Should I teach in North Carolina? A great question and one we get often. We had experts from around the country answer that question at our Teachers of Tomorrow blog. But what about North Carolina.
Since we have a teacher of the year who came through our program, we realized that their voices are pretty spot on when it comes to teaching.
North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Freebird McKinney, has some great thoughts on teaching and why he is so successful.
A self-described “village teacher,” McKinney also sees his role as an educator reaching beyond the classroom, leading international service-learning adventures, working also as an adjunct professor at Elon University and serving as a community leader.
“I try to emulate to my students and to community members what an engaged citizen looks like,” McKinney said in his Teacher of the Year nomination submission.
His principal stated – “He always stay longer than his schedule permits because it is tough to leave. … His students are not passive participants. They are actively engaged. Freebird is a true teacher leader and the type of teacher we would all want for our own children.”
Freebird states – “I am constantly trying to bring new programs, opportunities and experiences to my students,” McKinney wrote to the nominating committee. “I never want them to stop being curious, to stop yearning to discover, and to stop learning.”
Hear a little more about Freebird!