As we look forward to the 25th Anniversary of the Award in 2016-2017, each month the website will highlight past recipients.
Mary Anne Jackson
1998-1999 Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching
Then & Now:
Mrs. Jackson was teaching Fourth Grade at Immaculata Catholic School in Durham when she received the Award. She is retired, living in San Diego, and “now passing all the best of me to our five grandchildren.”
“The most memorable experience I had was the year I had a classroom with a very high percentage of ADD and ADHD children. Each of the teachers from Kindergarten on knew this group was going to be theirs in a few years. I spent quite a bit of time preparing myself for this class. I attended seminars, read many books by Dr. Hallowell on the subject, and gleaned much from my experienced teacher friends around the country including a close friend in the Detroit Public Education Department on the supervisory level who gave me fantastic materials to influence students’ behavior. It turned out to be the BEST year! I found out the positive qualities of ADD and got very creative. The children were most alive and teachable. Coincidentally, that year the Duke Educational Department was doing a study on methods for effecting good management of ADD and ADHD. Understanding that many of the parents objected to drug treatment of their children, I offered them the chance to learn about another way. I partnered with Duke to do this. We met weekly with the parents and the child. This process was very beneficial to everyone involved and it was an honor for me.
I would suggest to teachers striving for excellence that teaching takes every ounce of energy, requires patience, and most importantly demands quality caring, listening and observation.
Here are a few points I would highlight for teachers striving for excellence: It is so important to discover the personal learning style of each child before you; your eyes should light up when a child enters your classroom each morning because as Carl W. Buechner once said, ‘They may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.'”
Mrs. Jackson shared her thoughts on teaching in a Catholic school. “I was always appreciative of the religious freedom, the support, and the values that could only be offered in a Catholic School setting.”
Interesting Tidbit
Notable North Carolinians Who Received a Catholic School Education
Mr. Willie York Sr. was the developer of Cameron Village (the first shopping center in North Carolina) and founder of York Real Estate Property. Mr. York attended Cathedral School in Raleigh.
Amazing Teachers in the Diocese of Raleigh
Joan Troy, the 2011-2012 Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient and chair of the Math Department at Cardinal Gibbons High School, was recognized at the end of the past school year for her service and dedication to the school community. Click here to see the article in its entirety.