>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ALL WEEK LONG. WE ARE REVEALING THE 5 FINALISTS FOR THE 2022 VYSTAR
DUVAL COUNTY TEACHER OF THE
YEAR AWARD AND EACH WILL
APPEAR HERE ON THE MORNING
SHOW DURING THE 8 O’CLOCK
HOUR. THE FIRST IS MISTER NICK
NELSON. HE IS A SECOND GRADE
TEACHER AT SABLE PALM
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HE WAS
SURPRISED SCHOOL WITH THE NEWS
THAT HE’D MADE THE FINALIST
LIST.
♪
LIST. ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> FORTUNATE YOU ARE HE IS NOW
ONE OF THE TOP TEACHER OF THE
>>LENA PRINGLE: WHAT AN HONOR.
MISTER NELSON JOINING US NOW
LIVE VIA ZOOM THIS MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. CONGRATULATIONS.
>> GOOD MORNING, JENNIFER.
THANK YOU SO REALLY WOULDN’T
BE HERE WITHOUT MY AMAZING
FAMILY. AND THAT’S ABLE AND OF
COURSE, MY WIFE AND SON.
>> ALL THAT HELPED ME
THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY HAS
BEEN MAY I ASK THAT THAT THE
YOUNG BOY THAT CAME UP AND WAS
THAT YOUR SON OR WAS THAT A
STUDENT? THAT WAS MY SON.
THAT’S ISAAC. YES, HE NOW HAS
HIS MOMENT OF FAME AS WELL
BEING ON TV. SO I’M SURE IT’S
VERY EXCITING AS HE SITS ON
WATCHING THIS.
>>LENA PRINGLE: OKAY. SO LET’S
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
REACTION TO, OF COURSE, THE
PRINCIPAL WAS THERE, BUT WE
SAW DOCTOR DIANA GREENE. I
MEAN, THEY WALKED INTO DUKE
HAD AN OH, MY GOSH. THIS IS
WHAT THIS IS.
>> OH, NO, IT WAS SO MANY
EMOTIONS. I MEAN, ON ITS
THERE’S AN INDELIBLE MOMENT
FOR ME PROFESSIONALLY AND
PERSONALLY, I MEAN, THE FIRST
THE HONOR OF TEACHER OF THE
YEAR SABLE PALM AND THEN
ADVANCING AS A FINALIST
DISTRICT HONORS. HONESTLY, THE
ENTIRE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN A
TESTAMENT TO THE GOOD THINGS
THAT WE’RE DOING THE ON EVERY
DAY. IT IS JUST BEEN TO BE
ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND YOU’VE
BEEN TEACHING FOR 9 YEARS. HAS
IT ALWAYS BEEN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL OR DID SOMETHING DRAW
YOU SPECIFICALLY TO THAT AGE
GROUP?
>> IT’S ALWAYS AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL. I CAN DEFINITELY
ATTRIBUTED TO THE WARMTH AND
SINCERITY. I FELT IN MY
CLASSROOMS AT LONE STAR
ELEMENTARY WAS A YOUNGSTER.
DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP THAT
GOING. AS A TEACHER NOT ABLE
TO PASS THE TORCH FORWARD.
>>LAUREN VERNO: WHAT YOUR
INSPIRATION THEN EVERY DAY AS
YOU HEAD TO CLASS.
>> WELL, GENERALLY, I MEAN,
PEOPLE DRAW THEIR INSPIRATION
FROM ALL TYPES OF PLACES. I
GENERALLY JOURNAL DRUM
INSPIRATION FROM PEOPLE.
PEOPLE ALWAYS DONE GOOD THINGS
THAT CHANGE THINGS FOR THE
BETTER. BUT INITIALLY MY
INSPIRATION CAME FROM MISTER
NOLAN, MY HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY
TEACHER. I GUESS IT IS VERY
WARM AND SINCERE. NOT
SOMETHING I WANT TO IN ANY
THAT I TOOK ON. WHETHER IT BE
TEACHING ARE IN THE BUSINESS
WORLD BUT PEOPLE PEOPLE LIKE
DEBBIE, A FORMER STUDENT OF
SHE HAS GREAT ARTISTIC A BOY
OF MIND THAT I TOP FORMALLY
TRUE MORRIS. HE’S JUST A BOY
THAT NEEDS SOME GUIDANCE AND
SOME COMPASSION. AND THEN MY
BOYS, PRICE AND AREAS WHO I
USED TO WATCH THE BASEBALL
GAMES BECAUSE WHAT WE DO
OUTSIDE THE CONSTANTLY
MATTERS. BUT ULTIMATELY I DRAW
MY INSPIRATION FOR MY SON. IT
SEEMS EXCITEMENT IS WONDERING
EVERY DAY AS IT GETS READY FOR
SCHOOL. THAT’S SO AWESOME. SO
THAT MOTIVATES ME EVERY DAY.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: DOES THAT
HELP YOU? YOU KNOW, HAVING,
YOU KNOW, CHILDREN AND AND
THEY’RE MOVING THROUGH THE
KIND OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
YEARS WILL BE BETTER IN THE
CLASSROOM WITH CHILDREN ARE
ARE RELATED TO YOU.
>> BEING A FATHER CHANGED WHO
I WAS A TEACHER. IT DEFINITELY
GETTING MORE EMPATHY AND
COMPASSION TO EXPERIENCE WHAT
THEY’RE GOING THROUGH,
ESPECIALLY NOW IN THESE
DIFFICULT TIMES. YOU KNOW,
THEY’RE TRUSTING ME TO KEEP
THEIR CHILD SAFE TO SAY WHAT
INTERESTING MY SON’S TEACHERS
TO KEEP HIM SAFE. SO
DEFINITELY GIVES LEVEL PLAYING
FIELD WITH PARENTS AND
TEACHERS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: WELL, MISTER
NELSON, CONGRATULATIONS TO WE
WE LOVE DOING THIS EVERY YEAR
HAVING THE FINAL IT’S ON. PICK
EVERYBODY AT RANDOM, WHOEVER
THEY CAN COME IN AT THOSE
CERTAIN DAY. SO WE’RE JUST SO
HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND
GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY
APPRECIATE IT.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND OF
COURSE, BE SURE TO JOIN
CHANNEL 4 DURING THE 8 O’CLOCK
HOUR TOMORROW FOR THE REST OF
THE WEEK WHERE WE WILL PROFILE
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE 5
TOTAL FINALISTS. AND DON’T
FORGET TO WATCH THE 31ST
ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS LIVE ON
SATURDAY. JANUARY 22ND. IT
BEGINS AT 8 O’CLOCK THAT
NIGHT. AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN
WATCH IT HERE ON CHANNEL 4