>>MELANIE LAWSON: ALL WEEK WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING ARE 5 FINALISTS FOR THIS YEAR’S
VYSTAR DUVAL COUNTY TEACHER OF
THE YEAR AWARD. THE WINNER
WILL BE ANNOUNCED DURING THE
EMMY AWARDS GALA WHICH IS
SCHEDULED FOR NEXT FRIDAY.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOP
FINALISTS. ALL AMAZING
TEACHERS THAT ARE GOING ABOVE
AND BE MAKING SURE THAT OUR
KIDS ARE ENGAGED AND EXCITING,
EXCITED ABOUT EDUCATION. AND
WE REALLY WANT TO GIVE YOU A
CHANCE TO MEET THEM AND MAYBE
GET SOME INSPIRATION YOURSELF.
SO JULIA, MY SHEBA TO GET
RIGHT? YES. YES, A TEACHER WHO
TEACHES MATH AND PHYSICS AT
ANDREW JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THINK
IT IS ALWAYS EXCITING TO ME.
THE TEACHERS WHO ARE JUST
DOING THE WORK PERIOD AND THEN
ONES THAT ARE BEING RECOGNIZED
HOW EXCEPTIONAL THEY ARE. YOU
SHOULD BE VERY PROUD. THINK,
YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN SUCH A
REALLY GREAT RIDE SO FAR ONLY
MY 4TH YOUR TEACHINGS. YES,
THEN REALLY COOL TO SEE ALL OF
THE TEACHERS FROM THE DISTRICT
AND SEE WHAT EVERYONE’S DOING.
YEAH, LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE
PHYSICS, NOT REALLY ALWAYS
EASY IS MIND BLOWING.
SOMETIMES. BUT THEN YOU SAID,
YOU KNOW YOUR MATH, A LOT OF
THE KIDS OR REMEDIAL. SO YOU
KIND OF HAVE TO USE DIFFERENT
STRATEGIES TO GET THEM
ENGAGED. AND ULTIMATELY THE
GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, LET’S LET’S
GET THIS EXACTLY AS IT’S GREAT
CHALLENGE BECAUSE I GET TO
WORK WITH THE REAL KIDS. I GET
TO WORK WITH THE ADVANCED KIDS
AND MY GOAL. REALLY AS A
TEACHER, IT’S NOT TO GET THE
WORD INSPIRE. LIKE I DON’T
WANT TO INSPIRE THE KIDS. I
DON’T WANT TO BRING SOMETHING
OUTSIDE OF FROM THEM. REALLY
WHAT MY JOB IS TO MAKE THEM
BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES. YEAH.
SO YOU NEED TO BELIEVE THAT
YOU CAN BE A SCIENTIST. YOU TO
BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THESE
NUMBERS AND CRAZY LETTERS ON
THIS PAGE ARE NOT GOING TO
INTIMIDATE YOU. YOU NEED TO
BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF
KIDS JUST BY NATURE ARE
COMMITTED BY MAP. AND THEN
SOMETIMES THEY DON’T HAVE THE
FAMILY OR THE PARENTS THAT CAN
SUPPORT THEM IN THAT WAY. SO
HOW DO YOU KIND MAKE SURE THAT
WHAT THEY’RE LEARNING AND
CLASSROOM DOES TRANSFER INTO
WHAT THEY TAKE HOME WITH THEM
AS WELL. SO ONE OF MY BIG
THINGS IS BRINGING IN PEOPLE
FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
INSIDE OF A CLASSROOM. SO I
ALWAYS TRY AND HAVE GUESTS
COME IN TO TALK TO MY KIDS
ABOUT THEIR CAREERS AND TALK
ABOUT HOW DOES MATH ACTUALLY
RELATE TO SOMETHING THAT THEY
WANT TO DO? FOR EXAMPLE, IT
HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE MATH
IN ORDER TO CREATE OUR
PASSWORDS AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE SAFE ONLINE? HOW ARE WE
GOING TO USE PHYSICS FOR
EXAMPLE, HAD GUESTS FROM THE
NAVY COME IN THE PAST YEAR.
YEAH, THEY’RE USING ALL OF THE
PHYSICS IN ORDER TO NUCLEAR
REACTORS IN THE SUBMARINES AND
RIGHT AND MAKING IT REAL
TANGIBLE THAT THEY CAN SEE.
YES, AND IT’S NOT SOMETHING
THAT I’M THEIR TEACHER THAT
THEY SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEY KNOW ME LIKE PARENTS KNOW
THIS TEACHERS KNOW THE RIGHT
USE. YOU TELL THE KIDS ALL
THESE GOOD THINGS, YOU
MOTIVATE THEM. YOU DO THESE
THINGS. BUT IF YOU BRING
SOMEONE IN THAT, IT’S COMING
FROM THE OUTSIDE HAS DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCES HOLY FAMILY.
ACTUALLY. EXACTLY. SO I YOU
CAN WRITE ON YOURSELF. YOU’RE
READY. I KNOW THAT’S A HARD
FOR SOMETIMES THE TEACHERS
THAT ANYBODY TO DO. BUT WHAT
DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT YOU
THAT GOT YOU THIS UP THIS
OPPORTUNITY AS A FINALIST? I
REALLY THINK THAT IT’S. I
MEAN, I LOVE MY AND IT’S HARD
TO BRAG ON YOURSELF BECAUSE
I’M NOT IN IT FOR MYSELF, BUT
I REALLY DO THINK THAT ALL THE
SUPPORT THAT I’VE GOTTEN FROM
ALL OF MY OTHER TEACHERS. I
WORK AT THE BEST SCHOOL WITH
THE BEST PEOPLE ANDREW JACKSON
AND I REALLY DO THINK THAT
IT’S ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT
I’VE GOTTEN. IT’S ASKING FOR
HELP AND HAVING PEOPLE
UNDERSTANDING THAT. AS A
COMMUNITY. JACKSONVILLE
VALUES, EDUCATION. IF I REACH
OUT AND I ASK SOMEONE, HEY, I
DON’T KNOW THE MOST ABOUT DONE
BASIC CODING MOST ABOUT
CODING. BUT MY KIDS ARE
INTERESTED IN WHEN YOU COME IN
AND TALK TO MY KIDS, 99 ON THE
TIME PEOPLE SAY YES, ASKING
FOR HELP, CERTAINLY HELPS. I
CAN TELL YOU TO TO
CONVERSATION. YOU HAVE A NICE
ABOUT YOU AND I’M SURE THOSE
KIDS, THEY RELATE TO YOU
COMPLETELY AND YOU MAKE IT
SEEM LIKE SOMETHING THEY CAN
ACCOMPLISH AND NOT OVER THEIR
HEAD.
>> SO I’M GONNA GIVE YOU THAT
COMPLIMENTS ON SINCE YOU’RE
NOT REALLY GIVEN MANY, BUT I
TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. AND
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD. GOOD
LUCK TO YOU. AND THE OTHER 4
FINALISTS. SO TUNE IN EVERY
DAY THIS WEEK AS WE INTRODUCE
YOU TO ALL OF THEM, THEY’RE
INSPIRATIONAL STORIES. WHY
THEY DO WHAT THEY DO, HOW THEY
ARE HELPING OUR KIDS GROW AND
MAYBE WE’LL TAKE A NUGGET TO
TRY IT. I SAY FROM YOU, WE’D
SAY GET OUTSIDE RESOURCES AND
TRY TO MOTIVATE OUR KIDS