Educator of the Week: Matt Dunagan
MILAN, Tenn. — It’s time now to recognize our Educator of the Week, brought to you by the Tennessee Education Lottery.
Matt Dunagan teaches 5th grade social studies at Milan Middle School and has been teaching for 14 years.
He tell us how two teachers growing up helped inspire him to pursue education.
“I had a couple teachers in high school who really poured into me and made me love learning,” Dunagan said. “One was Mike Ramsey and another was Roy Henson. They were both at Gibson County and I just fell in love and knew that was something I wanted to do.”
Dunagan also coaches the middle school football team.
He shares what his favorite part of teaching is.
“It’s the relationship with the kids. I also coach football. I am part of the FCA sponsor, the History Club sponsor, and it’s just the different relationships you can have with all the different students and you can help them be more then they see in themselves,” he said.
Dunagan says how becoming a parent has helped him relate more to his students.
“I kind of just try to relate to them the best. It’s really easy right now, my son is in 6th grade so I know a lot of what they are going through and that kind of stuff, so I try to meet them where they are at.”
He shares how the Hope Scholarship supported him on his path to becoming an educator.
“The Hope Scholarship is amazing because I used the Hope Scholarship and it helped me have an education. I went to Dyerburg State, Union, and UT Martin, and I came out with very little student loan debt. I would probably still be paying on that if I didn’t have the Hope Scholarship.”
Dunagan ends by telling us how his past students come back year after year to share their love for his class.
“Last year, it’s coaching, but I got to be on the side lines in the state championship game and some of the kids I taught in 5th grade, and then I coached them in football, and then to see them compete in a state championship game and come and hug me and tell them they love me and thank me, you know, that’s really special, and that’s when I knew I was in the right spot.”
Dunagan 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.
