INSPIRED. FINDING HER PLACE: Beginning Teacher of the Year, Morgan Carlyle
As recently as a few years ago, Morgan Carlyle never really expected that she'd be a teacher.
When that changed – after deciding to seek a degree in K-12 physical education from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke – she figured she'd teach either at the elementary or high school level. Definitely not middle school.
When that changed – while interviewing for a position teaching math at Lee County High School, it became clear that teaching P.E. was more of a passion than numbers and arrangements were made for her to interview for an open job doing so at West Lee Middle School – she dove right in.
Beginning Teacher Coordinator Patricia Coldren, West Lee Middle Principal Jamie Cox, Morgan Carlyle
and Lee County Board of Edcuation Chariman Patrick Kelly.
A little more than a year later, another thing Carlyle never expected happened: She was named Lee County Schools' beginning teacher of the year.
“It was a very nice surprise after a really long week,” Carlyle said of the moment when a group including her principal, the chairman of the Lee County Board of Education and several Central Office staff interrupted her class on one recent afternoon to present her with the award as well as a bouquet of flowers. “I had no idea at all.”
Carlyle, who grew up in neighboring Moore County as the daughter of a career educator, had initially studied biochemical engineering, which didn't really take. A few years ago, she found herself doing personal training and Zumba lessons and studying physical education at Sandhills Community College, and realized her passion for children – something she'd always had – could probably be best put to work in education.
“What better place for that than the school system,” she said.
Morgan Carlyle with her students, getting them ready to run the mile.
Last year, she started at West Lee and decided to jump right in. In addition to teaching P.E. classes, she became a first responder for fall sports, coached basketball, then was a first responder for volleyball before coaching girls’ soccer toward the end of the year. This year, she's already become the school's athletic director.
“There have been nights where I was getting home at seven or eight, and I still had a lesson plan to do,” she said. “But it didn't bother me because I knew I was making a difference in the lives of the kids.”
Carlyle said that type of “jumping in” is part of her personality, for better or for worse.
“Sometimes it can be a bad thing for me,” she said with a laugh. “But in this case I don't regret anything. All of the after-school activities are when I really got to know the kids even more. They got to know that they could come to me for everything.”
Morgan facilitating a game of boccer — a combination of basketball and soccer — after her class ran the mile.
West Lee Principal Jamie Cox said Carlyle is deserving of the recognition and that she carries herself like a much more seasoned educator.
“Watching her in action, you would never know she is a beginning teacher. Last year, she taught every child in the school. She not only knew their names but could often tell you what their schedules were,” Cox said, noting that in addition to her involvement with sports and being athletic director, she organized the school's first parent/teacher/staff basketball game and a school-wide field day involving nearly 800 people. “Every place needs a Morgan. I'd take a school full of Morgans any day.”
Carlyle's approach isn't just to go all in, either. She said she truly wants to know all of her students and has employed that approach to get herself over her initial aversion to teaching middle school – the perception, fair or not, that kids that age can act out a little more than others.
“I think I had two write-ups my whole first year,” she said. “Sometimes kids act out, but instead of sending them to the principal and making them someone else’s problem, I like getting to the bottom of what the real problem is. You have to get to know them, because they’re acting out for a reason. I originally thought ‘anywhere but middle school,’ but now I know that this is my place. I’m going to be here for as long as they’ll have me.”
Inspired is a digital digest published each week during the academic year by Lee County Schools to highlight accomplishments of students, faculty and staff.
All Inspired articles are available online at www.lee.k12.nc.us, and if you have any story ideas, please send them to inspired@lee.k12.nc.us.