Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Week: Ryan Thomas
HUMBOLDT, Tenn. — Ryan Thomas teaches junior and senior English at Humboldt High School. But he teaches with a twist. “Almost any one of them will tell you I make them laugh every day,” Thomas said. “Or at least I try to. I’m known as the funny voice guy.” From a Shakespearean voice to just changing the octave, he likes to keep his students on their toes. “It’s just really spontaneous, so they don’t know it’s coming,” he said. He said he lives for the “ah-ha” moments that come when a student finally understands the material. “I really just try to engage them, make it personal for them,” Thomas said. “So I try to use examples that they would understand in a daily life.” Thomas said he tries to be patient and connect with each student. “Every kid is unique. Every student is individual and they all bring something to the table,” he said. Thomas says a college professor helped him understand what it means to grasp literature and says that is what pushed him to try to do the same. “I realized that anyone can understand it in that particular way, so that really inspired me to want to pass that on to other people,” he said. His main focus is to get his students to think critically through challenging assignments, and he hopes his students use their understanding of literature well into the future. “I want to share these great things with them and watch them as they grow,” Thomas said. Thomas will be eligible for the statewide Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month Award. To vote for him or any of the other nominees, visit www.seehowitaddsup.com. To nominate a teacher for the WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News weekly award, email us at educator@wbbjtv.com.
