2012-2013 Teacher of the Year & Scholarship Awardees
Rodney Allen - Chair of the English Department
How did you get to Reynolds High School?
I grew up in Surry County and both of my parents worked for RJ Reynolds Tobacco, so the RJ Reynolds name was prominent in my childhood home. I even recall coming to Reynolds Auditorium as a child to see my aunt perform in the Messiah. When I completed my graduate work at Wake Forest my goal was to work at Reynolds. It was near to my apartment and had a great reputation. I felt it would be a good I felt it would be a good fit.
How did what you had heard about RJR match what you actually found at RJR?
When I arrived at Reynolds in 1998 I was a bit intimidated by the history and tradition. I wondered how I could live up to the reputation of wonderful teachers who were here. I found Reynolds to be a welcoming place and a supportive place. The English Department was very helpful, and the community support has always been unbelievable. As hard as it was to believe, the school more than lived up to its reputation.
What is an average day at school like for you?
An average day for me begins with me rushing in the door after dropping my kids off at their respective daycares, and then greeting my students. I teach English, World Literature, Seminar and Yearbook. The seminar class is a discussion-based class that constantly amazes me. We focus on the particular novel we are reading during that unit. The students are so bright and motivated. It is a joy to teach students who are excited about learning and bringing such wonderful perspective to the text. In Yearbook for most of the year it is right to work, editing pages, selling ads, answering questions, dealing with student ID issues, school picture issues, and photo requests both from within the school and from the community. I have an amazing yearbook staff, particularly this year's editors: Riley Buchanan, Evan Timberlake and Max Wolf. After the school day I may have a meeting to attend or I may be grading papers. Often I must go pick up my children if my wife, who teaches at Mount Tabor, has after school commitments. I may take the time to grade, but usually that will happen during the planning period or at home. I assign weekly two page papers, so staying on top of the grading is key. In the evenings I spend time with my family grading papers, and during football and basketball season I serve as the Voice of the Demons the public address announcer for JV and varsity football and varsity basketball.
What would you change at RJR you could?
I think the only thing I would change would be to have all the faculty and the students spend some time on another campus to recognize how blessed we are in so many ways. We often take for granted the beauty of the campus, with the amazing community support, the alumni support, the history, and many of the things that make Reynolds such an amazing place.
How would you size up RJR student body?
All schools have some students that wish to excel, some that are just going through the motions but not really doing the best they can, some are seemingly there just so they can get a driver's license, and some are here waiting till they turn 18 so they can leave.
What percentage of the students try to do well and what percentage are just there in body only?
I have a unique perspective on this topic. Each summer since 2000 I have worked at the North Carolina Governor’s School. I work with the best students in the state each summer, and they are truly amazing. I must say, however, that my English 11 seminar students are on a par with anything the rest of the state has to offer. They come to me every day prepared and excited about class. They work with me and really pursue whatever avenue of writing or literature we are covering that day. I am blessed with all the opportunity to be their teacher. I know all Reynolds students are not perfect, but in my time at RJR I have taught at levels at all levels, and on every level I found that the vast majority of students want to learn and want to be taught. The trick is to remove any obstacles preventing them from achieving that goal. I would be glad to take the RJR student body in comparison with any other.
What is your family life like?
I've been blissfully married to Robin since 2001. She's a Biology teacher at Mount Tabor. Her only flaw is working at Tabor. We have two amazing children: Lizzie Grace (5), and Liam(3)…and we're expecting our third child (Connor Jack Allen) this summer. He is due July 4th. Our life is hectic with both of our schedules. Robin is the JV basketball coach and I work all of the RJR basketball and football games…so in the fall and winter things are really busy. We are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and I am a member of the choir and joy singing in my spare time. Robin is involved in the women's Bible study which meets weekly.
Why did you go into teaching as a career?
I desperately want to believe that my career makes an impact on the greater community. Education fundamentally affects the entire community, both in the present and the future. I enjoy the classroom interaction with students, and I love literature. Literature allows students to look at the world around them through the words of genius and beauty, and think critically about weighty issues both internally and externally. It is a difficult job, and it requires complete commitment both intellectually and emotionally. It allows one to be involved in shaping the lives of young people, and inspiring them to a love of learning (…and in my discipline, a love of literature and writing). It is quite simply one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and important jobs in the world.
What are your goals and aspirations?
My goals are simple: with God's help to be the best father, husband, friend, teacher, and human being I can be every day. Teaching is an amazing profession, and it offers new challenges every day. My goal is to meet those challenges each day, and continue to grow as a teacher and a human being.
Is there anything else you want to tell the RJR alumni?
Thank you so much for your support through the years. You are what makes Reynolds such an amazing place. The pride you take in the school is unimaginably rare. To those outside the Reynolds family is hard to describe. As someone who did not attend Reynolds, I must admit I am jealous of the tight bonds that you have forged among the RJR alumni. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for everything you do.
Chandler Borton
What I like most about Reynolds academically is having access to Parent Assistant (which allows us to view every grade that is put into NCWise by teachers). We never had that in middle school, and I really liked being able to see it. For school activities: I love participating as an athlete. I didn't go to many sporting events that weren't my own sports just because I rarely had time. Football games were always the night before a cross country meet, but I love my own sports. Socially I liked having a closed campus lunch because I then I would always have friends to eat with.
My favorite teacher was Katie Jones who was my freshman Seminar English teacher. She left Reynolds after that year, which saddened me greatly. She was the absolute best English teacher I've ever had, and she led the most interesting discussions about the best and worst of novels.
My day at RJR is a senior entailed going to my first class at 10:30, leaving at noon and having three afternoon classes at the Career Center. Then I always had a sports practice after school and very little homework. As a junior my day started at 8:00 am at the Career Center, and then followed the same way it did as a senior (but with a lot of homework). I rarely took part in the socializing in the parking lot because I always had somewhere to be.
I will best remember having my jersey retired at my senior field hockey banquet and presenting to the school on signing day.
My favorite class at Reynolds was AP Psychology with Scotty House, because she was fun, funny, cute, and the class was interesting. My hardest class was Algebra 11 with Mrs. Freitag.
If I was in charge of things and I could change anything at Reynolds High School I would take out the freshman class of Seminar in the Arts in order to have toilet paper in the bathrooms.
I will be attending Wake Forest University with an undecided major.
Reynolds was a school that I will never forget. I will cherish the friends I made throughout the years, and I hope that the memories will stay sharp in my mind for many years to come. I hope to one day to send my kids to Reynolds as well.
Tony Jenkins
During my time at Reynolds, I especially loved the English department. I enjoy literature and writing, so naturally I gravitated to English as a favorite subject. The AP teachers I had during these last two years (Mrs. Walters and Mrs. Wiley) demonstrated incredible joy in their work, and they inspired in me the same immersion in literary works. Beyond academic classes I was totally art centered. The first two years I was at Reynolds I took use of the fantastic visual arts teachers we have at RJR. After skipping to the higher level drawing and painting classes and eventually the advanced studio class, I focused more on performing arts during my upper classman stretch. Both theater and a capella chorus became the epicenter of my day, and my after school activity.
Reynolds is unique in that we have an extremely diverse population. Although there is a lot of division between economic and racial social spheres at the school, Reynolds did provide the opportunity to meet many different kinds of people. I was exposed to the lives of the refugee students at Reynolds, which was both culturally enriching and gratifying. Reynolds was in no way completely accepting to any particular kind of person, but I have made lifelong friends. Beyond every pretentious or bigoted person I could usually find someone who was open minded kind and welcoming. I'm fortunate to have had such a positive social experience during my senior year.
My favorite teacher, with only one comparison (Linda Moody) was Terry Hicks. He is the most gracious and inspiring person I have ever come across in life. He will probably remain so. He has such an incredibly rare soul, and has been the biggest supporter for my entire high school career. I am honored to call him my friend. He is an example for all educators of grace, passion and love.
A typical day at Reynolds would begin with a trek to the third floor to sit with friends until the first bell. After my first period Honors Physics class, I would go on to one of two AP classes (AP Environmental Science or AP English Literature). Third period my Honors World History class was a test of will because I always wished I was in fourth period. I got to end every day with something I loved: either acapella or theater. After school, if there wasn't a rehearsal, was spent in front of the arts building doing my last bit of socializing for the day.
When I look back, whether it be 10 years or 50 years, I'll never forget what it felt like on stage at Reynolds Auditorium. We have use of such an incredible marvelous space for performing, and I got up there every chance I had. My absolute best high school memories took place on that stage or backstage (some of which are the best in my life). It will probably be a long while before I have the opportunity performing in an equally wonderful platform, but I hold on to how unbelievable it feels to be there. My goal is to one day come back later in my career and perform there once again.
My favorite class would have to be acapella. I have never been part of such a collaborative and professional group. Every song we tackled was harder than the last, and every performance was a challenge. The work we did required unwavering commitment both emotionally and physically. There is no sport club or other activity that impacts a student body or the community as much as acapella does. Terry Hicks and the group would create something magical every year, and I'm so grateful to have participated in what I think is one of the most important staples of the RJR campus.
The hardest class I encountered at Reynolds during my junior year was Advanced Functions and Modeling. This math, directly following Algebra t11, was not very difficult but I had problems with the instructor. I felt like there was much more I could have gotten out of the courser, but this particular teacher did not meet my expectations and did not thoroughly guide me through the work.
If I could change anything about RJR it would be the students focus. Even though we are now an arts magnet school, a large portion of students still do not have a respect for the art that is created by their peers. Football games and other sports: they're bringing in revenue or celebrating much more than productions from the theater department. I would love to see much more advertising and support of the shows come from the teachers as well. I can personally vouch for the hours and hours of work that go into a single production. When the fall play rolls around and the crowd is thin: it is disheartening. Linda Moody has reinvigorated the shows we put on. They deserve to be attended.
Probably spending my next four years at North Carolina School of the Arts, where I will train as an actor.
I don't have to tell the alumni of RJR what an incredible school we attended. I can't wait to brag about how I went to one of the best schools ever with some of the most incredible people. I'll never take for granted the experience I've had within the walls of Reynolds High School. It has given birth to my passions and my career. I “always shall love her, dear old Reynolds High.”