2021 Extraordinary Educators: James Dixon and Tiffany Faison
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
James Dixon, T. Wingate Andrews High School, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
Tiffany Faison, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
Thank you so much to James Dixon and Tiffany Faison for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Gina Sanchez, Oak View Elementary School, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
2021 Extraordinary Educators: Gina Sanchez
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Gina Sanchez
Gina Sanchez started working at Oak View Elementary a little more than 9 years ago. She started as an Office Support assistant with 3 girls in the school. After moving to High Point from Puerto Rico, Oak View has been a part of her and her family’s lives.
Deanna Daniel, former principal of Oak View Elementary, describes “the level of expectation and belief in students” that Ms.Sanchez exudes in her classroom. She is “Committed, Hard-Working” and has a “Growth-Minded”.
According to Daniel, during remote learning, Ms. Sanchez “gladly provided instruction for both classrooms”, in person and remote, “without being asked to do so by administration.”
Ms.Sanchez wants her students to know “they are so important to our community and world and that they are so loved and appreciated.”
She goes on to say, “Over the years I have met teachers and staff that genuinely love the students and teaching. The students I have met at Oak View are so precious and loving and I enjoy watching them grow at Oak View.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: As a volunteer, substitute, and kindergarten TA I have worked with many extraordinary teachers that inspired me to become a teacher myself. My own three daughters played a big role as well. They have had great and inspiring teachers and that made me think about the importance of how teachers impact children’s lives.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: I believe that I am energetic and passionate in the classroom. I love to feel the energy of my students as I am teaching. I want them to feel as passionate about learning as I am about teaching.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: My personal philosophy is to be a person in the classroom that students can trust and count on. I want them to know that I love them.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: To me, the best part is when I see and hear students coming together and talking to each other whether it’s about their day, things they like, or things that we have learned in the classroom. Some of the things they say are so funny and cute.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: The most memorable moments for me are of the students that I have taught that have moved on to other grades but always greet me with so much love and enthusiasm each time they see me. It makes me feel like I really had an impact on their lives.
Ms.Sanchez is just one of High Point’s 2021 Extraordinary Educators. Tune in for the next few weeks to hear more stories and critical moments from our local teachers!
Thank you so much to Gina Sanchez for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Heidi Davis
Heidi Savis has been teaching at Welborn Academy of Science and Technology for one year but has made an impression in her short time. She chose to come to this school because of the principal, who “transformed my previous school (Union Hill) from ‘F’ to ‘C in just five years.”
Shayla Savage, the principal of Welborn Academy, describes Ms.Davis as “fair and has high expectations for her students as well as herself.”
According to Savage, during ESOL classes, Ms.Davis teaches her students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and lifelong learners.
Ms. Davis says “The best part about every day is the opportunity to interact with and encourage young people.”
Mrs. Davis has demonstrated effective leadership that cohesively threads her students,
parents, and educators. Though differences exist in their background, languages, learning styles, academic and social needs, Ms. Davis’ strives to meet each student’s unique requirements.
Mrs. Davis is positive and upbeat and a true team player. She goes above and beyond to ensure that Welborn is a great place for her students to learn. She also serves as a model classroom for other ESOL teachers in the district as she has presented on the local and national level. The leadership, high expectations, and commitment to excellence she exhibits in the classroom are extraordinary.
Her mother inspired her to become an educator.
Ms.Davis is just one of High Point’s 2021 Extraordinary Educators. Tune in for the next few weeks to hear more stories and critical moments from our local teachers!
Thank you so much to Heidi Davis for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Geoffrey Butler
Geoffrey Butler has been at Ferndale Middle School for two years, but he has been a teacher for 18 years in total. He loves learning and thinks “it’s amazing to inspire it in my students and to experience it myself.”
LaToya Caesar, the principal at Ferndale Middle School, describes Mr.Butler as the “embodiment of the Ferndale culture of Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence in his pedagogical practice this year with our ESOL population”.
In addition to the ways he has gone above and beyond in his work with the Testing Team and a variety of other roles, Caesar says “He is consistent and shows up every day for our kids.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: I struggled with learning differences in middle school and I may not have made it had I not had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Pittman. She took time to meet with me before school to help me get organized and be successful in my classes when other teachers were not.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: I believe in student-centered learning. Once a structure or a routine is established, it should be up to the students to guide their learning and to help their fellow classmates. I’m there in case they get lost or are in dire need of help, but helping students to learn for themselves and reflect on their learning is what teaching is all about for me.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: My classroom motto is “teacher as learner and learner as teacher”
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: I think that the best part of every day is those unexpected moments of joy and learning. It’s when the students ask you that question that you didn’t see coming or when a spontaneous discussion breaks out.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: Prior to joining GCS, I was a teacher at an academic preparatory program. A student whom I had interviewed at a beginning level graduated from our program and gave a rousing speech describing his experiences. To see how much he had changed and grown due to our teaching was very memorable.
If Mr.Butler could tell students anything, she would tell them “I believe that we’re all born to learn and I will work as hard as I can to make certain that they are able to learn as much as possible.”
Thank you so much to Geoffrey Butler for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Sally Shipley
Sally Shipley has been an educator at The Middle College at GTCC High Point for 8 years, but she’s been a school social worker for 21 years. With The Middle College at GTCC High Point being a smaller school, Ms. Shipley is “grateful to be here because she can truly get to know our students and their families.” The Middle College at GTCC High Point is, according to Shipley, “a place where all staff, students, and families can work together” in an “it-takes-a-village approach.”
Angela Polk-Jones, the principal at The Middle College at GTCC High Point, says Ms. Shipley has “gone above and beyond to locate students, help students devise a plan of action to help get them through this school year, held numerous student/parent conferences, visited students, took boxes of food and clothing items to families, assisted in making sure students had electronic devices or connectivity, and supervised students that were placed in individual classrooms to work” throughout the last year.
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: As a social worker, I primarily worked in crisis situations. I was working at a homeless shelter when I faced a move and was looking for a job in Greensboro. I decided I wanted to work in schools to help students graduate and have a better chance of taking care of themselves as young adults. The diploma is so important, but life skills, social skills, and work habits are also critical for thriving as a productive person. I am pleased to be supporting that growth.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: Servant Leadership – It is not always easy or obvious how to be of service to others. Our social worker code of ethics includes key points that help me: the self-determination of others and empowering others to do what they can do for themselves. To me, this often means not being the hero, but helping others find their own heroic journey.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: Before you speak, take time to think. Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Consider that your message should be all three before you say it. I post this in my workspace. I talk to people about it all the time and how hard it is to accomplish. The depth of this practice creates caring communities that can learn and grow together in the home, at school, and in the community.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: The best part of a day is knowing that I mattered. Fairly often, I have a brief chat or an in-depth problem-solving conversation with a student or a family member and I know that I showed up in the right place and I offered meaningful service to another human being.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: I love Make A Difference Day! Our Service-Learning Ambassadors Club works for weeks to identify local concerns and leaders in non-profit organizations who will work with our students to help them do community service. The students help with all the details and learn so much about life and how they can be productive. I love those moments when teachers and students see each other in a new light and have opportunities to really like each other as real people. And I know that building relationships makes education work.
Ms. Shipley wishes she could tell her students and their parents that they “ will be family and important to each other for many years, so be kind and supportive to one another. Be curious about all the possible ways to be brilliant people who will make the world a better place.”
Thank you so much to Sally Shipley for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Muriel Sanders
Muriel has had the pleasure of working at Fairview Elementary School since 2007. Her students bring her joy and are her why. They remind her of her 2 daughters and inspire her to show up and give her all, even at times when she doesn’t quite feel up to it.
Abe Hege, the principal of Fairview Elementary school, describes Ms.Sanders as “a beloved and valued member of the Fairview staff” who “does whatever it takes for her scholars and teammates”.
According to Hege, during remote learning, Ms.Sanders “never lowers the bar for her scholars, equipping them with the skills they will need to be successful.”
Ms.Sanders wants her students to know “I care about each one of you.”
She goes on to say, “Every day I step into the classroom, I commit to doing my best, advocate for my students, and work to prepare them for this world through education. I love what I do, I love the people I get to serve and count it as an honor to help build the next generation of leaders. You are loved, valued and cared for. “
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: I became an educator out of curiosity, initially. I wanted to know what was going on behind the scenes in education, that parents don’t always get to see. When my youngest daughter began school, I volunteered for several activities/events in the classroom and at the school. I became more interested in the day to day operations of education. From there, I decided to return to school and obtain my degree in education.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: My teaching style and leadership style are based on modeling. In Kindergarten, Students learn most by seeing and then doing. If I model the behavior or action, I expect my students to follow and do the same. I do my best to bring life into the classroom and the best way to do that is to inspire the students to do their best by showing them my best, Daily!
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: There are 3 ideals that guide my philosophy and classroom motto:
Choose your attitude
Do your best
Don’t say you can’t because you can if you try
These 3 ideals are very simple but are important in shaping young students’ minds. When you show up to my classroom, you leave what happened at home at the door. My expectations are for all my students to do their best. I don’t believe in using the word can’t because you can if you try.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: The best part about every day is knowing I am making a difference in a student’s life. The school I have been working at is in a low-income area and the students are not exposed to much outside of their own community. I encourage them and expose them to much more than they would see on a regular basis. I love seeing them excited about learning.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: When I first began teaching, I had a student that thought he was my bodyguard. He did everything from checking my mailbox, to sitting right next to me during carpet time. He was so intelligent and was an overall amazing student. His care for me melted my heart.
Mrs. Sanders is just one of High Point’s 2021 Extraordinary Educators. Tune in for the next few weeks to hear more stories and critical moments from our local teachers!
Thank you so much to Muriel Sanders for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Juandalynn Jones-Hunt
Juandalynn Jones-Hunt has been at Parkview Village Elementary School for about 10 years. She loves “the community, the students, the families, the community partners, the arts advocacy, and the staff with whom she has shared so much of her life.” Jones-Hunt feels like she’s as much a part of the community as it is a part of her.
Parkview Village Elementary School’s principal, Crystal Gregory, describes Mrs. Jones-Hunt as someone who is “helpful, creative, and always willing to help.” When entering Mrs. Jones-Hunt’s classroom, Gregory says she “always knows I’m going to leave knowing something new about famous artists and how they contributed to society.”
During remote learning, Mrs. Jones-Hunt was able to “provide meaningful art activities for her students that did not require materials that students did not have at home. Her lessons and activities highly resembled the unique teaching she does face to face every day.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: My high school art teacher, Elaine Helmstetler, poured so much of herself, her love of art, her knowledge of materials and techniques, and her love for her students into us and I wanted to be that beacon of light for someone else. She gave art purpose and art gave me purpose.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: I am one who likes to model expected outcomes, procedures, and techniques for students before guided practice prior to encouraging independent work so that students have room to be creative after gaining confidence in creating.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: Yes. A Native American saying was taught to me when I lived among the Lumbee Indian tribe as a young adult and I try to remind myself to live by this rule of thumb as I teach it to my students. “ When you find out what is worth keeping, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” Life is too short to be measured in disappointments and regret.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: My favorite part of the day is greeting students because all slates are cleared and a new day with new opportunities awaits us all.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: The mother of a kindergartner student told me that the family was at a weekend event and her daughter recognized the work of an artist that I had covered in class earlier that semester and her grade K student went on to tell the family details about the artist, the work and the style of the piece. I knew then, the answer to the WHY I do this.
Mrs. Jones-Hunt realizes and wishes she could tell her students that she “truly believes she wants more for my students than they may realize they want for themselves.”
Thank you so much to Juandalynn Jones-Hunt for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Carmen Longest, Southwest Guilford Elementary School, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
2021 Extraordinary Educators: Carmen Longest
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Carmen Longest
Carmen Longest has been at Southwest Elementary School for two years. She loves the “large community support and dedicated teachers,” and cites Southwest’s committed teachers as the reason why she has “grown tremendously as an educator” since starting there.
Michelle Thigpen, the principal at Southwest Elementary School, describes Mrs. Longest as “the type of teacher that you dream of for your own child. From the moment you walk into her classroom, you can feel the positive energy from everyone in there. Her excitement to start the day is contagious for both the staff and students.”
In addition to a great atmosphere, Thigpen says Mrs. Longest’s “instructional approach is both engaging and strategic so that all students are provided access to the grade-level standards while she is teaching.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: My 4th grade teacher inspired me to be a teacher. She had a lot of classroom pets and made sure everyone in our classroom had a job to help take care of them. We all had a purpose in her classroom and everyone depended on each other to help. She made the classroom ours, not hers. She made me want to come to school every day by making learning fun and engaging. I knew I wanted to be just like Ms. Hoover when I grew up.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: My teaching style is very student-centered. Once I build relationships with my students, I am able to understand their learning styles. This helps me adjust my lessons to the wide range of student needs in the classroom. Sometimes, this means individualizing the instruction to meet the needs of certain students. As a whole class, the more engaging and fun, the better. We sing and put motions with everything.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: The motto of my classroom is “our class is a family.” Since students spend more time with me and their classmates than their own families, it is important for my students to know they are safe, loved, and respected. Creating this motto in our classroom allows for a space where students feel safe to make mistakes, celebrate what makes us unique, and allows them to learn from each other. I love it when the Kindergartners make their own reference to our class family all year. They will tell me how much they missed our class family over break or even hold each other accountable by telling another classmate “we don’t treat our family like that.”
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: The best part of my day is greeting the students as they enter my classroom. As the students stagger in, I am able to greet them with a hug, smile or a short, personal conversation, which lets them know how happy I am to see them. Greeting each child helps start our day on the right foot.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: As educators, we have memorable moments every day. I love seeing the light bulb come on with students who have been struggling to understand a concept or when Kindergarteners read their first book on their own. There is nothing like seeing a Kindergartener’s face light up after they read their very first book!
If Mrs. Longest could tell students’ parents anything, she would tell them “ it takes a village. Teachers need your support and a positive attitude towards school and involvement. We cannot do our job without you.”
If she could tell her students anything, she would say “learning is fun! I tell my students every day that we have something fun planned. Sometimes it is something simple like reading a favorite story with funny voices and other times we are making our own compost jars and having a royal tea party! Whatever the activity, the students always have a positive attitude while learning.”
Thank you so much to Carmen Longest for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
Caitlyn Polito, Oak Hill Elementary, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
2021 Extraordinary Educators: Caitlyn Polito
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
Caitlyn Polito
The 2021-2022 academic year will be Caitlyn Polito’s third year at Oak Hill Elementary School. She “enjoys working with our students and families” and she “also has a great team of educators who she gets to learn from every day.”
Candice Bailey, the principal at Oak Hill Elementary School, describes Mrs. Polito as an “energetic educator” who is “hard-working, dedicated, and caring.”
Bailey states that Mrs. Polito “always goes the extra mile for students and works tirelessly to ensure students have access to the curriculum.”
During remote learning, she “supported the EL students and even volunteered to bring a small group of students to the building to support their learning when they were unable to access the internet from their homes.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: I’ve always been inspired by the potential of working with young people and the positive impact they will have on our world’s future.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: I’m a bilingual educator, and I’ve always valued incorporating the strengths of our students’ cultures, home lives, and any other languages spoken into our classroom community. When students know that you see them as a whole, complete person, that fosters a positive relationship where students feel seen, heard and understood. My goal is for my leadership style to be relationship-oriented, culturally competent, and trauma-informed.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: My philosophy is that every student learns every day. I will educate myself and grow professionally however I need to ensure the success of every student. I know that having an effective teacher is the most influential variable in a student’s learning, and I hold myself to a high standard of excellence in order to ensure that every student learns every day.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: My favorite part of my job has always been reading with students. I love being a part of their literacy journey and to see their pride as their reading skills improve. Getting the right book into a student’s hands that makes them excited to read is always a home run moment for me.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: Years after I’ve taught students, they’ve invited me to their high school graduations. I’m always so proud of their commitment to their education, and it’s special to share that moment with their families.
If Mrs. Polito could tell students’ parents anything, she would tell them she has “so much respect for what they do at home” and she is “working hard for their children to have the best education at school.”
If she could tell her students anything, she would say that “being a part of their lives is absolutely the best part of mine. I wish every student the bright, successful future of their dreams.”
Thank you so much to Caitlyn Polito for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
To find out more about High Point Schools Partnership and our work, please visit our Facebook page and check out our page on Guilford Education Alliance’s website.
Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
April Glover, Southwest Guilford Middle School, awarded High Point Extraordinary Educator by the High Point School Schools Partnership at High Point Country Club, High Point, N.C., Friday, August 20, 2021. (Lynn Hey photo)
2021 Extraordinary Educators: April Glover
Great communities have great schools. High Point Schools Partnership creates impactful connections between our schools and the wider community to ensure students and their families are supported and can reach their full potential in High Point schools.
Part of High Point Schools Partnerships’ mission is to improve the image of our schools through storytelling. Who better to tell the stories of High Point’s schools than the people experiencing it first-hand? In this series of eight articles, we will highlight our 2021 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
April Glover
April Glover started her career at Southwest Guilford Middle School in the mid-1990s and returned to the school in 2017. She loves “the Southwest community” and has “enjoyed working with many students, families, leaders, and amazing co-workers throughout the years.”
Southwest Guilford Middle School’s principal, Arlisa Armond, says “Mrs. April Glover is a graceful, connective, and insightful educational leader who effectively connects with students and colleagues. She guides us all to greater heights. Laser-focused and passionate, Mrs. Glover is always looking for new opportunities to contribute to the growth of students, staff, and structures of our school.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: My family and many teachers along the way who took the time to truly care about me, build relationships and invest in who I could become, modeled for me how serving others could impact lives. These people truly cared about me. Caring about others and selflessly serving others continues to inspire me daily as an educator. My “bucket” gets filled by helping others whether it’s in the classroom or out in the community.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: To sum it up in one word, relationships! Building good relationships is the key to everything in life. Students want to feel valued just as much as adults do. When we take the time to invest in the lives of others through our conversations and acts of serving others, we build trust, confidence, and self-worth. Think about it, isn’t it easier to do your best when you are surrounded by people who believe in you, people who equip you with the tools you need, and people who encourage you to become a better version of yourself?
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Always be kind, helpful, loving, supportive, understanding, caring, considerate, respectful, and patient. If we all live by this and strive to do this every single day, our classroom becomes a safe place for students to learn, make mistakes, and have the opportunity to grow from those mistakes. Our classrooms can model these behaviors and then hopefully students will carry this with them and continue to positively impact our communities for many years to come.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: The best part of my day is being with the students! The more time I have to build a relationship with them, the better. Students need teachers and other adults in their lives that they can trust, that care about them and believe they can succeed. When others believe you can, you start to gain confidence and truly believe that you can succeed too. This is so important for all students.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: This is a tough question because there have been so many! I’ve spent many years in the classroom, in leadership roles, and helping coach sports. My favorite memorable moments definitely include building strong relationships, working hard but having a good time, and being able to laugh with my students. These times make the moments when a student finally “gets it” and you see that smile and confidence emerging even sweeter.
Mrs. Glover wishes she could tell her students and their parents, “Thank you for partnering with me, trusting me with your children, and for being willing to help them grow in so many ways. Students, thank you for striving to treat others the way you want to be treated, working hard even when you didn’t want to, for believing in yourself, for asking questions, and for never giving up. These qualities will take you far in life and if you apply them to everything you do, you most certainly will achieve your hopes and dreams. If you ever need anything, I’m here for you.”
Thank you so much to April Glover for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2021 Extraordinary Educator!
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Article written by High Point Schools Partnership Staff
