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 articles, we will highlight our 2022 High Point Extraordinary Educators as we dive deeper into what keeps them motivated in the face of constant challenges.
2022 Extraordinary Educator: Almelia Byrd
Almelia Byrd started her teaching career at Kearns Academy 10 years ago. She stays because of her great colleagues and administrators. The rapport she has with my colleagues is second to none. They have many students who she has developed a great relationship with. To Byrd, relationship-building is an integral part of the teaching/learning process.
Bryan Johnson, the principal at Kearns Academy, describes Ms. Byrd as ”demanding of her students, but also caring and willing to help students achieve a goal.” She “cares about all her students and genuinely wants the best outcomes for them, not just in the classroom, but in life.”
According to Johnson, Ms. Byrd “provides rigorous and challenging content to students” she “serves on the school leadership team and has worked with new teachers when called upon.”
Ms. Byrd wants her students to know “It is my goal as a teacher for every student that I teach to leave my classroom and become successful in life.”
She goes on to say “it is my hope for each student to become citizens who can contribute positively to the society.”
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: The inspiration that led me to become a teacher was my love for math. I wanted to become a math teacher because some of my greatest moments in school were learning new concepts in math class. I pursued a career in education, particularly math education because I wanted to share my knowledge and expertise with others. I also wanted to be on the same schedule as my children.
Q: What’s your teaching/leadership style?
A: At the beginning of each academic year I try to create a classroom climate that is conducive to learning. In doing so I have developed a great relationship with my students. In terms of leadership, I have clear expectations and guidelines that students should follow. Teenagers like consistency, and I try to provide that for them.
Q: Do you have a classroom motto or philosophy you abide by? Why?
A: The teaching-learning process is a partnership between many stakeholders, two of them being teachers and students. My philosophy as a teacher is to respect my students and they in turn respect me. Trust and respect breed better communication in the classroom.
Q: What’s your favorite part about every day?
A: When a student gets what I am teaching. When students understand concepts or have what I call “eureka moments” they experience a sense of accomplishment. It does the same for me and gives me a feeling of triumph.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment as an educator?
A: I have had many memorable moments as an educator. One of the most memorable moments as a teacher was having a student who was very mean and did not want to talk to me. One day, I told her how great she was in math. From that day forward, she loved me and performed well for me. She took on a new persona from hearing positive words. As educators, our job is to motivate and inspire students in the classroom
Q: Is there any other information you would like us to share with the community?
A: I want the community to know that as an educator I welcome their support in assisting us to become the best educators we can be. I also want the community to know that I love teaching and the students mean a lot to me. People always ask me “how do I like teaching at an Academy and how are the kids?” I tell them that teaching at an Academy is great because of our class sizes. I let them know that kids are the same everywhere you go. In order to be effective in the classroom, you must love teaching and give students the support they need.
Ms. Byrd is just one of High Point’s 2022 Extraordinary Educators. Tune in for the next few weeks to hear more stories and inspiring moments from our local teachers!
Thank you so much to Almelia Byrd for your dedication to High Point’s students. Congratulations on being selected as your school’s 2022 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
