TONEY, Ala. — This teacher we're about to meet knew education was her calling when she was just a teen. It started with teaching someone near and dear to her, and that love for teaching has grown ever since.
This week's top teacher is Erica McDonald from Madison Cross Roads Elementary School!
“Education is a place for someone who truly has the heart for children,” said McDonald.
McDonald’s heart for children, goes about some sixteen years. She was inspired by someone special in her life, back in high school.
“To be honest, my Godniece. Seeing like the light, light up in her eyes when I would help her with her homework. That just kind of made me feel whole inside.”
McDonald is a Huntsville native, and earned her degree in Tennessee. “I went to University of Memphis. Graduated there and I taught at a school in North Memphis.”
She later moved back to Madison County. “My family is my main reason. I work hard for them to make sure they’re doing well,” said McDonald.
This is year four for McDonald at Madison Cross Roads. She’s powered through the pandemic and helped kids read.
“The challenge was hard because coming into first grade, you know you’re expecting them to have some type of reading skills, but when I got here, I noticed that a lot of my students didn’t,” said McDonald.
McDonald said she learned some strategies to help her students when she taught Kindergarten. “It gave me some ideas on how to get them on rhymes, and onsets, and how to get them started with sounds and recognition with letters.”
So when she saw improvement, she knew she met her goal.
“It was a more of highlight for me to see that they saw their improvement, that they could be successful. It wasn’t about me, it was all about them and giving them the confidence that ‘Oh my God, I can read.”
“You just got to really love what you do, because every day is different. Every child is different. The behaviors are different. The struggles are different and if you don’t understand how to meet that goal, it’s always good to ask for help. That’s the only way you’re going to grow as a teacher is to ask for help,” added McDonald.
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