognizes now, but if you can imagine squealing and squeaking. That had its challenges. And I had two children that were very involved in school, so their activities. And so, that's when my mornings began, at 4:00 AM, and the day didn't end until 10:00, and then it was wash, rinse, repeat. Those challenges that kept me going, it had a goal. It also, now being reflective, it set an example to my children too. That if there is something that you should be doing in life, you're going to figure out a way to do it and you will be successful at it. And going through those challenges are much more beneficial than waving your hands and say, "It'll never happen. I can't do it. This is too hard." Important things in life are sometimes challenging. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. Absolutely. You hear it so often, if you want to grow, get uncomfortable. Terri Helms: There you go. Timothy Webb: Can you tell us how it felt when you earned that degree? And can you also tell us what your degree is in? Terri Helms: My degree is in human development with a specialty in leadership and supervision on educating adults. I know, I think that's how the diploma reads. I don't know. But I was very excited about it, because through life, and I'll say my family, it was like, women should be housewives. And I will never regret having that choice in life. I loved being a mom. I had worked some years out on my own. I'd lived on my own. I knew what both worlds were like. But our family situation, it was necessary for me to take that role. And I just loved being involved in my children's lives, and being a volunteer in all that they were doing, and being there and doing that career. At the same time, completing that education opened up doors immediately. I remember before I had a degree, someone said, "I'd like to hire you as a teacher." I'm like, "I don't have a degree." "What? But you do this and this and that." So that just sort of validated, "I really should get my degree." Timothy Webb: What is it about your position that rewards you? Terri Helms: It's the lack of mundane. I mean, every day is different. We have similar things. We have goals we have to meet. But no two days are the same. We have three satellite sites, so that in itself, we have different areas within our 13 counties to serve. I have excellent staff. It's so great to have staff and a team members that do what they do best. So each team member has their own unique expertise, and we have some things in common, but we have a lot of differences. And when we get together, and we have a project to work on, it's all those pieces coming together that create that success. And so, the job is just... It's very satisfying to know that you're helping others get to where they need. That you're providing them a resource they may need, whether it's a parent looking for resources that they need and was unaware of, or another agency that may be able to help them in an area. We work with such a diverse group of communities, and people, and the needs vary. But the main goal is still, and the focus is that quality care for children. What is it taking? What can we do? How can we do it? What are the resource out there? I love the challenges. We're always looking for innovation, or I am, and my staff follows along, and they help make a success of it. Timothy Webb: Nice. What achievements are you most proud of? Terri Helms: Oh, wow. We started July, 2012, with two desk, two office, and go for it. National Park College has been extremely supportive in what our mission is, and what we're capable of doing, and what we can do. And they have as we've expanded to 13 counties, we started with 10, now we have three satellite sites. We have six staff instead of one, two, three. And I just think that we can provide so much more services and be there for the providers when they need it, and at a location that is good for them. So the accomplishments of having that support, that backing, the validation from our funder that, "You're doing what we expect you to do." And so I don't know. It's just every day there's something to just be thankful for in what we do, and partnering, and everything. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Well, I know you guys did write two books and that was pretty awesome. Terri Helms: Yes. We're so excited. We did those with some extra little mini grants. I'm always looking for the little ones that we may be able to do just a little bit more. It's sort of like that sprinkles on the frosted cake, and let's just enhance things a bit. And both books have really been designed and created to provide families, and childcare providers, the classroom teachers with resources that support child development. And engaging with one another. Whether it's the artwork and creativity, or simple little language, games, and such like that. So we can hope that the future brings more of those with other topics in mind. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. I've often said that I feel best when I've created something or been a part of something that will last longer than I will. Terri Helms: Yes. Yes. Timothy Webb: So I'm sure that feels good for you and your team. Terri Helms: Yeah. Well, thank you for the compliments on that. I know there was a lot of work that went into those and I'm very proud of my staff. Just willingness to step up and do it a little bit more than usual. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yeah. So Terri, where did you grow up and what was it like there? Terri Helms: Well, I grew up in Texas. And I lived in the Dallas metroplex area suburbs. And I lived at Houston. I lived in Waco. I lived in several different places in Texas. That was up until my young adult life. It was fun living in the suburb, the areas I lived in, we had diverse neighbors, we had diverse classmates. We just played outside a lot. I was an active child. If there was a tree, I was going to climb it. If there were roller skates, I was going to use them. If we found a scrap piece of rope, we were going to jump rope. TV was really... Back then, it was black and white. You had three channels, and a UHF, and you had to put foil on the antenna. So that dates me a little bit. But I'm very thankful for those years because being outside and engaging with everyone on the block, flag football, whatever you could come up with, we would do. And that was fun. Graduating from high school, I felt like, okay, that was a good degree. I really was not one that had all the guidance that I'm aware of now that, "Ooh, you need to study for ACT and SAT. They just told me to show up. You show with your pencils and you do it. I had no idea you could prep for those things. So ignorance is bliss at times. But surprisingly, I was accepted to colleges and now I've learned that there's more to that than what I was aware of. But it was fun. I mean, just the friendships and things to do. And living in the south, we never had to shovel snow or anything. From there, I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, it was great. I did learn to shovel snow. And always keep a shovel in a cinder block in your trunk through the winters, put on the snow tires. And I've lived in Kansas, I've lived in Oklahoma, and now we're here in Arkansas. So a lot of different transfers through life. And I was very fortunate for it. It gave me a view of different cultures, unspoken rules, and how even climate affects people's outlook on life, and the habits, and activities they engage in, and all. So it's very interesting. And my children also lived in three states. And so their reflection on things too is always insightful. I don't know. I enjoyed my years. I had great parents. Now in my career when I read statistics of, "Oh, teen parents, this and that," and I'm like, "I think my family dispels all this." I mean by the time my mom was 20, she might hate me saying this, but she had three children. They were young when they married. They were wonderful parents. They were committed. They raised... I never knew any different that our early years were in poverty. But we didn't go to bed hungry. We always had a secure family. We had all our needs met. And I learned early on that needs and wants are different. So I really like that because if you give me a piece of paper, I'm going to come up with something to do with that piece of paper, that creativity, or how do you solve this problem when you don't have much to use? And that's so helpful through life. And being a grant program, it's like this is the set amount. Now let's do miracles with this. And so everything in life is useful. It really is. Timothy Webb: I have an outlook sometimes that I like to use where if I have a problem and I can't find the solution to it, I just tell myself the solution is somewhere around me. Just look around. It's right there somewhere. Terri Helms: And sometimes it's with the person around you. It is like, look to others too. And that's what makes a great team is like, "I'm trying to do this, and what am I missing?" And all it takes is a team member to walk in and go, "Have you tried this? Have you thought of that?" "Thank you so much." So I enjoy that. Timothy Webb: So can you tell us about an influential person in your life and how they impacted your life? Terri Helms: Most family members, I tend to be what I like to observe and listen. And I think the most influential is, I'd look at my grandmothers on both sides. They were hardworking women. They didn't say a whole lot. But they had values that I always admired. And I think all of my elders, they were very wise people. And as I reflect back, I realized there were quite a few leaders in our family, and I never really saw that because, they're your mom, they're your dad, they're your grandparents. That's who they are. And as you become an adult and realize what they did. But the commonality I see in those that were most influential, they had such a genuine honesty and integrity in their life. And their word was their word. What they said, they meant. And what they meant, what they said. And how they behaved. So that continuity in their word and their actions were very impactful to me. Timothy Webb: If you could give your younger self any piece of advice, what would it be? Terri Helms: Don't listen to everyone's advice. I sometimes listen to everyone else telling me what I should do. And I believe doing what you were put on this earth to do is where you're going to find your joy, and your contentment, and happiness. And so I could say the times that I may have listened to advice, it was good advice, not bad advice, it just was not the correct advice for me. And it may have stagnated me at times, but I would be selective as to whose advice you take and be very aware of what path are they wanting you to go down. Timothy Webb: Right. Their agenda might not be the same as yours. Terri Helms: Exactly. Timothy Webb: Right. Right. Terri Helms: Exactly. Timothy Webb: So what is it that brought you to National Park College? Terri Helms: Oh, my husband was transferred over to this area of the country for his job. And we chose Hot Springs, Arkansas because it's beautiful and it's a nice place to live. And through that, I was doing short term contract work training for other agencies, and sort of independent. And then I was hired as director of a childcare center. And then when the job came open, and I read it, and I'm like, "Oh, I do this. I have that experience. I do this." I was just thrilled. I was excited to be a part of National Park College. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy it until after I begin working here. And then I realized it was even more than what I thought it was. And I have to say, the leadership is one that I'm just always impressed with. I think the wisdom and the leadership, and the innovation, and the vision that the leaders in the college have, will continue taking National Park College beyond what it was even 10 years ago when I was hired. Being a part of this community, people I work with are great. It's just a great place to work for many different reasons. And one, it's like seven minutes from my house. In Dallas, you might commute for two hours and go 15 miles. I don't know. But people genuinely have a heart for the college students that are enrolled for one another, for their peers, for their coworkers. To me, it really is a very pleasant environment to be engaged in. And I've worked at many different places. Yeah, I plan on staying here till they tell me or hint to me, "Hey, Terri, have you considered..." Timothy Webb: I've had a lot of people in that chair that work here. And they all have that commonality, they say it's just such a great place to work. And it seems like we have just a great group of faculty and staff. Terri Helms: Oh, good. Timothy Webb: It makes it pleasant to be here. Terri Helms: It is. It is. And I hope that continues for many, many years. Timothy Webb: Yes, me too. Terri Helms: Yeah. Timothy Webb: Other than National Park and Child Care Aware, what are some of your hobbies? Terri Helms: I used to do a whole lot more than I do now. But I love to sew. I do like to sew. I like to reupholster furniture. I like to do whatever needs to be done. I most recently enjoy being with my grandsons and playing games again, and building forts, and whatever they want to do. Traveling a bit through my years, I have been able to travel a lot. And sometimes there's just not really any place I want to go anymore. And Hot Springs is so beautiful. It's like, "Okay, well, what do we not have here?" If I want to go to the Metroplex, I go visit family and all. But I like just whatever needs to be done. Timothy Webb: Yeah, sure. Yeah. So just to take one of those things, what do you like about upholstering, and sewing, and stuff like that? What is it that drew you to that? Terri Helms: Well, it was a necessity. So when there's a need, I find a way to do it. If I had a favorite chair, or a favorite couch, or sofa, or something that I would cut the pattern, and I would do it, and save a little money for other things. But I don't do that as much now. But that's okay because my sofa doesn't need re-upholstery- Timothy Webb: There you go. Terri Helms: It's nice to be at that point in life. Timothy Webb: Yes. Terri Helms: But there's a satisfaction in completing something of taking, and recreating, and re-visioning how something could be. So I do that. I still have family that'll call and say, "Hey, can you do this for us as a memory quilt? Can you do that for them?" And so, I always feel honored that they would even approach me to do a project for them. That means something. Timothy Webb: Yeah. That's the way I feel too. Sometimes people ask me... Because I'm a musician, they'll ask me to play, and I'll be like, "Really? You want me? Okay." It's an honor to be asked. Terri Helms: Yes. Yeah. Timothy Webb: It really is. Terri Helms: Yeah. Timothy Webb: If you could talk to anyone from the past, present, or even future, who would it be and why? Terri Helms: I love sitting on the porch with my maternal grandmother, and having coffee, and just chit-chatting. And that would be one. My paternal grandmother I enjoyed too. She was very straightforward, very honest, and direct. And I always appreciated that because it's like, "Don't give me a subtle hint because it is probably not going to hit where you want it." It's like, "Just be direct with me. I can handle it." Any of my loved ones that I don't get to have that opportunity anymore. Maybe the famous people, I think Helen Keller would be the most fascinating person to sit down, and engage in conversation with. I just think what a dynamic individual that overcame so much, and accomplished so much. An underestimated individual that prove people quite differently. Timothy Webb: Is there any quotes or mottoes that you live by that you'd like to leave our listeners with? Terri Helms: I do. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather, in humility, value others above yourselves. Not looking to your own interest, but each of you to the interest of others. And I think that's what my job involves. It's like it's not about... My job has nothing to do about me. My job is about what can I do for others to help them succeed and provide quality care for children. So that's what I'm always looking for. Timothy Webb: Right. Yeah. That's the perfect quote for your position, isn't it? Terri Helms: I have to remind myself of that. Timothy Webb: Terri Helms, this has been great sitting down and talking with you today. We really appreciate you coming to Elevate. Terri Helms: Thank you. I appreciate it. Timothy Webb: Yeah, thank you. Terri Helms: Bye. Timothy Webb: And thanks to all of you for listening to Elevate, today from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. New episodes are released each Thursday. Special thanks to National Park College and The Sentinel-Record for making this podcast possible. Until next time, this is Timothy Webb reminding you that every day is a chance to elevate.