Hoover High's Paul McEwan named Alabama's 2017-18 Secondary Teacher of the Year
Hoover High School biology teacher Paul McEwan on Wednesday night was named Alabama’s 2017-18 Secondary Teacher of the Year at a ceremony in Montgomery.
McEwan also will serve as the alternate overall Teacher of the Year for the state, coming in second to Chasity Collier of Dawes Intermediate School in Mobile County.
McEwan and Dawes were presented their awards Wednesday night by Gov. Kay Ivey at a ceremony at the Retirement Systems of Alabama Plaza Terrace.
McEwan said being the state’s Secondary Teacher of the Year and overall alternate Teacher of the Year is a tremendous honor when he thinks about all the great teachers within his school, school district and Alabama as a whole.
“My life’s going to be different even from this point forward,” he said. “I’m grateful to be able to be in a position to kind of speak for teachers.”
McEwan, who lives in Alabaster, has been teaching for 32 years in high schools in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. This is his 11th year at Hoover, where he teaches biology to ninth-graders and 11th-grade International Baccalaureate students.
He has a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry and a master's degree in instructional technology, both from Asbury University.
In a video shared at Wednesday night’s ceremony, he said he got into education by working as a tutor to help pay for college. Some of the students he tutored in science said he was good at explaining complex things in a way they could understand, he said.
His girlfriend, who later became his wife, suggested he try education, and “I’ve loved every minute of it for 32 years,” he said.
McEwan said he likes to get his students to solve real-world problems as a way of learning biology instead of just memorizing things. “It gets them a little more involved in what we’re doing in science,” he said.
He loves movies, so he often uses movie clips from popular movies that relate to concepts he is trying to teach, he said. That helps keep the students engaged, he said.
“I really wish they would love biology as much as I do, but I know that’s not necessarily going to be the case,” he said. “What I want them to leave with is a lot of the skills that will enable them to be the best students they can be when they’re in the next class.”
McEwan said he wants to help share the unsung stories of all the successful teachers who are out there.
“I want people to know that what we do is important; it’s necessary. It’s hard work learning and sometimes it’s a struggle, but every now and then, you get those really magical days when you leave school and you’re a little taller, and it makes you come back the next day and just really enjoy the work you do.”
Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, assistant superintendents Ron Dodson and Tera Simmons, Chief Academic Officer Cindy Adams and Hoover High Principal Don Hulin were among McEwan’s supporters at the ceremony in Montgomery.
Hulin said McEwan is an awesome teacher.
“He gives 1000 percent every day he works in the classroom. He’s just a cut above,” Hulin said. “He cares about each of the students in that classroom. He makes a huge difference. In our book, he’s Teacher of the Year.”
Helping kids find purpose
Collier, who will spend the upcoming year as a full-time ambassador for education and the teaching profession as Alabama’s Teacher of the Year, also is a science teacher. She said she fell in love with science in the fifth grade when her father helped her build a net out of panty hose to catch plankton in the bay. They put the plankton under a microscope, and she was fascinated, she said.
She initially wanted to become a nurse, but she got a taste of teaching while working in a preschool to help pay for college, she said. Numerous parents of those children told her about things their children had overcome because of her help, she said.
“I fell in love, knowing that I can influence children,” she said. “Being a teacher gives you a chance to change somebody’s else life for the better.”
Collier said she wants her students to realize that learning is fun and to help them figure out what their purpose in life is so they can be as happy as she is.
“I feel like one of the most important things I’m supposed to do while I’m here is to influence children in a positive, loving way, and to me, this is evidence that I’ve done what I wanted to do,” she said.
In addition to Collier and McEwan, others among the top four finalists were Charlotte Hartley from Montana Street Magnet School in Dothan and Emily Sassano from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City.
The governor and state schools Superintendent Michael Sentance thanked all of the top 16 finalists who were present Wednesday night for the work they do. Sentance thanked them for sharing their stories of passion, love and commitment to children.
“That’s the driving force — that commitment to children and a love for the possibilities in life,” Sentance said. “We have great teachers in the state of Alabama, and we need to understand that teachers in large and small ways make an important impact on children’s lives.
“It’s not a simple task. It’s a terribly, terribly complex task, but when you reach the heart of a student and you motivate them and you inspire them, then we have a successful education program,” Sentance said.
Ivey said that, as a former high school teacher herself, she definitely understands the dedication and commitment that is required to be an effective teacher.
“Our children are our future. Our teachers mold our children and thus our future,” she said. “Your task is great and noble. The people of Alabama are in your debt.”
This story was updated at 1:28 a.m. on May 11 with additional information from Wednesday night's ceremony.