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Huntington teacher tells Cabell County Schools meeting that classroom representation matters
Summary
An unnamed sixth-grade math teacher at Huntington's Middle School told the Cabell County Schools meeting that students benefit from seeing role models who look like them and described how her team supports student success.
An unnamed teacher at Huntington's Middle School told a Cabell County Schools meeting that representation in the classroom matters and that she intentionally works to be a role model for students.
The teacher, who identified herself as a sixth-grade math teacher, said education changed her life and that she tries to give students the same opportunity. "I teach at Huntington's Middle School. I teach, sixth grade math. And every day, I am given the opportunity to, build relationships with my students and potentially change lives," she said.
She told the meeting that the school team's support makes coming to work easier and helps sustain her effort in the classroom. "My team's incredible. I always, you know, tell everybody every chance I get that it's not it doesn't matter what school you're at or what you do as a job. It's the people that you work with who truly make a difference, and they are the team that's understanding. They lift me up," she said.
The teacher described the importance of role models who share students' backgrounds and said she now fills that role for several pupils. "There was 1 thing that was always missing. I didn't know it, and it was having a role model in the school system that looked like me. And when when I came here, I realized that I am that role model to several of our students here," she said. She added that some students have approached her to say they had "never seen a black teacher," which she said underscored the value of representation.
She also described classroom practice intended to build student confidence: "I intentionally make sure that they feel successful in my class every day. That way that they can leave my classroom with that win that, hey. I did something successful in her class today. I love my job because of the opportunity that I get to have an impact on students' lives."
The remarks were delivered as public comment; no formal action or vote on the issue was recorded during the segment provided.
