North Carolina Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association

A Message from Your NCDTSEA President Mike Jones

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Sports. Football. “Alignment; Assignment; and Finish the Play!” “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!” “There will be obstacles (the storms of life) in our way!” “We must play from whistle to whistle!”

Sports are a microcosm of life. Just like in sports, there are seasons in our lives. And we must prepare to play well through every season. Additionally, there are “in season periods” and “off season periods!” We often suffer injuries and setbacks but should do our best to power through and recover! As a team we should stick together and play unselfishly for the glory of our teammates. Not for our own glory.

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Next, we have learned that in this life, we can have any and everything that we want as long as we are willing to help enough people to have the things that they want! Thus, is the legacy of educators and instructors! We have one of the greatest callings in the world. And, when we do it right, we can have the greatest positive impact on our students! We do not only teach Driver Education to novice drivers. We teach young people (and ALL people) “HOW TO BE!” How to face all the adversities, challenges, obstacles, trials, and tribulations they will encounter on the byways and highways of life as they continue on their individual and collective journeys!

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This, in my opinion, is why most if not all of us will always remember our high school Driver Education Instructor (Mine was Coach Harding Cross, Tennis Coach, Carver H.S. - Winston-Salem, N.C.). They, I hope, had positive impacts on all of us. So much so that we ourselves chose to become Driver Education instructors and teachers. And, even if their impact was negative, we have decided that we will be positively impactful to our students and not be a detriment to anyone (Hippocratic Oath= “Do No Harm.”). Thus, is our challenge, to be excellent in our preparation and our practices! To treat others how we would like to be treated! To Be Present! “Early Is On Time and On Time Is Late!” To work well in identifying the needs of every student and to be professional (empathetic and sympathetic) in supplying their needs! To be honest and forthright in helping our students to meet their goals and objectives in life, not just in Driver Education! Again, we don’t settle for anything other than EXCELLENCE! While we are imperfect people trying to reach perfection, we realize that we will not actually be able to do so! However, it is our commitment to strive for excellence that allows us to help our students to improve each and every day in their driving skills as well as in life.

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I am writing this message to you all the next morning after watching my beloved East Forsyth Eagles’ loss to the Weddington Warriors 21 to 37 in the high school state 4A football 3rd round of playoffs in

Union County! We learn more lessons (sometimes) and are reminded of these principles of life more in defeat than in victory!

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We look forward to seeing you at our conference on April 24 to 26, 2025 in Clemmons, N.C.

Mike Jones, Sr.