Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Week: CaRae Sewell
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TRENTON, Tenn. — “A good educator has their students as their primary focus,” said CaRae Sewell. She teaches 5th grade reading, language arts and history at Trenton Rosenwald Middle School. “I try to pull in short clips like Pixar clips to teach a reading concept initially just to spark their interest and get them thinking outside the box,” she said. She said seeing her 5th graders mature during the school year is her favorite part of teaching. “Being able to take them when they come in at the beginning of the year and watch how they grow and progress through the year,” Sewell said. “At this age they’re forming their personalities.” Sewell said she urges her students to think critically through discussion. “They like to debate at this age,” she said. “We use accountable tools to talk, and they kind of debate each other just to try to work through the learning.” She wants her students to understand reading is more than just words on a page. “It’s reading a newspaper that’s totally different than literary reading, but it’s also the pictures and the media that’s used to present information,” she said. “So, they have to be able to interpret that media.” Sewell hopes her students take away that she wants the best of them all while developing a love of learning. “Through having them in my class and watching them grow, we’re able to build a relationship and they become almost a part of my family,” she said. She now will be eligible for the statewide Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award. To vote for her or any of the other nominees, visit seehowitaddsup.com. To nominate a teacher for our weekly award, you can email us at educator@wbbjtv.com.
