A number of New Hanover County Schools teachers have been recognized recently.
Jay Robinson, a home/hospital teacher for the school district, has been named the county’s 2015 Exceptional Children's Teacher of Excellence by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
A graduate of University of North Carolina Wilmington in 1988, Robinson began his career as a middle school teacher and chose to become a home/hospital teacher after eight years of teaching. He has been an educator in this capacity for the past 19 years, according to a news release.
Robinson “has proven to be a leader on the home/hospital team and has developed processes to further support of students,” the release stated, adding that he has coached school staff members to help students make the transition from homebound schooling to the classroom.
During the 2014-15 school year, Robinson also developed an instructional program for a student who had to be removed from a traditional school building because of severe behaviors and continued working with the student in a variety of teaching settings until the student could be reintroduced to a more normal school environment.
“Mr. Robinson demonstrated a high level of creativity, handiness, and behavioral expertise throughout this process,” the release stated.
In a separate release, the school district announced that five of its teachers have been chosen as Beginning Teacher Promise of Leadership Award recipients by the Watson College of Education at UNCW.
The teachers are Bobby Garcia of Williston Middle School, Patrick Holder of Virgo Preparatory Academy, Johnathan Locklear of Hoggard High School, Jasmin Rode of Rachel Freeman Elementary School of Engineering and Valerie Taylor of Hoggard High School. They will collaborate with Watson College of Education professors to design professional development sessions which they will present to fellow beginning teachers during the spring Beginning Teacher Professional Development Day.
The Beginning Teacher Promise of Leadership Award, according to the release, is designed to provide professional growth opportunities and support for excellent beginning teachers.
A third news release from the school district announced that five New Hanover county Schools educators have recently achieved National Board Certification.
The newly board-certified teachers are Lindsay Badour and Megan Geer, both of Pine Valley Elementary School; Danielle Greer and Catherine Quick, both of Sunset Park Elementary School; and Jeremy Mathews, Anderson Elementary School.
Twenty other district teachers renewed their certifications as well, the release stated.
Currently the district has more than 400 National Board-Certified teachers “and continues to be among the leaders in the state with a high number of NBCTs,” according to the release.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization devoted to advancing the quality of teaching and learning.
“Its mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards; advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers,” the release stated.
