Amanda McCrocklin’s teaching philosophy is built, in part, on her experiences with those who helped educate her.
McCrocklin, a fifth-grade teacher at Edgewood Elementary School, said she has vivid memories of lessons learned from her fourth and sixth grade teachers.
“They built a very strong relationship with students,” McCrocklin said. “I’ve always liked being with kids, so seeing how they were in the classroom and how they treated kids and were always encouraging, they were just overall good people.”
That mindset has, according to McCrocklin, allowed her to learn as much from her students as they do from her.
“I actually learn so much from them,” McCrocklin said. “Every year, I learn something different. I learn a new way of teaching, because a student is not quite getting it with the way I’m teaching. I love learning from my kids.”
In history, McCrocklin’s class is learning about the states and the Maya, Inca and Aztec civilizations, and in math, the students are learning how to compare decimals.
The class is also preparing for the school’s science fair, which will happen within the next couple weeks.
Edgewood Elementary Principal Terasha Webb said McCrocklin was a big help in finding and comforting the students on Bus No. 73 last week after the driver fell ill before pulling over and eventually passing out.
Webb said she’s grateful that McCrocklin is teaching at Edgewood.
“They all love her because she has relationships with them,” Webb said. “She checks on their games, and she’s just that type of person that wants to be involved. She’s a part of the team (at the school), and that’s what we need. We need everybody to work together, and she does that without question.”
Marjean Neal, another fifth-grade teacher, said McCrocklin’s love of her vocation is evident.
“She’s intelligent, and she’s patient,” Neal said. “She does care about her students. She cares about the staff here. If I have any type of problems, or if I need any type of advice, she’s that person that I can go to.
“She loves what she does,” Neal continued. “She’s very good to the community in showing up for work every day and helping our students engage and become better people. She gives her all into teaching.”
McCrocklin said Edgewood’s smaller class sizes and administrators that support the faculty in caring for students “helps reiterate what I try to do in the classroom.”
“The first week of school, we talk about us as a family,” McCrocklin said. “We need to look out for each other and always be there for each other, not be mean or disrespectful. I try to build a family unit within the classroom.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.