Madison Ayers ’22 and Katie Adams ’22 are finalists the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2024 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year Award. The award honors teachers for their dedication, innovation and ability to inspire students to achieve.
Madison Ayers is a 6th grade teacher at Myrtle Grove Middle School. She earned a degree in elementary education from the Watson College. During her final semester, after completing an internship at Anderson Elementary with Dawn Walker, Madison took a sixth-grade early release position at Myrtle Grove to teach Language Arts with her K-6 licensure.
Watson College Professor Amy Taylor was Madison’s internship supervisor.
"I had the privilege of supervising Madison Ayers in her remarkable beginning teacher journey,” Dr. Taylor said. “Throughout her field experience and internship, she cultivated and nurtured learning in a space that encourages problem solving, invites questioning, and scaffolds the process of learning. As her supervisor, I marveled at her dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds."
Katie Adams is a social studies teacher at Brunswick County Early College High School. She graduated from UNCW with a degree in history and secondary teacher licensure from the Watson College. During her final year at UNCW, Katie completed an internship with Megan Justice at Topsail High School, supervised by Dewey “Chris” Furr.
“Katie is a gifted teacher who was a natural in the classroom from day one,” Mr. Furr said. “She was an amazing student with a keen analytical mind but also able to build relationships with her students. Her smile is always present as is her upbeat personality.”
Twenty-seven teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as finalists for the NCCAT 2024 Beginning Teacher of the Year Award. They will all participate in a week of professional development at NCCAT and the winner will be announced in February.
“NCCAT is thrilled to have the chance to honor this exceptional and worthy group of educators,” said NCCAT Executive Director M. Brock Womble in a recent press release. “Each finalist has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to their practice, and in a short period of time made a profound impact on their students, families, schools, and communities.
NCCAT announced the finalists in December: NCCAT 2024 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year Finalists announced.
WECT, January 16 Teachers from Myrtle Grove Middle, Brunswick Co. Early College High named as NCCAT award finalists
Port City Daily, January 28 Myrtle Grove Teacher nominated for state award
This article has the following tags: Watson College of Education Students & Alumni Accomplishments