James Ford, a world history teacher from Garinger High School in Charlotte is the 2014 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Mr. Ford is a 2003 graduate of Illinois State University and received a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from Rockford College, also in Illinois.
- Imagine someone visited your class several times, what would they say the principal teaching strategies you use are? Could you talk about teaching strategies you use that are universal, and as well as strategies that are somewhat unique to you and your personality?
- How do you organize your class to maximize learning opportunities for your students? How do you help them become better learners?
- How do you differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with special needs (EC, ESL, AIG, etc.)?
- How do you know when learning is occurring and what do you do when you question whether learning is taking place in the classroom?
- How do you “hook” a reluctant learner to your content?
- If you were to give advice to a new teacher in North Carolina, what 2-3 learnings would you share?