2021 Extraordinary Educators: Dan Myers
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.
Dan Myers
Dan Myers started his teaching career at High Point Central High School right out of college. After falling in love with the staff and students, he has kept coming back every year for the last 20 years.
Shelley Nixon-Greene, the principal of High Point Central High School, describes Mr. Myers as a “phenomenal educator, student advocate and person” with a “helpful nature” and “positive outlook.”
According to Nixon-Greene, During remote learning, Mr. Myers embraced the opportunity to learn something new and assisted students with the challenges that arose.
Mr. Myers wants his students to know that “grades do not define you.”
He goes on to say, “There is so much more to a person than their grades or how many advanced classes they complete. It is okay not to have all A’s as long as you are trying your best, exhibiting integrity, working hard, and always working to improve.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: I had so many great teachers growing up and such loving and supportive parents that were behind me every step of the way. I think my parents’ emphasis on education and the dedication I saw in my teachers, especially in high school, inspired me the most. I thoroughly enjoyed the way my mathematics teachers could take difficult topics and break them down in ways that everyone could understand. I wanted to be able to make those same connections and show students that math is not always a bad thing.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: I like to have a laid-back classroom while holding high expectations for my students. They know that I will push them to work hard but that it will also pay off in the future. While I do urge them to push their boundaries and test the limits of their mathematical way of thinking, they also see that I am fair and very willing to help in any way that I can.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: As my grandma would often say, in jest and with a grin, “Don’t be stupid.” While that may sound a bit crass, I always strive to have a strong grasp on my content area to help students see connections with other classes and the real world. To be able to explain to them why something works or where it comes from often emphasizes that they are not just learning something for an upcoming test, rather ways of thinking that will help them beyond the classroom.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: Heading home at the end of a school day to see my wife, Sara, and our animals. I enjoy sharing stories from work and having a little time to decompress and reflect on what worked and what did not each day.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: There are so many memorable moments, but one that jumps to the top of the list is from the first time we held the Mr. HPC contest in 2008. It was supposed to be a comedic spin on a pageant for our senior boys. As with all great pageants, there was a talent portion. The talents ranged from making a pancake on a hotplate to an interpretive ribbon dance. The final act, a real show-stopper, was a live performance of You’re Beautiful by James Blunt, performed by Sam Amos, which he dedicated to me. Along with a personalized final verse, he tore open his button-down shirt to reveal a t-shirt with my name in a heart. The entire place was almost in tears from laughing so hard!
Thank you so much to Dan Myers 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