Educator of the Week: William Shackelford

It’s time now to recognize our Educator of the Week, brought to you by the Tennessee Education Lottery.

William Shackelford is a 6th grade teacher at North Parkway Middle School.

He teaches all subjects, including math, science, social studies, ELA, and writing.

“I know my mom wanted to be a teacher, but she never really got to fulfill that dream, so I kinda went out on a limb and went for it and, you now, what do you know, the glove fits,” Shackelford said. “So I love it, been doing it 17 years and I’ll be rolling right into year 18 in August.”

Shackelford shares his favorite part of being an educator.

“Having a direct impact. I can see my work having a benefit, and I see it directly. I have a direct impact every day, you know, I can see that my work matters,” he said.

Shackelford also took a moment to describe the fundamentals of his teaching style.

“My primary thing is just positivity, encouragement, and making it fun and, if you stick to that simple formula, you’re gonna have student engagement,” he said. “Throw in some incentives, you know, I like giving my students ‘shack bucks,’ class wide we have digital ‘shack bucks’ for various rewards, and just keep them motivated, keep it fun, make it positive.”

Shackelford encourages anyone seeking a role in education to follow through and join him.

“Just some of my hobbies that I have in my spare time, I mean just everything, has literally guided me to this field, you know, and I feel like, if anybody else out there, if you feel led and got to be guided into this field, you need to come on. I would love to work with you.”

Shackelford is now eligible for the Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award.

To vote for him or any other nominees, go to the Tennessee Education Lottery website.

To nominate an educator for our Educator of the Week award, email us at educator@wbbjtv.com.