Lake City middle school teachers: Real-world applications key

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article spotlights two local middle school educators during National Middle Level Education Month, which is observed in March.

LAKE CITY — Ronald E. McNair Middle School teachers Kelcey Epps and Jennifer Gribben say it’s necessary to use real-world applications while instructing students in the classroom.

Years ago, Epps said, he had to chose between becoming a teacher or an engineer. Epps chose teaching because he enjoys seeing that “a-ha moment” on his students faces when they solve math problems in class, he said.

Epps, a math teacher at the Lake City school, has been teaching for 14 years. One of the best aspects of teaching at the middle school level, he said, is seeing students transition from elementary to middle school and then seeing them transition to high school.

Epps said middle school students are at the age where they’re discovering who they are and that teachers must be “delicate” with them and chose their words wisely. One wrong word can steer the student in the wrong direction and turn them away from learning, he said.

Epps has taught high school math for 10 years, so he teaches his middle school students the expectations of high school, he said. He introduces lessons based on what’s relevant in the world today and for the most part, Epps said, his strategy works.

He said he tries to keep his students engaged in relevant topics, which makes it easy for them to apply what they’ve discussed while learning math concepts.

It’s difficult to put a finger on one thing that may need to change or be implemented in the middle school curriculum because the student body changes yearly, he said. Teachers and schools can prepare, however, by offering special services such as after-school programs for students, he said.

Epps has received a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in learning disabilities, both from Francis Marion University. He said he would like to pursue a position in educational administration in the future.

Gribben is in her second year as a English/language arts and social studies teacher at Ronald E. McNair Middle School. Her husband’s job as an engineer with railroad transportation provider CSX brought him to work in this region, she said. After moving to Florence, Gribben discovered a high demand for teachers and decided to seek a teaching position, she said.

Gribben was a member of the future teachers club when she was in high school, she said. As a member of the club, she helped elementary school students with reading, and the experience inspired her to become a teacher, she said. Her mother teaches English and home economics in Ohio, which added to her inspiration, she said.

She loves the personalities of her students and enjoys watching them mature during the school year, she said.

When instructing boys, teachers must keep the students “animated” and engage them in hands-on activities that will provide opportunities for movement, Gribben said.

Girls enjoy talking about their classroom assignments and like to engage in group work, she said. They need more “colorful” activities to catch their attention, she said.

She teaches her students that they have to learn English in order to communicate effectively, she said. In her social studies classes, she said, she teaches students that what they write today becomes history and will be there tomorrow.

Teachers must instill organizational skills in middle school students to prepare them for high school, Gribben said. Gribben encourages her students to keep track of their assignments by writing them in their agendas and to maintain their assignments in binders separated by subjects, she said.

“It’s a life skill that will help them in college,” she said.

Teachers have to keep pace with the changes that are important to their students and the world, Gribben said. If a new singer that has released a song that’s topping the charts, teachers have to know it so that they can be able to relate to their students, she said.

Teachers have to embody that “it factor,” she said.

“You have to keep it real and keep the energy turned on in the classroom,” she said.

Gribben received her bachelor’s in education from Ohio University.