Forest Cagle- Science

Where did you get your teaching degree?

Western Carolina University

How long have you been teaching?

This is my first year, so I just finished my student teaching.

What made you want to be a teacher?

When I was little, I used to babysit or like teach my stuffed animals and my sister.  My mom was a teacher, so I’ve always wanted to be a teacher.

If you could have any career other than teaching what would it be?

Probably a veterinarian because I like dogs- kids and dogs.

What is the craziest thing a student has ever done in your class?

I almost had a fight in my class, but that’s pretty normal.  It wasn’t here though, it was when I was doing my student teaching.  I don’t know, I don’t think I’ve had any pretty bad things [happen] yet.

Phillip Mitchell-  Digital Media

Where did you get your teaching degree?

I’m a lateral entry teacher, so before I was here, I was in the industry working in broadcast journalism for five years.  I was a sports reporter for two years, and I got my degree in mass communications and journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  After that I did a year and a half as a news photojournalist going out on stories and running a live truck, and from there I was an editor at another news station where I edited video.  From there I was an on-camera sports reporter for two years working with Time Warner Cable News.

How long have you been teaching?

This is my first official full year teaching as a full time profession.  I’ve done a lot of work with internships often times when interns come in and learn, but this is my first classroom setting.

What made you want to be a teacher?

Definitely it was the idea of giving back.  When I was growing up and going through school, I had a lot of people that were there to help guide me along my path to find something that I really enjoyed doing which was the work I did in journalism and television.  So I just wanted to help give back and help people the way other people helped me.

What has been your most embarrassing moment teaching?

The first couple days I struggled to get all of my materials to work in class. I wasn’t prepared for using the projector.  I was sitting there waiting for 15 minutes because I couldn’t get the projector working.  It just wasn’t starting up for some reason, so everybody was just sitting there staring at me.

What is the craziest thing a student has ever done in your class?

I actually can’t open my window because my fourth period decided they wanted to go over to the window and throw things and spit things out the window from the third floor.  So that’s not really a highlight of the time so far.

Kristin Hellier-  Science

Where did you get your teaching degree?

I got my teaching degree at Virginia Tech; it was a master’s program for learning how to teach and also how to specifically learn how to teach math and science.

How long have you been teaching?

This will be my 16th year in education.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I just really like helping people understand complex concepts in a simple way.

If you could have any career other than teaching, what would it be?

I majored in zoology in college for my undergrad, so it’d be neat to do educational programs at a zoo.

What has been your proudest moment teaching?

It’s a great feeling when I have students come back and say they are going into the science field for their major.

Julie Harcum-  Foreign Language

Where did you get your teaching degree?

I’m a lateral entry, but I got my Master’s Degree at UNC Chapel Hill where I did most of my training.

How long have you been teaching?

A little over 10 years.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I started going to school when I was a little kid.  I think the mix of loving learning and loving coming and interacting with students; anything else such as an internship or what have you just hasn’t been as fulfilling as teaching.  It’s a lot of fun.

What has been your proudest moment teaching?

Anytime I’ve had a student come in on the first day and say “I’m not interested in Spanish, I’m just doing this because I have to, or I’m not a language person,” and they end up being at least a little bit interested in traveling or that they got something out of the class or they end up saying, “wow that actually wasn’t that bad, I actually enjoyed it”. Every time that’s happened has been my proudest moment.

If you could change one thing about your students what would it be?

To be honest, I wouldn’t change anything about my students.  There are the ones that come in and you’re like bffs and it’s great, but the ones that are more challenging are wonderful too because it keeps the job always interesting.  I wouldn’t change anything.  

Shelli Clark-  English

Where did you get your teaching degree?

I went to undergrad at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and then I taught for a while and then went back to grad school at ECU.

How long have you been teaching?

I taught 4 years in Alamance County then I taught 2 years at ECU; I taught freshman composition.  This will be my fifth full year in high school.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I loved English and wanted to share my love of literature with other kids.

What has been your most embarrassing moment teaching?

When I went to the restroom between classes and I was wearing panty hose and my skirt got caught in my panty hose and I walked down the hallway with my skirt tucked in and my whole fanny showing.  Yep that was embarrassing.

If you could change one thing about your students what would it be?

Earbuds.  I’d like to take their earbuds away.

Jesse Kenyon-  Science

Where did you get your teaching degree?

I don’t have a teaching degree.  Sometimes to fill in they encourage people from other fields to transfer into the teaching field.  They call that lateral entry.  So I have degrees in other things, but I don’t have a teaching degree.

How long have you been teaching?

This is my third semester.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I had always, even since high school, had it in the back of my mind that I was interested in it.  Then there was a break in a former job position I had; my wife and I really liked the area and didn’t want to leave to pursue that job, so it seemed like the perfect time to strike, and I went ahead and decided to see if I could join the teaching field.  There is a nice program with NC State for people like me that wanted to make this lateral entry, so it’s not a degree position, but they help teach you teaching basically.

What is your favorite thing about helping kids?

Just seeing them get it when they haven’t drawn a scientific conclusion before.  When they make an accurate scientific conclusion and seem to enjoy that.  That’s a really good feeling.

What has been your proudest moment teaching?

Students asking me for letters of recommendation or remembering me from last semester.  Seeing that I had enough of an impact that they recall me, that it wasn’t just some boring science class that they had to take.  That’s very gratifying.

Elizabeth Hanna-  Administration

Where did you get your teaching degree?

My teaching degree came from Queens College. I did a Master’s in education there.  I did not do an undergrad in education.

How long have you been an administrator?

This is my first year as an administrator.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I really love children of all ages.  I’ve worked in elementary through high school, and I think what really ignited me towards going down this path would be that I had a really great experience with a couple of teachers in my high school, and they really helped me see a different side of education that a lot of high schoolers see.  I realized that this is where I want to be, working with kids.  Kids are a lot happier than most adults, so it’s a much more positive environment to be around and really to see the changes you can make in people.

What is your favorite thing about helping kids?

I think knowing that it is going to pay forward; that when you help a child or a student you know that that has the opportunity to pay it forward over time.  That you have the opportunity to really mold somebody and to make a substantial change potentially in the endeavors that they’re seeking or even in their personality over time and knowing that that opportunity gives them a chance to be a better person or have a better life.

What has been your proudest moment as an administrator?

I think forging relationships with certain kids, potentially kids that really need a strong advocate in their corner and need an administrator who is on their side and not always the disciplinarian telling them what to do or how to do it differently.  I think being able to forge those relationships with kids and be able to be an advocate for them is what wakes me up and keeps me going through the day.