David Jackson was shocked when Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson surprised him in his classroom at Brown Middle School on Thursday.
Jackson has taught seventh grade math and science at Brown since 2015 and Johnson was there to announce that he had been selected as one of three Teachers of the Year for the district. He was recognized in part for the academic performance of his students over the past few years.
More than 90 percent of Jackson’s students have met their expected annual growth on Tennessee’s standardized assessments, TNReady, for the past two years, according to a press release.
“My goal is for every student to be actively engaged in asking and answering questions, and debating in class,” Jackson said in a statement. “Educators should ignite a passion for lifelong learning in their students.”
Michelle Bailey, a teacher at Thrasher Elementary School, and Emily McDonald, a math teacher at Red Bank High School, were also recognized – and surprised – by Johnson on Thursday.
Bailey teaches kindergarten and first grade in combined classroom, which allows students of different ages to work and learn together. She also strives to work together with them.
“I develop strong relationships with the children and families in my classroom and use a variety of methods to get to know my children,” Bailey said in a statement. “I take the time to eat lunch with my students, interact with them on the playground, and greet each of them with a smile to welcome each child to a new learning day.”
HAMILTON COUNTY 2020 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Michelle Bailey, kindergarten and first grade teacher at Thrasher Elementary School, for the elementary grades divisionDavid Jackson, seventh-grade math and science teacher at Brown Middle School, for the middle grades divisionEmily McDonald, math teacher at Red Bank High School, for the high school division
Bailey is also involved with Hamilton County students outside of school. She is a piano teacher for children with special learning abilities, a LEGO coach and camp coordinator, LEGO facilitator for the Chambliss Children’s Home and a McConnell Elementary STEM night LEGO coach, according to a press release.
The other math teacher honored this year, Emily McDonald hopes to teach her students real-life uses for math.
McDonald has taught Honors Calculus, Algebra 2, ACT Prep for Math and Science, Pre-Calculus, Algebra 1 and Geometry, but she wants her students to understand math as it relates to their life and uses technology in her class to promote creativity and exploration, according to a press release.
Like Jackson, she encourages her students to participate in activities outside of class or connects lessons to real-life experiences.
“In my classroom, I strive to foster a culture where students understand the application of mathematics in their everyday lives,” McDonald said. “My Pre-Calculus students have participated in the UTC Mathematics Poster Competition for the past two years. The event prompts students to create and present their work and learn more about STEM fields.”
At Brown, Jackson co-wrote the school’s application that earned them a Volkswagen eLab in 2018 and sponsors a student group, called the Entrepreneur Academy, which allows student to create, market and sell items they create in the eLab.
“I believe in the power of applying real-world experiences to teaching. … Students retain and stretch their thinking so much more when they can see how what they learn is applied to the real world,” he said.
Apison Elementary’s Sara Pratt and Signal Mountain Middle/High’s Kristin Robertson were among 27 finalists selected to represent the Southeast region at the state competition.
Contact Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.