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Shaw ALS instructor teaches with flair

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kenny Holston
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  He shuffles a few papers around before getting comfortable in his chair, a warm, orange morning sunlight slips through his office window as he reaches for his cup of coffee, it's time to start another day.

While appraising the work that lies scattered about his desk, a genuine and inviting smile slowly appears across his face. He's an early riser with one agenda -- making leaders out of Airmen.

Like most Airmen, Tech Sgt. Shane Harvey Shaw Airman Leadership School instructor, wears a clean hair cut, Airman Battle Uniform and combat boots, but beyond the typical Air Force exterior, there are friendly light blue eyes and a playful smile.

While some may think Airmen Leadership School instructors follow an all work no play schedule, Harvey, defies the rigid instructor stigma and abides by an ancient formula:  work hard, play hard.

Harvey, who comes from a long line of educators, takes his job as an ALS instructor very serious. But the light hearted NASCAR fan believes with that same seriousness, there must be a positive inject of humor while performing the challenging task of equipping young Airmen with the leadership skills needed to be supervisors in today's Air Force.

Upon graduating high school Harvey, like many high school, graduates hadn't fully decided what he wanted to do with his life. He found himself living in his mother's basement, working a part-time job.

Avoiding college, Harvey joined the Air Force as a six-year enlistee to be a back shop avionics technician.
 
Ironically, Harvey recently completed his degree in human resource management.

With a desire to teach and encouragement from his mentor, Senior Master Sgt. Max Rippelle, Harvey became an ALS instructor in 2009, which started him on his path to meshing his jokester personality with firm military instruction and standards.

Taking the position, Harvey quickly realized the long hours, grueling schedule, and challenging curriculum wouldn't be a cake walk, but the enjoyment and passion for the job is what has gotten him through, he explained.

"You don't take a job like this for the incentives or perks," Harvey said. "You take this job because you want to help grow and challenge the Airmen who are coming through the course."

But it's not just lectures coming out of Harvey's classroom.

"Hardy laughs and loud chuckles can often be heard from Harvey's flight room when his class is in session," said Tech. Sgt. Thyiatira Singleton, Shaw ALS instructor.
The Thunderbolt flight, as Harvey's class is called, is often the loudest and most excitable group of students amongst the four classes that generally pass through the course at a time, Singleton continued.

"I really believe you have to have fun in any learning environment, but I base the amount of fun on each flight that passes through," Harvey explained. "As much as I love to have fun, if students aren't getting work turned in and challenges asked of them aren't being met, then the fun becomes minimal. It really is a balancing act."

Though Harvey does well incorporating a fun learning environment with the demanding standards of ALS, it didn't always come natural to him. It took learning from situations and adjusting his method over the years, he explained.

"To find the balance between what's too much and not enough was simply trial and error," said the Missouri native. "In this job we have to find the balance between strict and fun. If we're too rigid students feel like they're in basic training again and they're just being talked at. If we go the other way, and we are too laid back, everything just becomes a fun zone and no learning will occur."

Among the five-instructor team, Harvey often takes the role of comedian or comic relief.

"Sergeant Harvey is definitely the humorous instructor on the team," said Tech. Sgt. April Howard, ALS lead instructor. "Whenever I go in to evaluate him, I never know what I'm going to hear. I think it works. His method of instruction keeps it light in the room, and the lighter the mood, the more the students tend to absorb. When he needs to be serious, he is, but he's definitely a jokester."

With about three and a half years of ALS instructor time under his belt, Harvey continues juggling his humorous personality with serious classroom instruction.

"I've watched Harvey grow and develop that balance between fun and structured since he's been instructing here," said Howard. "He's come a long way with the perfection of balancing the two."

Though Harvey seems to have found the ideal balance between jokester and straight-laced instructor, he understands that none of what he does would be possible without his constant support system -- his family.

Colorful finger paintings and crayon drawings created by Harvey's daughter, Addison Harvey, decorate the family man's desk, topped off with a framed family photo.

"Being successful in this job wouldn't be possible without the help of my family," Harvey exclaimed.

Coupled with Harvey's humorous personality is optimism and humbleness.

"I'm always optimistic," Harvey said. "I always see the glass as half full."

That same optimism helped Harvey achieve a much sought after promotion during his third attempt to make the rank of E-6.

"No matter what, you have to be humble," Harvey explained. "You should be confident but humble. Promotions shouldn't change you or your values. My teaching method and style remains the same. If you're always giving your best, promotion shouldn't change you."

Though the words funny and instructor are not generally used in the same sentence, Harvey has found a way to join the two together to create a learning environment students can excel in.

"Simply put, I would describe Harvey as an awesome instructor," Singleton said. "He's one of the few instructors who can really allow his students to have a laughing good time, but then reel them right back in. He has this electricity about him that ignites not just learning, but also fun."