Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Local teacher making national headlines
By BARBIE MORSE BURNETTE Staff Writer
Bath Elementary School teacher Ashley Jones was a little nervous at being called into the principal's office after lunch one day.
Jones routinely checks her teacher's box for mail and messages after taking her students to the cafeteria each day. Checking her box as normal one afternoon, Jones was stopped by Principal Pam Hodges who said she needed to ask the sixth grade teacher a question.
"I didn't know what she was going to ask or what I had done," Jones admitted.
Hodges proceeded to ask Jones if she would agree to an interview with the New York Times.
"I was really shocked. I was sort of left stunned for a few minutes," she recalled.
The Times was interested in writing a piece on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program and Jones seemed a perfect candidate.
The Teaching Fellows Program provides a $6,500 per year scholarship for four years to 400 outstanding North Carolina high school seniors. Recipients must be legal residents of North Carolina and citizens of the United States. Upon acceptance of the scholarship, the student agrees to teach for four years following graduation from college in one of North Carolina's public schools or United States Government schools in North Carolina. If the recipient cannot repay the scholarship through service, the loan is repaid to the State with a 10 percent interest.
The Times had originally contacted Laura Bilbro-Berry, a curriculum/staff development coordinator for Beaufort County Schools. Berry is a former teaching fellow and NC Teacher of the Year. The Times, however, wanted to interview a teacher in the classroom. Since Berry now works for central services, she recommended Jones for the interview, though Berry is quoted in the article.
"I hooked him up with Ashley as she was a perfect example of a former Teaching Fellow and a terrific new teacher," Berry commented in an email to the Daily News.
Jones agreed to the interview and New York Times reporter Michael Winerip was on his way to Bath.
"He thought the (Teaching Fellows) program was wonderful and should be national instead of just here in North Carolina because its recruited so many here to North Carolina," Jones said.
And what does Jones think of the program?
"It's an excellent opportunity for anyone wanting to go into the education program. The opportunities given throughout four years of school prepare you better than any college program can."
That is especially true for teachers like Jones, who always knew she wanted a career working with children.
"It's in my blood," she said, because her mother, too, is a local teacher. "I always knew children were going to be a big part of my life everyday."
As far as repaying the state through years of teaching, Jones expects no trouble. She'll probably stick around through at least retirement age, she said.
"I love my job and I enjoy going to work every day and seeing my kids. I'm perfectly happy and content doing this and staying for as long as I can," she said.
In preparation of Winerip's arrival, Jones spoke with her class about etiquette and appropriate behavior prompting one student to ask if a tuxedo would be proper attire for Winerip's visit.
"I wanted them to feel he was coming to see them as much as he was coming to see me," she said.
Winerip wanted to be at the school from the time Jones arrived until the time she left, which can make for a long day since Jones also helps coach the school's basketball and softball teams.
"He hung out in the classroom while I was teaching. He hung out with the kids. He ate lunch with us. Everywhere we went, he was right there," Jones commented.
The kids were impressed. Upon learning that the New York Times is circulated nationwide, the students wanted to know what made them so special, Jones said.
They had no trouble, however, naming what makes Miss Jones so special.
"She's the best teacher in the whole school," claimed 11-year-old Bowen Brooks.
Classmate Shaniqua Cox said she was disappointed she wasn't interviewed by Winerip. "I would of told him she's a really nice teacher, she's really good and really fun. I've learned a lot (from her)."
Bowen wanted to volunteer that Miss Jones taught him that the rain forest stays between 70 and 75 degrees all year round.
Katherine Faucette said Winerip's arrival was different than she anticipated.
"I thought he would be older," she remarked, but admitted she was impressed with the opportunity to meet a reporter, especially one from New York.
She wanted to tell him how much fun Miss Jones makes everything.
Winerip's time with Miss Jones and her sixth graders at Bath Elementary School resulted in an article about eight pages or so into the Times front section of the paper's Dec. 3 edition.
The article begins like this:
"There's lots of excitement when a new young teacher like Ashley Jones comes to a rural school. Here in Beaufort County, in eastern North Carolina, where the cotton fields meet the saltwater marshes of Pamlico Sound, it is hard to find young teachers."
It goes on to say:
"But Miss Jones arrival at Bath Elementary was not totally an act of nature. She is a seed planted by the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program."
The article in its entirety can be read in the New York Times.
"I was really pleased. I felt special seeing my name in a national paper," said Jones, who was also interviewed on the Barry Farber show, a national radio program.
Best for the kids, Jones said, was discovering her age in the Times article. Jones, who is 22, had never revealed her age to her students but told them she would do so on her birthday in April.
"I'm not but 10 years older than they are and I didn't want them to know there's not but that little bit of difference between us."
Besides discovering Jones age, the students delighted in seeing their names or the names of their classmates and teacher in the article. And so did Jones.
"Sometimes, I still look back at it and think that cannot be me in the paper," she said, but quickly added, "Everybody here works just as hard as I do so I'm nobody special."
Jones routinely checks her teacher's box for mail and messages after taking her students to the cafeteria each day. Checking her box as normal one afternoon, Jones was stopped by Principal Pam Hodges who said she needed to ask the sixth grade teacher a question.
"I didn't know what she was going to ask or what I had done," Jones admitted.
Hodges proceeded to ask Jones if she would agree to an interview with the New York Times.
"I was really shocked. I was sort of left stunned for a few minutes," she recalled.
The Times was interested in writing a piece on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program and Jones seemed a perfect candidate.
The Teaching Fellows Program provides a $6,500 per year scholarship for four years to 400 outstanding North Carolina high school seniors. Recipients must be legal residents of North Carolina and citizens of the United States. Upon acceptance of the scholarship, the student agrees to teach for four years following graduation from college in one of North Carolina's public schools or United States Government schools in North Carolina. If the recipient cannot repay the scholarship through service, the loan is repaid to the State with a 10 percent interest.
The Times had originally contacted Laura Bilbro-Berry, a curriculum/staff development coordinator for Beaufort County Schools. Berry is a former teaching fellow and NC Teacher of the Year. The Times, however, wanted to interview a teacher in the classroom. Since Berry now works for central services, she recommended Jones for the interview, though Berry is quoted in the article.
"I hooked him up with Ashley as she was a perfect example of a former Teaching Fellow and a terrific new teacher," Berry commented in an email to the Daily News.
Jones agreed to the interview and New York Times reporter Michael Winerip was on his way to Bath.
"He thought the (Teaching Fellows) program was wonderful and should be national instead of just here in North Carolina because its recruited so many here to North Carolina," Jones said.
And what does Jones think of the program?
"It's an excellent opportunity for anyone wanting to go into the education program. The opportunities given throughout four years of school prepare you better than any college program can."
That is especially true for teachers like Jones, who always knew she wanted a career working with children.
"It's in my blood," she said, because her mother, too, is a local teacher. "I always knew children were going to be a big part of my life everyday."
As far as repaying the state through years of teaching, Jones expects no trouble. She'll probably stick around through at least retirement age, she said.
"I love my job and I enjoy going to work every day and seeing my kids. I'm perfectly happy and content doing this and staying for as long as I can," she said.
In preparation of Winerip's arrival, Jones spoke with her class about etiquette and appropriate behavior prompting one student to ask if a tuxedo would be proper attire for Winerip's visit.
"I wanted them to feel he was coming to see them as much as he was coming to see me," she said.
Winerip wanted to be at the school from the time Jones arrived until the time she left, which can make for a long day since Jones also helps coach the school's basketball and softball teams.
"He hung out in the classroom while I was teaching. He hung out with the kids. He ate lunch with us. Everywhere we went, he was right there," Jones commented.
The kids were impressed. Upon learning that the New York Times is circulated nationwide, the students wanted to know what made them so special, Jones said.
They had no trouble, however, naming what makes Miss Jones so special.
"She's the best teacher in the whole school," claimed 11-year-old Bowen Brooks.
Classmate Shaniqua Cox said she was disappointed she wasn't interviewed by Winerip. "I would of told him she's a really nice teacher, she's really good and really fun. I've learned a lot (from her)."
Bowen wanted to volunteer that Miss Jones taught him that the rain forest stays between 70 and 75 degrees all year round.
Katherine Faucette said Winerip's arrival was different than she anticipated.
"I thought he would be older," she remarked, but admitted she was impressed with the opportunity to meet a reporter, especially one from New York.
She wanted to tell him how much fun Miss Jones makes everything.
Winerip's time with Miss Jones and her sixth graders at Bath Elementary School resulted in an article about eight pages or so into the Times front section of the paper's Dec. 3 edition.
The article begins like this:
"There's lots of excitement when a new young teacher like Ashley Jones comes to a rural school. Here in Beaufort County, in eastern North Carolina, where the cotton fields meet the saltwater marshes of Pamlico Sound, it is hard to find young teachers."
It goes on to say:
"But Miss Jones arrival at Bath Elementary was not totally an act of nature. She is a seed planted by the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program."
The article in its entirety can be read in the New York Times.
"I was really pleased. I felt special seeing my name in a national paper," said Jones, who was also interviewed on the Barry Farber show, a national radio program.
Best for the kids, Jones said, was discovering her age in the Times article. Jones, who is 22, had never revealed her age to her students but told them she would do so on her birthday in April.
"I'm not but 10 years older than they are and I didn't want them to know there's not but that little bit of difference between us."
Besides discovering Jones age, the students delighted in seeing their names or the names of their classmates and teacher in the article. And so did Jones.
"Sometimes, I still look back at it and think that cannot be me in the paper," she said, but quickly added, "Everybody here works just as hard as I do so I'm nobody special."
 |
||
| N.C. senator hosts Hyde County hunt |
