Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Week: Winston
McKENZIE, Tenn. — This week’s Educator of the Week presented by the Tennessee Education Lottery is from McKenzie. Allison Winston uses song and dance to get her second-graders moving and learning. “The one thing that made me go into teaching is just seeing that light come on,” Winston said. “When they get it for the first time, seeing them be proud of themselves, and when they work so hard. You know finally they get to that point of success.” Winston has been teaching at McKenzie Elementary School for three years. She says she has dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, which made her dream a reality. “There have been teachers along the way that I looked to for examples,” Winston said. “They have just kind of pushed me to do this.” Winston says the job has its challenges, especially with new standards students must meet. Winston says with students learning at different speeds she tries to be creative in getting the students going. “Something to get their minds involved, something that’s gonna get them excited,” Winston said. “Just sitting in our seats doing worksheets, that’s not fun. So hands-on interaction or anything that’s gonna help them remember it and help them make that connection from here on out.” Ultimately she wants her students to enjoy themselves regardless of the situation. “Just to believe in themselves, I mean never let somebody discourage you,” Winston said. Winston will be eligible for the state-wide Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month Award. To vote for her or any of the nominees, go to seehowitaddsup.com. To nominate a teacher for our weekly award, email us at educator@wbbjtv.com.
