The spotlight is now on the English Department, as Tavia Gilmore has “booked” the position as the West Forsyth Teacher of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year.
“[I was in] total disbelief, mixed with excitement, gratitude, and then I was completely humbled,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore teaches English I Honors and English II, serves as the Student Government Association junior class advisor and sponsor for both the Multicultural Society and the Prom Committee. Despite currently being an English teacher, this has not always been her job. Gilmore was also a Marine who decided to use her skills in the classroom instead of on a Marine base.
“I think [being a Marine] has to do with leadership and it has to do with mentoring. My favorite aspect of teaching is mentorship,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore taught at Northeast Guilford for two months as a long-term substitute after college and has taught at West for eight years. She believes working at West has opened her mind to different perspectives.
“West Forsyth has given me an opportunity to teach, work with and experience a number of different cultures of students and faculty members that outside of West Forsyth, I might not have been able to,” Gilmore said.
Even with the struggles that come with teaching, Gilmore has been able to collaborate and establish good relationships with the faculty members, especially in the English Department.
“West Forsyth has been a place where I’ve been able to adopt a second family. [They are] my work family here in the 1000 building, and I appreciate everybody I am able to work with,” Gilmore said.
This year many teachers have found careers they would like to pursue outside of the classroom. Some have retired and some have gone to teach at other schools, but Gilmore has other plans.
“I am currently enrolled in High Point University Leadership Academy. I am going to earn my Master’s degree in educational administration, and I will become an assistant principal,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore believes that developing connections with the staff and students as a teacher has helped her to become more empathetic, and will assist her in the new relationships she will create as she goes into administration.
“I have an inside view of what teachers really experience and go through in the classroom, and I have a better understanding of what students need, and I understand the importance of really having those mentoring kind of relationships and just really focusing on conversations before you start laying down the gavel,” Gilmore said.
Being selected as the Teacher of the Year is an honor, and Gilmore’s students seem to think it was well-deserved.
“She created an environment in her classroom where you could feel like you could be yourself, and she also made work less stressful on you if you needed the help,” freshman Tristan Sheek said.