GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — An English teacher from Guilford County Schools was named North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year Friday.
Leah Carper, teacher at Northern Guilford High School was named the 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
“It takes a special teacher to understand what really interests and motivates high school students,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said
Carper aims to go the extra-mile as an educator by tailor making her approach to what often works best for her students.
“My classroom isn’t just my classroom; it’s theirs too,” Carper said. “No matter what, I’m always willing to try something new, creative, weird, or random if I think it will effectively grab and keep the attention and imagination of my students.”
“Whether in character as Grammar Grandma, Mr. Eddie Kit or Detective Context, Carper is continually finding new ways to captivate her student audience," GCS superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras said. "Her students see through the wacky personas and receive the message that Carper will go to great lengths to reach them, whether in the classroom or through the lens of a webcam. This commitment to her students shines through and truly gives them the confidence to feel safe and accepted in her classroom.”
Northern Guilford High School principal Janiese McKenzie said Carper can engage with all students from ones who are struggling to others who are academically gifted.
She has been an English teacher at Northern Guilford High since 2016. Carper started her teaching career back in 2006 at Western Guilford High after earning a bachelor’s degree in English education from UNC-Greensboro.
She also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Queens University of Charlotte.
Carper aims to create a safe space for her students while in the classroom.
“I want them to feel like if they have a question or a comment, they are safe to share it. I want them to feel safe to express if they’re struggling emotionally and need an extension on an assignment. I want them to feel like our classroom is a safe place to laugh and express themselves, because when they feel safe, they can learn,” she said.
As Teacher of the Year, Carper will spend the next school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching profession as supported by Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, according to the NC Department of Public Instruction.
State officials said Carper also will serve as an advisor to the State Board of Education for two years and as a board member for the NC Public School Forum for one year.
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