What’s Right With Our Schools: Fund for Teachers, Thrasher’s Ricky McEvoy
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (WDEF) – The best educators never stop learning. As the world continues to shrink, another country can be great place to get new ideas. Fund for Teachers is a globe-trotting example of what’s right with our schools.
Ricky McEvoy is an E-LAB teacher at Thrasher Elementary.
He explains,” Fund for teachers is an incredible opportunity. I mean, it’s unique. It’s going to be different for everybody. You’re going to meet people from around the world who have views similar and not similar, just new approaches to problems. It’s a chance to also just get away and learn in a new environment because out of your comfort zone you’re going to be a little vulnerable because you’re always working around language. There’s issues with language, and it really makes you focus. It really makes you open up to others. You’re going to start feeling a lot of empathy for people who don’t understand when they come here because you’re going through that there, and I would encourage everybody to do it.”
He continues, ” It’s the 21st century, and we need to provide, and people want their kids to have 21st century skills. Workplaces want their employees to have this, and in order to do that, we have to make a 21st century classroom and post COVID that’s going to include a lot of SEL where we’re going to start focusing on these. Kids have to learn how social awareness, empathy, their social skills and really work on this, not only in the classroom, but collaboration and communication are two things we really focus on right now. And these are important in all we do. Not just in school, but in the workplace, at home and moving forward. Try for it. (if) You don’t get it the first year, rework it, do it again. It is worth the time. It’s worth the investment. Fund for Teachers is an incredible opportunity. I’m very thankful to them and PEF who really helped us in this process and really promote this. It’s an incredible learning opportunity and it’s something you’re not going to get here. I think one of the best parts out of this has been it’s not just what I’ve learned about the subject SEL, but it’s been the networking and the friendships made with people from around the world who are still texting, still in contact with, sharing pictures, sharing stories. It opened, I mean, literally a whole new world of just learning and friendship, and it’s something I’m going to try again, and I’m looking forward to. I’m already looking at other grants to try to put myself out there and learn new things in new areas of the world.”
