Golden Apple Award, Joseph Mayo, Hunter Middle School
OOLTEWAH, TN (WDEF) – Joseph Mayo wears several hats at Hunter Middle School. He’s a talented teacher and a capable coach. Mr. Mayo is also passionate about improving students’ lives. All that added up to this week’s Golden Apple Award.
Heidi Moses is the Principal at Hunter Middle.
She says, “Mr. Mayo is definitely one of a kind. He is our IDs teacher, and so he has students in sixth seventh and eighth grade,which is great because he is able to make an impact in our whole school.”
Josh Goslowsky is the Assistant Principal at Hunter Middle.
He explains, ” Mr. Mayo works hard every day to come in and give 110% of what he does. He takes time to get to know the students, and the families and to help provide an individualized education for his students, and we could not do what we do without people like him.”
When asked to describe himself, Mr. Mayo said, “Joseph Mayo, I don’t know love sports. I fell into teaching accidentally and falling in love with the exceptional education. It’s the kids. They’re easy to love.”
He continues, “I married my high school sweetheart. We’ve been together for, it’ll be 21 years in December, we’ve been married. We have one child that goes to Hunter Middle School, also he’s an eighth grade student here. He volunteers in the Exceptional Education Program and loves the kids too. I got a couple of my student aids. We like to bring, we like to have student aids so we can grow compassion and understanding and, and have kids come in build relationships, you know.”
Principal Moses adds, “His classroom is also unique that he has student aids um from our regular general education classes, that partner with him to um peer with these students, um and show them the way we do things at Hunter. Um and so those relationships that we see bond, are ones that that last a lifetime.”
Angela Reed is an exceptional education teacher at Hunter Middle.
She says, “It’s a great classroom. We have a good time and lots of lots of fun and learning. Just the way he works with our students. And he’s always willing to help them any way he can.”
Fellow exceptional education teacher Melanie Collins adds, “Well, Mr. Mayo is quite a blessing, and one of the biggest things he has the most important ingredient to teaching or to life and that’s love. And he has genuine love for the kids for all for all the students. And we are so happy to see him being honored and celebrated today.”
Mr. Mayo concludes, “I wanted to be a history teacher and just on a whim I took a job as an assistant in an exceptional education class. And two weeks into it, I messaged my wife, and I was like I’m switching to special education. And she said slow down a little bit and make sure that that’s what you want to do. And I never looked back. I love them. They matter to me, and I’ll do anything for them.”
