Upbeat teacher takes top honor
Published: December 12, 2005
Attitude often has everything to do with how a person is perceived by others.
Jay Strope’s freshman AVID students believe his attitude sets him apart from other teachers. That’s why he’s worthy, they say, of being Onslow County Teacher of the Year.
“Every one of his students â?¦ appreciates his attitude,” freshman Jamal Butler said. “He’s not hardcore like some teachers. He also lets us have some fun.”
Strope, who’s been a teacher for the past seven years, is a native of West Virginia. He teaches world history, AVID and civics at Southwest High School, where he’s worked for the past five years. Last month, he was named the county schools’ top teacher for 2005.
“I always knew I would be a (history) teacher because of the teachers I had in high school who I could tell loved the subject and loved their students,” Strope said. “We all know history, if left unchecked, repeats itself.”
People have much to learn from others’ experiences, he said. It’s a theme he finds himself referencing often in his ongoing effort to keep students motivated and interested.
“Kids today can look back at the Civil Rights Movement and learn about the struggles,” Strope said. “I always point out in the videos and through other lessons that it was young people - college and high school students - during the ’60s and ’70s making a difference.”
Students today can relate to that, he said, and think, “Wow, someone like me can have so much power.”
An extra push
That “attitude” Strope’s students talk about manifests in several forms. Sure, they like that he makes learning more fun, but some give him credit for making them more resourceful.
“If we have problems, he helps us - even if it’s from another class,” Butler said.
Moreover, they say his encouragement and belief in their abilities helps them understand why he pushes them to succeed.
“He gives us determination and encourages us in everything we do,” freshman Crystal Franceskino said. “He tries to explain things so we can understand them and pushes us until we get to where we need to be, or where he thinks we need to be.
“He always tells us we can do it even when we say we can’t.”
That may be the thing his students appreciate most.
“All we need to do is guide them along,” Strope said. “Rather than me being the only source of information, I direct them to other sources. They process the information, and we figure out the answers together.”
‘A role model’
When he was named teacher of the year, Strope said he was shocked. After, he couldn’t say enough nice things about his colleagues.
“I tell people I am not even the best teacher in my department, I just happen to be the one they selected,” he said. “I know I’m a good teacher, but I work with fantastic teachers.
“I consider being compared to them as such an honor.”
He described a good teacher as someone who can motivate students and facilitate learning.
“A good teacher is more than having competence in subject matter, he must be able to serve as a positive role model to the students,” Strope said.
“It’s no longer just standing in front of a classroom and lecturing.”
Strope’s name now goes into competition for the Southeast Region Teacher of the Year. If he’s selected, Strope would compete for North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
Meanwhile he will continue to do what he does best: inspire his students. Strope is also working on becoming a school administrator. He is close to completing coursework for a master’s degree at East Carolina University.
“I try to make the subject matter as interesting and as real as possible,” he said.
“If I can show a student that what we are learning today affects them, I have a good chance of reaching them.”
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