As thousands of Philadelphia students head back to class, one man at John B. Kelly Elementary School in Germantown is showing that sometimes the best lessons aren’t found in textbooks.
Jonathan Sampson is part of the school district’s student climate staff, a small but powerful group whose job is to step in before a child is sent to the principal’s office.
For Sampson, discipline isn’t about punishment. It’s about patience, guidance and love.
“You guys aren’t bad, you guys are maybe making bad decisions, but we’re all not perfect,” Sampson said he tells his students.
Sampson calls those interactions “teachable moments.” Many of the children he meets are carrying burdens far beyond the classroom: poverty, trauma and the stresses of daily life.
“I feel like they’re misunderstood in many ways because of the environment they are living in,” Sampson said.
Sampson believes their behavior often stems from circumstances out of their control.
“In order to build that foundation, that trust, you have to communicate,” Sampson said. “You have to let them know they have a voice.”
It’s a lesson he carries from his grandmother, who worked in the district for more than 20 years.
Whether it’s walking a student through conflict, saying “yes” to shooting hoops after school, or reminding them they are capable of becoming anything — from a doctor to a driver — Sampson shows up every day with the same goal: helping kids believe in themselves.
“I want them to become something positive,” Samspon said. “It could be a trash truck driver. It could be a lawyer, doctor. I love my job.”
As those yellow buses roll into the depot this week, Sampson hopes every child stepping off knows one thing: They are seen, they are valued, and they are loved.
