From Marva With Love: Dorothy J. Gentry

By Marva J. Sneed
Columnist 

On “From Marva with Love” during this COVID-19 quarantine, I interviewed educator and sports editor for Texas Metro News, Garland Journal, and I Messenger, Dorothy J. Gentry. She is in her 17th year of teaching and currently teaches at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving ISD. 

MS: Dorothy, Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a teacher and journalist?

DG: Writing and journalism are just in my blood. You know my dad, the late C. H. Gentry, he was one of the first Black journalists here in Dallas, in the state actually. He worked extensively for the Black press in Dallas and the Houston Informer and papers like that. So I grew up in a journalism household. And so it’s in my blood. So Marva, I was born to be a journalist. You know I’ve always loved teaching. I always wanted to become a college journalism professor. That’s still my ultimate dream. I got my degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and my teaching certification as well. I loved both teaching and journalism.

MS: With COVID-19, schools are closed, how has the transition from the classroom to teaching online been?

DG: First I want to say a quick prayer to those dealing with COVID-19 everybody is dealing and some more than others with family members. This Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic has definitely upended our lives, sending our whole education system into a tailspin. So the teaching transition from the classroom to online has definitely been a challenge for even the most prepared educators in the districts. It’s taken all of us when I say us, I mean educators, administrators, have to make a shift in the way we think about education. Now I work in Irving ISD. We were already thankfully going through learning this new type of curriculum using technology with our classes and lessons. Our students have been using iPads and Chrome books all year long. So now in teaching, we have to keep kids engaged online and it takes time and effort. They have to become more independent learners. It’s been a challenge for everybody but we are getting through it 

We talked about tips for parents and students finding a location set for learning, a schedule for their day of learning and minimize the distractions. Dorothy loves covering sports. She is finding creative ways to write about sports, reporting the latest in sports news.

Stay tuned to Texas Metro News, Garland Journal, and I Messenger to read what Sports Editor Dorothy J. Gentry is sharing. To hear the full interview, click here.