Educator of the Week: Rickela Reed
It’s time now to recognize our Educator of the Week, brought to you by the Tennessee Education Lottery.
Rickela Reed is a 4th Grade English/Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Arlington Elementary School in Jackson.
She shares how she decided to become a teacher.
“Now, I’ve grown up seeing my dad teach, my mom teach, my sister teaches, all of my family are in the school system,” Reed said. “But I was like, ‘no.’ They were like, ‘you do so well with children. You should go teach.’ Dr. King, one day, randomly told me that I needed to go back and get my degree. That’s what I did, and here I am.”
Reed has been teaching for five years and tells how creating relationships is her favorite part of education.
“I love building relationships with the students and seeing them succeed, even when they give me a tough time. Even the toughest children, like it does something to me when I can reach them and help them succeed,” Reed said.
Reed says she hates a boring classroom and tries to adapt her lesson to keep them entertaining.
“Definitely not a lecture. I even told them, I said, ‘if you get me to the point where I have to sit down or just talk all day, Ms. Keela is going to be upset because I like to play games.’ There’s this thing called ‘near pod.’ It’s like gamified teaching, and I like a lot of music, so I don’t like a boring classroom. And that’s what they enjoy.”
She ends by sharing why it’s important to follow your dream if that dream is education.
“If you’re passionate about children, we know it’s a teacher shortage. These babies need you. These babies go through more than we could ever imagine, but they need someone to advocate for them. If that’s what you want to do, step out on faith and do it.”
Reed is now eligible for the Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award.
To vote for her 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.
