Stephen Smith
Entrepreneurship and Marketing Teacher
DECA Advisor
School: Eastern Alamance High School
Location: Mebane, North Carolina
Stephen Smith is currently in his 17th year teaching at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane, North Carolina. Previous to his teaching career, he spent more than 20 years as a business manager and owner of a manufacturing business.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from American Intercontinental University and a master’s degree in secondary curriculum and assessment from Jones International University. He has been a National Board Certified teacher for 14 years.
Steve spent the last year on a curriculum team rewriting the entrepreneurship courses for the North Carolina CTE curriculum.
He has been the DECA advisor at Eastern Alamance for the past 17 years.
We asked Steve a few questions. His answers are below.
WHAT STUKENT COURSEWARE HAVE YOU USED?
I have used the Mod Marketing digital textbook in my marketing classes. Stukent was a lifesaver in March when we had to go virtual with about one day’s notice. I was able to switch Stukent from being a supplemental teaching tool to become my primary method of delivering the curriculum. Each section was easy to integrate into my online platform. The students found it easy to navigate and they enjoyed the opportunity to research and learn about real companies.
I also use the Mimic Social simulation as a supplemental activity in my advanced marketing classes and entrepreneurship classes.
WHAT TEACHING TIPS WOULD YOU SHARE WITH OTHER PROFESSORS?
I am a big fan of making learning as real as possible. I have a small business I started five years ago. It is a woodworking business and I share most of the details of running the business with my students. From the beginning, sharing a real business has created engagement with students who are normally less than enthusiastic about being in class.
Most years, I try to incorporate at least one project that involves a local business. This year, while not having the ability to go out into the community, I have started interviewing entrepreneurs on the 2Puggles YouTube channel with a series called “7 Questions.” I ask the entrepreneur seven questions, with the last question being, “What is a problem you need solved for your business?” I assign that problem to my students and they research the business and propose solutions. These videos are available to any teacher who wants to use them. It includes the assignment for each interview.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES AND TALENTS?
I play tennis, bike, hike, fish, and love to be outdoors, but most of my hobbies have taken a backseat to building 2Puggles into as big of a one-person, part-time business as possible. I spend most of my free time working in the business and improving my woodworking and entrepreneurship skills.
Thank you, Steve, and congratulations!
