North Carolina elementary school teacher Eugenia Floyd has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Eugenia Floyd, an elementary school teacher from North Carolina who has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Eugenia has taught fourth grade for eight years at Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In her classroom, the honored educator says she emphasizes equity. To achieve this goal, she teaches a unit on social issues. She facilitates discussions about such topics as bullying, racism, and sexism. “Not only do I want to make sure I teach my students material that can connect to the world around us,” Eugenia says, “but I also want them to be able to use what they have learned in order to make themselves and the world a better place,” she continues. “When students are able to connect to their lives and world around them, learning will most definitely happen and stick,” she concludes. In addition, Eugenia says a key element of her approach is having high expectations of all students, rather than imposing any limits on their capacity to learn.

The honored educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She completed her K-6 teacher certification at North Carolina Central University in 2013. In 2020, she earned her Master’s degree in Gifted Education from Elon University located in Elon, North Carolina.

As North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year, Kimberly will serve as a state ambassador for teachers and as an advisor on the State Board of Education for two years. The honor includes a cash award of $8,500, a trip to the National Teacher of the Year Conference and International Space Camp, a leased car, a mobile phone, a foldable laptop computer, and the opportunity to travel abroad.

Congratulations, Eugenia!