Here’s English teacher Elizabeth Tillery in a Trinity classroom earlier this month. (Courtesy of Caiden Brown / Trinity student)
TRINITY – Elizabeth Tillery wasn’t all that familiar with Trinity High School when she took her first job out of college.
But she was quite certain that teaching was going to be her passion. That hasn’t changed.
“I love being a teacher,” she said. “I think it’s very important for teachers to like the job.”
Tillery, an English teacher at Trinity, has been named Randolph County School System’s Teach of the Year.
She’s in the early stages of her 14th school year at Trinity. She said she attempts to emphasize the need for her students to know she wants what’s best for them.
“I talk a lot about how important it is to show your students you care and help them care about their work,” she said.
Tillery, who’s from Concord, graduated from Central Cabarrus and then went to college at Gardner-Webb. She did student teaching at Rutherfordton-Spindale Central.
She was fresh out of college when she took the teaching position at Trinity.
“I had just turned 22 when I started teaching. I was a baby,” she said. “Now I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else.”
She has taught English at every grade level at Trinity. She mostly has classes of sophomores along with a writing class for juniors.
Part of her plan, she said, is allowing students to create their own paths in learning. That might involve the students choosing which books they might read for a project or assignment.
“I want to give kids the opportunity,” she said. “I’m a big believer in encouraging students to take more challenging classes. Try something outside their comfort zone.”
Tillery also is the school’s advisor for Beta Club, which is a service and leadership group with about 40 members.
She said the club’s growth has been rewarding and members took part in the most-recent Beta Club state convention. Some projects overseen by the club have involved raising funds for Run 5 Feed 5 and Community Outreach for Archdale Trinity (known as COAT). There’s also been a book drive for Archdale Public Library.
Teaching is in Tillery’s family. Her mother, Mary Cashwell, is wrapping up a middle school teaching career this school year in Cabarrus County and she also has an aunt who’s a teacher.
As for the RCSS award, she said it’s a special honor.
“I was genuinely surprised,” she said. “There are a lot of amazing teachers in Randolph County.”
The other RCSS Teacher of the Year finalists were Harmonee Klein of Hopewell Elementary School, Lauren Wood from Randolph Early College High School, Sarah Davis from Randleman High School and William Villano from Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve. Each school in the system nominated a teacher and then the field was narrowed by a committee.
