There were so many new teachers we did not have enough room for them in the print edition. Read about them below:
Andrew Copeland
Psychology
Q: If you could bring back one person from the dead, who would it be?
A: Abraham Lincoln, because he slayed those vampires.
Lakeisha Fuller
Mathematics
Q: Do you prefer swimming in lakes or in oceans?
A: Neither, they both have creatures.
Nicole Hines
Counselor
Q: Ketchup, Mustard, or Mayonnaise?
A: Ketchup, because it goes on all things and mayonnaise has way too much fat. I can’t do that.
Terry Jones
Mathematics
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to a crowd of thousands of people, what would it be?
A: Stay focused on your goals, regardless of what outside people have to say, and keep that tunnel vision- all the while, make sure to accept help along the way.
Earthwind Moreland
Personal Fitness
Q&A: See “Earthwind set to fire up Grady football’ at https://thesoutherneronline.com/frontpage/?p=29853
Melvin Bridges Jr.
Mathematics
Q: What is your favorite Starbucks drink?
A: I don’t drink a lot of coffee, so it would have to be something very sweet, like a caramel machiatto.
Khristal Pace
Mathematics
Q: If you could teach any person in the world, who would it be?
A: I would have to say Mickey Mouse. I have always just been a Mickey fan.
Elaine Toyer
Mathematics and History
Q: If you were stuck on a deserted island, who would you want to be there with you?
A: Denzel Washington—he just has it all. He would make the whole experience not so bad.
Talyssa Tulsie
Mathematics
Q: If you could go back and change any decision that you have made, which one would it be?
A: I wouldn’t change anything that I’ve done because what I have done has helped me to grow. You learn from your mistakes.
Luke Esposito
Physics
Q&A: See “20 Questions for Luke Esposito” at www.thesoutherneronline.com
Zakiyya Johnson
Nurse
Q: What is your biggest goal in life?
A: Right now it is to earn my Associate’s Degree in Nursing, which will require a one year course and then passing the state boards of nursing in order to get licensed.
Danah Richardson
English and Latin
Q: If you could go back to one period of history, which one would it be?
A: Definitely the 80’s. They were fun, modern and had extremely good music.
Christal Presley
Writing, English and Yearbook
Q: What is your greatest struggle right now?
A: Trying to navigate infinite campus.
Tony Davis
Marketing
While many teachers prefer to stick to the textbook, Grady’s new marketing teacher Burnice Tony Davis uses his multifarious years in the financial sector as the engine of his curriculum. Davis worked as a loan processor for seven years prior to even setting foot in the classroom.
“It was cool to go out and get a loan for 65-year olds that only made $10,000 a year,” Davis said. “I just loved seeing them smile when I gave them the keys to their first home.”
After double-majoring in marketing and finance at North Carolina State University, Davis decided that it was time to start the profession of his dreams. He was an active member of the community relations team at his high school, so the chance to help with the less fortunate and elderly while also working in the financial sector was picture perfect. Often times, however, Davis faced challenges that were difficult to overcome.
“At times, I was in dire straights and not really making a lot of money,” Davis said. “So I always tell my students that they have the opportunity to recoup their years, no matter if they make a mistake at the age of 17.”
Davis employs his personal experiences in the financial sector as a method of engaging and building student interest, but other classroom techniques date all of the way back to his high school years. Davis remembers his Quantitative Methods class as the most rigorous class that he has ever taken. In that “business-calculus” class, his teacher utilized unique independent study techniques that have stuck with Davis to this day.
“I will always give props to Dr. Woo,” Davis said. “In my class, I set aside a period of time, just like he did, where students cannot ask me questions and have to work out problems on their own. It not only helps students become more independent, but it helps the class come together to solve a problem.”
Davis originally transferred from the financial sector to education for the benefit of his own children. He believed that the only way to prevent his parental impulse to complain was to actively improve the system himself. Davis hopes to foster a yearning for knowledge in his students rather than just teaching to a test. While it has been a dynamic transition, Davis said that he has loved every minute of his job in the classroom.
“Academics [are] the easy part,” Davis said. “The hard part is getting a student to buy in to the total picture, and that has to include what they need to do in life. A lot of teachers get caught up in lectures, but I’m the type of person who tries to make students well-rounded.”
