2020-2021 Teacher of the Year & Scholarship Awardees
Andrew Biles - teaches Drafting and Drafting ll
How did you get to Reynolds?
I did my student teaching at Reynolds. I started teaching at RJR as soon as I completed my student teaching.
How did what you had heard about RJR match what you actually found at RJR?
It matches pretty well. Good school with a good staff and administration.
What was an average day at school like for you this fall?
Wake up and get ready for class. Get class started on zoom. Make sure kids understood assignments. Let students work asynchronously after about 45 minutes. Stay on and help any students that needed help.
What was an average day at school like for this spring?
Pretty much the same as I only had five students at most in class. It was good to have those students in class and be able to work with them on their assignments.
How did teaching during the pandemic (and thus how did having to teach virtuall)y affect you and your students negatively?
My students could not get to Autodesk software that we use for my drafting classes. They could not experience the curriculum as it needed to be taught.
How did teaching during the pandemic (and thus how did having to teach virtually) affect you and your students positively?
Students had more time to finish assignments. All assignments were online and easy for them to find and complete.
Do you feel like your students at the end of the year ended up learning as much during the pandemic as they did prior to the pandemic (and why)?
No. As stated before they could not get on the software required for my courses.
What are the courses you instruct at RJR and please give a brief description of each different course?
I teach drafting which is technical drawing using AutoCAD. Drafting 2 Engineering, which uses inventor software for 3D modeling. Drafting 2 Architecture which uses Inventor for 3-D modeling. Drafting 2 which uses Revit software for drawing floor plans.
How would you size up the RJR student body?
We have the most diverse high school student body in Winston Salem/Forsyth County School System.
What is your family life like?
I have a great family life with a beautiful wife and two daughters.
Why did you get into teaching as a career?
I really enjoyed my woodworking classes in high school. I had a great teacher and decided to follow that path. Once teaching, I really enjoyed the student and teacher interaction. It's a great feeling to teach a student skills in our CTA classes.
What are your goals and aspirations?
I am hoping to retire from Reynolds in the next two years.
Did the pandemic cause you to rethink or question your decision to pursue a career in teaching (and why)?
No. It just made last year more difficult.
Laura Doughton
What did you like and dislike academically about RJR (prior to the pandemic affecting the way teaching was done?
Reynolds always strive to make its classes rigorous and engaging. My teachers were always understanding and willing to work with students. It was nice to know that if I needed help all I needed to do was ask. Something I disliked was the occasional lack of communications with students from administration. For students who attended Career Center, it often felt like we weren't directly involved in the RJR community since we weren't there all day.
What did you like (and dislike) academically about RJR during the pandemic?
During the pandemic I like the freedom students had. I chose not to go back to school in person and remained online for the entirety of my senior year. This gave me much more agency over my classes and I was able to work efficiently to get my work done. I don't like that a lot of assignments felt like busy work.
What “after hours” activities did you participate in (prior to the pandemic)?
I played soccer for three years and volleyball all four years. I was an active member of the Math and Science Academic Teams and a member of the Girl Scouts for four years. I also served as an Editor-in Chief of Pine Whispers for two years.
What “after hours” school activities did you participate (during the pandemic and during your last semester at RJR)?
During the pandemic and my senior year I played indoor volleyball in the fall and sand volleyball in the spring. I also continued to be a member of the GS by attending our virtual meetings. I was Editor-in-Chief of Pine Whispers (where we published stories online).
What did you like (and dislike) “socially” about RJR?
I came into Reynolds only knowing a few people and worried about making you friends. I quickly learned that I had nothing to worry about and everyone I met was kind and welcoming. Something I noticed over the years at Reynolds was that groups tended to stick to themselves and I wish there had been more overlap of friend groups.
Who was (or were) your favorite teacher(s) and/or coach(es), and why?
My favorite teachers were Mrs. Kirkland and Mr. Hunt. They were always supportive of me, and I knew I could talk to them if I had a problem. Mr. Hunt taught me all four years of high school, so he got to see me grow as both a writer and a person and that was special to me.
What did an average day at RJR entail prior to the pandemic?
During my first two years of high school, I would try to get to school early so that I could have time to talk with friends. I would attend my first two classes and eat lunch. If the weather was nice, I would eat with friends outside at picnic tables. After lunch I would go to my last two classes. After school I would attend whatever sports practice or club meeting I had that day. My junior year I came to Reynolds for classes in the afternoon since I was at the Career Center in the morning. This meant I ate lunch at RJR and had one or two classes each day at Reynolds.
What did an average day at RJR entail during the pandemic?
During the pandemic all of my Reynolds classes were in the afternoon. I would make lunch at my house and then join the zoom class. I liked that there was asynchronous time where I didn't have to be on my computer and I could work on my assignments.
What were you best remember about going to Reynolds?
I met most of my closest friends at Reynolds. I am so thankful for the memories I have a cause of that. I also enjoyed attending sporting events to cheer on RJR teams, particularly basketball and soccer. Being in the Roudies section at games always felt like a community and I love that.
What will be your worst memories about attending Reynolds during the pandemic?
School during a pandemic felt isolated at times. I was lucky because my brother was also at home during the day, so I could talk to him. I miss my friends and the face to face interaction with classmates and teachers. As hard as everyone tried to make school as normal as possible, it was impossible to mimic those interactions over computer screens.
What was your favorite class you took (and why), and what was the hardest class you took (and why)?
My favorite class was newspaper. I liked that it was different from a typical class and that for the most part it was student run. I was able to grow more confident in my writing and my leadership skills. The hardest class I took at Reynolds was AP US History. I loved the class and material, but it was a lot of work.
What would you change tt RJR (if you could)?
I wish there was a better system of communication. During my junior year it was really hard to stay in the know about what was going on at Reynolds because I was at the Career Center during the mornings and missed announcements.
Where are you going next year (school-wise), and what we will be majoring in (if you know)?
I'm attending the University of South Carolina and planning on majoring in Political Science.
Is there anything else you want to tell the RJR Alumni about the four years you spent at Reynolds High School?
I am so grateful that I was able to spend my four years of high school at RJR. All my siblings and my Dad also attended Reynolds, so I'm thankful to have that connection with them.
Jeff Echols
What to did you like (and dislike) academically about RJR (prior to the pandemic affecting the way teaching was done)?
Academically, I loved how encouraging the teachers were towards their students. From my experience, the teachers cared deeply about helping their students learn and wanting them to be successful in classrooms. They implemented many different ways to make class interesting and entertaining, which created an environment that made me enjoy learning. I did not like how some of the teachers would assign work that had not been discussed in class, but it helped me learn to use thinking skills to figure out what was being asked.
What did you like (and dislike) academically about RJR during the pandemic?
Academically I liked how the teachers gave the students the freedom to use their own time to complete assignments and study. It allowed me to work on my time management skills, and work when it was best for me. Academically, I did not like how you were not able to have as many interactions with teachers and classmates to facilitate discussions on topics. It was hard to ask questions and communicate when you did not understand something.
What “after hours” school activities did you participate in (prior to the pandemic)?
Prion to the pandemic I participate in swimming, cross country, track, orchestra, photo club, Young Democrats Club and violin.
What “after hours” activities did you participate in (during the pandemic and during your last semester at RJR)?
During the pandemic I was able to still participate in swim team, photo club, orchestra, and violin.
What did you like (and/or or and dislike) “socially” about RJR?
Socially, I liked how easy it was to make friends and acquaintances. Many of my classes did not have close friends in them, but it was very easy to meet someone new who was very nice. I've met some of my closest friends that I still keep in touch with in classes that I did not know anyone else in.
Who was (or were) your favorite teacher(s) and coach(es), and why?
My favorite teacher at Reynolds was Mr. Clevenger. He made his class so engaging in an entertaining, while teaching U.S. History very effectively. Everyday I enjoyed class and looked forward to going. I came out of that class learning more than I ever have in any other class that I have taken, and formed a great relationship with a teacher. My favorite coach at Reynolds was Coach Bronson. I was fortunate to have her as a math teacher and swim coach, and I really enjoyed getting to know her well over the four years at Reynolds. She was very organized and cares deeply about her athletes.
What did an average day at RJR entail (prior to the pandemic)?
Prior to the pandemic, a typical day at Reynolds would be going to 1st and second period then, having lunch somewhere before or during third period, then going to 3rd and 4th. On A days I had a set of classes that I would attend, and on B days I had another set of classes I would attend. The classes were an hour and a half in length, but you got to have a few minutes in between each class where you could converse with friends while you switched to your other classes. I enjoyed having different classes each day, because it kept school interesting and made my brain work in different ways.
What did an average day at RJR entail (during the pandemic)?
During the pandemic, a typical day at Reynolds was sitting at a desk on the computer. It followed a similar schedule to a normal school day, besides the classes were on Zoom. I would attend first period, then second period, then get a break for lunch, then third period at end of the day with fourth period. The main difference in the school day was that the classes were synchronous for half the time, and the synchronous for the other half. The teachers would give a lecture or have a discussion, then assign us an activity that correlated to what they taught about.
What will you best remember about going to Reynolds?
I will best remember the time spent with swim team at meets and the time spent in orchestra class. I made so many friends and peers and relationships with teachers in these two groups. Those were my two favorite experiences that I was a part of at Reynolds, and I will always look back with them fondly.
What will be your worst memories about attending Reynolds during a pandemic?
My worst memories about attending Reynolds during a pandemic would be missing out on traditional senior events. It was disappointing that I have a normal senior year, and I feel like I missed out on some fun experiences that seniors get to have in a normal year.
What was your favorite class you took (and why), and what was the hardest class you took (and why)?
My favorite class I took at Reynolds was orchestra, because of the fun activities we did over the course of four years. We worked hard learning a repertoire of music, and then took our music and played it for people at many different events and places. The hardest class I took at Reynolds was Pre-Calculus. The concepts in that class are very difficult to master, and the class gave a lot of work at home, but the hard work that I had to put into that class paid off and helped me do well in it.
What would you change at RJR (if you could)?
Honestly there's not much I would change at Reynolds. If I could, the only thing that comes to mind is the length of the classes. In my opinion sometimes an hour and a half classis too long, and it is difficult to stay at your desk at peak focus for the entirety of the class.
Where are you going next year (school-wise), and what will you be majoring in (if you know)?
I'll be attending Emory University, and I am currently undecided about what I would like to study.
Is there anything else you want to tell the RJR Alumni about the four years you spent at Reynolds High School?
The four years I spent at Reynolds were incredible and greatly prepared me for college. I learned so much from the place academically, and most importantly lessons that I will take forward with me in life.