GoTeachKY, an initiative from the Kentucky Department of Education, recently recognized Jordan Lewis, Kentucky State University Class of '22, in its New Teacher Tuesday series. Lewis, who is a first-year teacher at Ashland Elementary in the Fayette County Public School District, says he became an educator because of the lack of African American male teachers in the classroom.
"There is a lack of male and African American teachers in education especially at the elementary level," Lewis shared. "I wanted to be a small part of this huge issue that our schools are facing. When students see someone who looks like them, they are more motivated to work."
Teachers have always had a profound impact in Lewis' development and aspirations. The Lexington, Kentucky native recalls a specific incident in the second grade that set him on the path to educating others.
"In the second grade, I was labeled a thief by my teacher," Lewis recalls. "She pulled me to her desk and showed me a picture of her husband who was a police officer and told me that if I kept stealing, one day, I would have to deal with him."
Lewis left that school the next year to attend Ashland Elementary. "When I got to Ashland, all of my teachers showed me love and support. It was the same way once I got to Carter G. Woodson Academy from 7th to 12th grade," Lewis shared. "It was teachers like those that cared about me and showed me they loved me that were one of the reasons I went into education."
His instructors at Kentucky State University also prepared him for the career he has today.
"My professors saw the potential in me and pushed me to reach that potential. There were many times during observations and even in the classroom where my professors had real conversations with me and challenged me to grow as an educator."
Lewis' long-term career goal is to serve in a leadership role in the school system.
Categories: Kentucky, Education