Education

With the school year in full swing, we want to say a huge welcome back to all of our students and educators in the classroom this week! We had the privilege of kicking off a week back to school in the best way possible – by attending this year’s Extraordinary Educators luncheon. Hosted by Guilford Education Alliance, and…

While many educators begin their careers because of their passion for learning, it’s not every teacher that remembers there is something even more important than learning when it comes to the teacher-student relationship. For Extraordinary Educator, Tessa Pendley, she knows there’s another “L” word that needs the spotlight in her classroom: “love.”   “When my students leave my classroom,” says Tessa,…

When Erica McLeod stands up in front of her classroom of seventh graders, she doesn’t get discouraged by middle school attitudes or a lack of enthusiasm. She doesn’t take it personally when students don’t always vocalize their appreciation for their teachers and educators. Because Erica knows, that sometimes even the best teachers go unthanked, but that doesn’t mean their…

When Deanna Wynn was growing up, her head was constantly filled with phrases of, “You’ll become a teacher one day, just like your mother!” As a ten-year-old girl with a passion for marine biology, Deanna didn’t agree. Although she says she had compassion for others and wanted to see them succeed, Deanna never saw herself as…

Every teacher has their own classroom philosophy that guides the way they instruct and encourage their students’ learning. For the educators at Triangle Lake Montessori Elementary School, it’s the teachings of Maria Montessori, a physician who pioneered the Montessori method that serves as their North Star. The method, which prioritizes the independence of each child and looks…

When Aneisha Coffield was eight years old, she would watch her aunt, Lizzie Mae. Lizzie Mae was a teacher who not only exhibited the qualities of a good teacher in the classroom but out of it as well.   Young Aneisha would watch her beloved aunt interact with people, bringing grace, intelligence, and confidence to every situation. And…

All good educators know that teaching is a constant balancing act. From giving your students room to learn independently to guiding their steps; from focusing on individual students to focusing on the class as a whole; from being composed in front of your students to being real – a lot of time in the classroom is spent trying to achieve the yin and…