The jagged twin “Ws” protruding from a mosaic-in-progress in the terrazzo floor of a side entrance to Woodrow Wilson High School might look hopelessly rough and misshapen to a casual observer, but principal Robert Giesler is confident of the project’s future beauty.

After all, he has observed the process several times during the past five years, as graduating seniors have left concrete reminders of their passage through the 63-year-old corridors.

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The latest mosaic, a gift from the Class of 1992, serves as a sort of metaphor for Giesler’s approach to guiding teenagers through the last critical years of public education: take students from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, encourage them to become more involved in academic and extracurricular activities, and help them shape and polish their plans for adulthood.

“Kids respond to being respected and being listened to, and kids respond to structure and consistency, so we provide all of that,” Giesler says.

The structure, however is loose enough to accommodate the changeable interests of teenagers. In recent years, students have been allowed to start several performance groups, such as one that plays tropical music, another that plays mariachi tunes and one that dances in Mexico’s ballet folklorico style.

While some high schools are lucky to publish one student newspaper on a regular basis, Woodrow has at least four ongoing writing outlets: the official school newspaper, “The Wildcat”; “The Sentinel” newspaper containing stories written in native languages of students for whom English is a second language; and “Kolors”, a multi-cultural literary magazine that debuted in May.

In short, if students present a good plan for organizing and completing an activity, there is little that isn’t given consideration, Giesler says.

“He’s made a lot of special efforts to involve kids who previously had not been involved in school activities,” says Margery Arnold, former coordinator of teen programs for the East Dallas YMCA and a Woodrow Wilson graduate.

“He’s not afraid to make changes and try to do new things.”

Giesler’s interest in fostering creativity likely sterns in large measure from the variety of hobbies, jobs and other pursuits he has sampled over the years.

One bookcase in his office is partially filled with a collection of coffee mugs from around the world, while a hand-carved wood plaque he made sits on another shelf.

Tucked away in a notebook are creative efforts that reveal more intimate passions – poetry and drawing. Any student who has been reprimanded for scribbling or doodling during a lecture or other presentation will find comfort in Giesler’s verses and sketches – some of which he admits to completing while attending particularly tedious meetings.

Others provide windows to his soul: poems written about his love of teaching, his 20th wedding anniversary and his father’s death, as well as drawings depicting images inspired by musing on his Chickasaw Indian heritage.

By his own description, Giesler has more in common with his students than some people might imagine: He sees himself as a bit of a rebel when it comes to following dictates from superiors. He was raised in a multi-cultural family that included stepparents on both sides.

He tried college, dropped out for a few years to work at various jobs, and then returned to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees that would enable him to teach and coach. He still feels as if his 17th birthday were only yesterday.

“I have fun,” says Giesler, who has worked in the Dallas Independent School District for 25 years. “That’s the main thing.

“When it stop being fun, I’ll go do something else.”

Robert L. Giesler

Age: 40
Birthplace: DeQueen, Ark.
Academic Career: Teacher/coach in elementary schools, 5 years; administrative intern, W.E. Greiner Middle School, 1 year; assistant principal, Marsh Middle School, 4 years; dean of instruction, Justin F. Kimball High School, 5 years; principal, Greiner, 1 year; principal, Kimball, 3 years; principal, Woodrow, 5 years.
Other Jobs: Lifeguard, frame carpenter, warehouseman, construction laborer, maintenance/custodial worker, truck driver, metallurgical X-ray technician on a pipeline, parking guard at football games, underground sprinkler system installer.
Education: Seagoville High School; associate of arts degree, Henderson County Junior College; bachelor of science degree, East Texas State University; master of education, ETSU; administrative certification, ETSU.
Family: Wife, Dottie.