It's National Teacher Appreciation Day.
Today, we travel to Fairfield
County to recognize a math teacr
who has nearly three decades of
experience in the classroom.
Those who nominated him
describe him as dedicated,
innovative, caring and connecte.
Today's News 19 Teacher of the Week is Mr.
Kyreem Oaks.
Everybody bring it in.
Just like a quarterback
calling plays in the huddle.
I see a 17. I see a 13.
Kareem Oaks uses numbers instead
of X's and O's to get his team
of 4th graders at Fairfield
Elementary School beating
problems with solutions. I see
8421430462145.
It's a No Tech Tuesday across the district,
so his students have put away tr
computers and gone back to learg
the way kids did the year Mr.
Oaks was born. In 1974.
Now, what does equivalent mean?
If something's equivalent,
that means it's what that means.
It's equal. That means it's
the same check, all right.
After 27 years in education,
he says he understands how
important his role is as a
black man in the classroom.
From first hand experience
coming up, I don't think I havee
black male teacher until I actuy
got to CA Johnson High School.
That's when I have my first.
And it was a science class.
That I was fortunate to have
another one as I went into coll,
but all through elementary years
never had a black male teacher.
We are important because we say
to the young black men that you
are capable of so much more.
That there are other things that
you can dream and aspire to bece
other than just the athlete,
other than just the rapper,
other than just someone in
the entertainment field.
But you can aspire to affect
lives in a positive way.
I like the classroom environment
to be an Oasis for my students.
I like to be their home away from home,
their safe place,
the space where they can come
feel comfortable and relax.
And so you'll find shoes off.
You may find them working,
laying on the ground underneath the table.
Whatever it is,
As long as they're getting their work
and they're not bothering anyon,
then they're free to enjoy the space.
And in the moments when maybe it feels
like they're not watching you, .
Oakes, they are everybody
show me again, what does it
do? And if you ever feel like
they think it's all about math,
they know it isn't.
It's not about math.
It's about what Love Oaks is,
a Richland School District 1 gr,
father of three,
the current Fairfield Elementary
School Teacher of the Year.
And today he can add this to his resume.
I'm Darcy with WLTX. You are ter
of the week. Congratulations.
If we don't know anything aboutr
work and we start to cry or anything,
he come over and he tell us stuf
and he tell us like nice stuff o
help us get back up on our feet.
And he's really, he's really nie
and I would never want him to go
because he said today he said he would
never give us up for anything, t
I treat them as if they are my .
And they know that.
And they'll tell you.
Their parents will tell you that
through the conversations we ha,
as well as our interaction,
I just feel like the Sky's the limit.
We're gonna do some great thingd
continue to continue to empowere
students and support families as well.
So the way the baby said they gotta love him,
Baby said he wouldn't give us ur
anything, Darcy and I both went.
I did that When I heard her
say the first time she said,
you know sometimes if you feel like crying,
you know cuz math makes me cry .
Baby. I understand Jordan.
Right? Math makes me cry. Mr.
Oaks gonna get you back on your feet.
He's gonna he's gonna
give you that tough love.
He's gonna get you there.
And I love
it that he meets the kids
where there are they are.
And he says you could take off r
shoes You can lie under the tab.
As long as you're learning you u
know do it how it comes natural.
Right. And I love today was it was the
first tech Tuesday in Fairfield County.
Right. So Mr. Oaks told him,
listen, pencils or technology t.
So we're not even. Using pencils
today was bananas in that class.
But they were learning.
They were learning. I
love it. So if you know somebody
who is an inspiration like Mr.
Oaks, you just have to send us
an e-mail to W at WLTX Comm.
Tell us why that teacher deservs
to be recognized and you might
just see them selected as our
News 19 Teacher of the Week.