Mr. Kevin Parker of Morristown West High School has received teacher of the year. Parker has been teaching at Morristown West for five years. He is the sponsor of the newly-formed Cultural Appreciation & Awareness club. He is also a member of the community band at Walters State where he plays French horn. Before starting his teaching career, he attended Walter’s State for two years, and then he transferred to ETSU for two more years. While in college, he majored in Spanish and even studied abroad for a Summer in Spain. Parker has also been to other Spanish speaking countries such as Spain, Peru, and most recently, Colombia. He is planning on visiting Guatemala and Mexico this upcoming Summer.
Parker stated, “As a student, I had many teachers who invested in and pushed me to become a better version of myself. Thus, I wanted to give back by helping others reach their full potential as my teachers had done for me.”
Parker has helped organize meetups between his Spanish 1 and 2 classes and the ELL classes, and they have a day of language exchange and games. Parker stated, “This is an incredible opportunity for students from different backgrounds to use the languages they are learning in class and to make new friends and connections.” Parker shares how he engages all of his students in the learning process. He said, “I try to tailor my lessons to appeal to my students' interests. For example, we are currently studying pre-HIspanic civilizations in Heritage Spanish class since many of my students' ancestries trace back to the Aztecs or Mayans.” Parker commented on how the school's international festival improved the culture of the school. Parker stated “I think the International Night was a huge success for our students and our school. It was uplifting to see so many people from a variety of backgrounds support one another and truly make an effort to learn about and appreciate cultures other than their own.”
Congratulations Mr. Parker!
Comments