Known for his witty personality and light-hearted environment he cultivates in the classroom, English teacher Duncan Memory is a well-known figure among students around school. He has a creative style of teaching, and he is deserving of this month’s staff of the month.
Although Memory enjoyed working in the culinary field he realized it would be challenging to pursue as a career. With his family working in education, this guided him to look into teaching. He decided he would try it.
“My first career was as a cook. I worked in a restaurant and I really enjoyed it but eventually, I realized that raising a family and working late nights and on the weekends was going to be difficult. My grandmother was a teacher and a principal. I just sort of thought about it, looked into it and then said, yeah this is something I’d like to give a try,” Memory said.
After deciding he wanted to teach, he went to Salem College to achieve this. He took courses to become certified in teaching and the process was easy after that.
“Undergrad, I was an English major, graduated from Wake and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I did not want to put on a coat and tie, wear a suit and go sit at a desk for the rest of my life. That’s what led me to the culinary field initially upon graduation. After deciding to go into teaching I got my teachers certification from Salem College. They allowed me to get certified to teach English, I just needed to take the education courses. It’s a natural transition into becoming an English teacher,” Memory said.
While trying to get into teaching, Memory remembered one of his old teachers from when he attended school. Everyone has that one special teacher that they love. For Memory, that was Robbie Walls who was known for his loved personality.
“I remember Robbie Walls from Reynolds High School and he gave me the same attitude that I have where it’s a little less about the content. I don’t remember the content but I remember him being a good person and trying to bestow that on his students. He was very patient, understanding and he had a good sense of humor. He, more than probably any teacher, would be the one I try to emulate,” Memory said.
Though he teaches English, the lessons he wants his students to learn the most have nothing to do with writing. He encourages his students to be the best they can be and reach their maximum potential.
“What I want my students to know is far less about English content and far more about being good people. I want them to contribute to their communities in a positive way, be somebody that when they grow up, they’re proud to be. It’s more about life skills than it is necessarily themes, grammar and how to write an essay,” Memory said.
Memory is influenced by the people surrounding him. Teaching for 26 years, he thinks his students can teach him the way they learn things from him and keeps him young in mind and spirit.
“Teaching has helped me to feel younger because I’m around teenagers all day. I think it’s good to be young at heart. You’re learners, you’re students for life but you also are teachers. I learn a lot from students. Keep trying, we learn a lot from failure. When you meet challenges and you don’t succeed and you keep trying, that’s where the growth really occurs,” Memory said.
If you see him around campus, be sure to thank him for being an inspiring role model and for all his hard work to give his students success.
