Each day leading up to our first "Stars of Public Education" banquet to be held Thursday, April 27, at the USC Aiken Convocation Center we will be featuring a different Honor Court member from among this year's Giving Even More (GEM), Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees.
PATRICK NEWSOME – LANGLEY-BATH-CLEARWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL
POSITION: SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEACHER
Patrick Newsome is a successful mathematics instructor, student program sponsor and volleyball coach at Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle School, but he credits most of what he has been able to accomplish to many years spent learning life lessons from his grandfather.
His grandfather even pointed a young Patrick toward his chosen profession – teaching!
“From the time I was fifteen years-old, I was fortunate enough to spend countless hours working alongside him learning many trades. I looked up to him as any young boy would his grandpa. He taught me how to frame, fix a leak, and most importantly, how to be a man,” Mr. Newsome stated. “I will never forget one hot summer on top of a roof in the middle of July. His tired, seventy-four year-old body looked at me and said, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do the rest of your life? I bet you would make a real good school teacher!’”
That informal assessment years ago by Mr. Newsome’s grandfather has been proven true many times in the years hence, as it was recently when Mr. Newsome was taken by complete surprise after District representatives arrived at LBC Middle to announce that he had been selected as a finalist for the Aiken County Public School District Teacher of the Year Award.
Mr. Newsome says positive relationships are at the core of a teacher’s goal in the classroom. Sometimes, they may even have the ability to prevent a tragedy from occurring.
“There is no greater feeling of fulfillment as a teacher than the relationships one builds with his or her students,” he commented. “In a letter to me, a former student of mine wrote of a time when she had planned to end her life as soon as she got home from school. Something I said to her in class that day had made her change her mind. I could not even begin to tell you what I may have said to her that day that made the difference, but I know that each day a teacher impacts every child in his classroom, positively or negatively, whether he realizes it or not. There is no other job in the world that has a greater impact on society than the teaching profession.
“I firmly believe that great teaching is only accomplished through the building of relationships. A teacher can know all the content in the world, but if his or her students believe they are only there for a paycheck, very few students will give their best. From the first day of school, I make every effort to get to know the students in my classroom. I strive to be that one teacher my students never forget.”
Mr. Newsome says he puts the same level of effort into being a teacher that he once put into building projects that pleased his grandfather – 100 percent, every day. No exceptions.
“My grandfather would tell me that if we were going to build something it had to be done right. I continue that mindset with my students,” he said. “If I have been given the opportunity to spend one hundred eighty hours with over one hundred students from all walks of life, I am going to make every effort to do it right. They deserve that each day and my attitude in the classroom goes a long way towards ensuring the success of my students.”
Ms. Brenda DeLoache, who serves as principal of Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle School, says she has been very much impressed with Mr. Newsome’s dedication to his students and his versatility as an educator.
“Mr. Newson is a phenomenal teacher and is an exemplar of the teaching profession. His passion and dedication to his students drive him to be his best every day,” Ms. DeLoache stated. “He understands the power of relationships and relevance in the classroom. Without those two components, even the best-prepared lessons will miss their mark – the students! His approach towards his students sets the example of how they should approach each other, as well as fellow learners and leaders in their classroom instruction.”
“Mr. Newsome is also purposeful in connecting learning to real life, so students know there is a true purpose for what they are learning,” she continued. “He incorporates hands-on activities so that students can see their math in action. He takes them outside when studying various geometry concepts, allowing them to relate the concepts to real objects.”