2024 Teacher of the Year Jessica May is currently teaching in the Thompson School District, the same district she attended kindergarten through twelfth grade. May is a fan of reading, loves watching football, singing, drinking Pepsi on ice, giving mom hugs, and making people laugh. Her passion for fighting injustice and pouring her heart and soul into children who are struggling in school is admirable. Outside the classroom, she’s a wife and a hands-on mom of four sons.
What made you want to become a middle school teacher?
Jessica May: I actually never wanted to be a middle school teacher. I earned my elementary teaching degree at UNC, but since sixth grade was in middle school, I was convinced to apply for a social studies position by one of my former teachers who still worked there. Once I started teaching in middle school, I realized that they are MY people! Middle school is such a challenging time, and even though I can’t make things better for students, I am the physical evidence that you can survive and thrive. I’m called to serve them with kindness and compassion as they go through this strange time of being stuck between being a little kid and a young adult.
Tell me the importance of students learning Family and Consumer Science (FACS).
May: FACS isn’t just about cooking and sewing anymore; instead it’s about all the life skills they will need when they’re out on their own. Each grade level has different units to cover. In sixth grade, they learn how to do laundry and remove stains, how to plan nutritious family meals, and self-care options. Seventh graders have financial literacy, where we discuss credit scores, credit cards, and debit cards, and they go through an entire activity where they have to find out how much everything costs when they’re on their own. Eighth graders learn how to fill out a job application, write a cover letter and resume, and practice taking the GED tests and the CO driver’s test. Child development and human growth is the highlight for many eighth graders as they go through the cost of a six-page list of needs for a baby’s first year, followed by each student making a baby out of two pairs of pantyhose and a five-pound bag of rice. They dress them up and then carry them around properly for two weeks, 24/7. All students practice self-care and cooking/cleaning as well. This is a priceless class for all students!
What is your teaching style, and why is it effective?
May: I call my style “Warm Demander,” because I fiercely love my students, but I hold them to a high level in class and won’t let them go below that. I connect with them first through their heart and then I’m able to connect with their minds. Their mental, emotional, and physical well-being has always been more important to me than content, even when I was a Language Arts teacher. I will do what I can to meet their needs in my classroom, since most of the time, learning can’t happen when bigger things are occupying their thoughts. Being this type of teacher reinforces empathy and compassion, which creates a stronger bond between me and my students. Then the sky’s the limit when they have to complete challenging content work in class.
How do you motivate students?
May: I give them, and treat them, with respect and trust from day one. When I give it first, they respect it because most adults demand respect from them first since they are “kids.” I also walk them through the thinking and working process. I don’t just explain an assignment and let them loose to figure it out by themselves. I set them up for success in the way I scaffold assignments into smaller steps, which helps build their confidence and skill level. I give them class jobs, the freedom to stand up if they can’t sit still, and I want them to talk a lot with each other about all the topics we cover. Mainly, I motivate them with love, patience, kindness, and humor/silliness. When they realize how much I truly care about them and how I REALLY have their backs, they return the favor and do the work I ask.
What is your favorite part about teaching?
May: My favorite part about teaching are the “aha moments” I get to witness when my students accomplish a task they never believed they could actually do. It may take YEARS or DECADES for this to happen sometimes, but when former students reach out and tell you how you made a difference in their life…this is the teacher’s jackpot, the “lottery winning moment!” To be a part of those life-changing moments makes this the greatest job and profession in the world!
What’s something you’d like everyone to know?
May: Write a letter to your favorite teacher, or reach out on FaceBook/Instagram, and tell them how you are doing and what you remember most from being in their class. Your words are our “Bonuses” that mean the most to us! Thank you, Mrs. Osborn–Kindergarten, Mrs. Patterson–1st grade, Mrs. Wishon–3rd grade, Miss Lang–6th grade, Mrs. Frawley–junior high Spanish, and Ms. Olson–high school Psychology… I aspire to bring the love of learning you brought into my life. Here’s to each of you for being my incredible superheroes!
