Charles Whittaker
I am an AACPS: HVAC Teacher, CAT North High | 2022 Teacher of the Year
We are excited to spotlight Charles Whittaker. Charles Whittaker was the 2022 Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Whittaker was nominated by the school’s principal, Joe Rose. The Center of Applied Technology (CAT) North High School HVAC teacher brings experience and kind heartedness to his students and peers.
We had an opportunity to talk with Charles about his year as the 2022 Teacher of the Year.
Here are a few highlights of the conversation:
Describe who you are in 5 words or less.
Motivated. Organized. Reliable. Passion. Empathetic.
Tell me one thing you remember about your first year teaching.
Well with any change in a job, there’s always a fear of not measuring up, but once I started, I realized I had skills that I had from my previous jobs. And it kind of flowed with being a teacher. The only difference is I was used to working and teaching adults, whereas now I was teaching young youngsters or young professionals.
Looking back, what would you tell your former self about your potential as an educator?
Well, I think I look at things in a kind of strange way and when I say strange I mean I look at that I had the possibility to be anyone that I want to be. If I want to be a principal or if I want to be a Superintendent, if that’s what I feel, I have the drive. I’m going to work towards that.
What one thing do you love about working in your school? with the students? and with the community?
Well, in the school our major focus is working with the students. Students come first. That’s what I enjoy about working in the school. Everybody’s on the same page and we’re willing to go the extra yard to learn more to be able to positively impact these youngsters.
What is your favorite memory of your family and friends supporting you on your journey as an educator?
I hear the same thing from my family, these kids need you! They need a role model. They need someone who’s ethical. Who shows concern and love for others. There’s a whole list of things, but that’s what rings in my ears. That’s what I hear from my family, my wife, my brother and other family members. You’re doing a good thing with these kids, you’re building future craftsmen.
COVID really challenged teachers, students, families, and schools on a level beyond imagination. How has the experience of working through COVID and then returning to “normal” instruction made you a better teacher and person?
In the beginning it was rough because it was something that was a shock because we had never really been in that situation before. When I say situation, I mean trying to give instruction remotely, while trying to be effective at it and trying to move the students forward.
Through technology it was such a quick and drastic change from face to face teaching to all technology, but after a while I figured out how to align the lessons and teach our students virtually. It may not have been 100% like it was face to face, but it was in a fashion that the students could understand and I was able to engage them through technology and get the lessons across.
You know what? In going back to normal, I noticed that once we moved from online back to face to face, I realized that I was more sensitive to the students because I had to change when I was virtual. I had to be able to see them on the camera and try to figure out where they were, but I found myself back face to face that I was more sensitive to the students and I was more observant. I was more flexible and my personality skills changed a little bit. I became a better communicator. I wouldn’t say “effective,” but I became a better communicator. I am more creative and more resourceful when it comes to education.
Thinking about the future of education, what are you most excited about for educators? for students? and for schools?
When I think about the future of education. I’m excited about the amount of respect that we’re getting now, because through COVID parents and the community realized how important teachers were early on. I think many people have taken the profession of teaching or teachers kind of for granted. I’m excited about the respect for my colleagues. The stream of resources that I believe we’re going to get and continue to get will be immense. The support from parents who now realize that we’re just not there to just to take up time with their kids until they get home, but we’re actually teaching them skills and how to prepare for the future. COVID exposed the lack of support from the community. People didn’t realize the value of educators, and that educators are critical for teaching their children. Many have changed direction in their perspective. I’m also more excited about the choice students will have in the direction of their education and career. I am more excited about the systems in the designing of schools, and they’re keeping up with cutting edge technology and the way the buildings are made, as well as how the buildings flow. When I think about years past, we would build a facility and by the time it was complete it was obsolete. Now we’re looking more into the future and when the building is built, we could expect 15-20 years or more in the usefulness of the layout and the technology that’s put into the building.
What is one hidden talent you have that no one, or few people, knows about and would surprise them?
I know how to use a sewing machine and I can play the piano.
If you had to make a time capsule about this past year as the teacher of the year and you had to include an item, an image, a quote and a song/melody, what would you include?
I don’t know if you saw the video, but at the ceremony last year. The team all had T-shirts. In HVAC, you know about the ducts that carry the air through the building? They actually had these blue T-shirts on and on the back of them they said “Chucks Whittaker. We have your ducks in the row DUCTS in a row.” It was just so awesome to see them there with the T-shirts. Then they had a dance during the ceremony. It was just unreal. So in the time capsule, I’d like to put that T-shirt inside as the item. For the quote, there is one quote that I’ve been carrying all year, “If you want happiness for a lifetime, help the next generation.” For the image, during the ceremony, before they announced the winner, I was sitting at the table with my wife and some of my coworkers. When they announced it, I was so shocked. I had no idea. I just thought I was there to have a nice dinner, be able to converse with some of my peers, and I didn’t think anymore about it. When they announced it, my mouth opened and dropped I guess for about a minute. So for a picture, I’d like to put that picture there so people could really understand how amazed I was. Finally, for the song, I’d have to say “Celebration.” Everyone knows the song celebration and it was a cause for celebration and it’s been a celebration for almost 12 months. I am very grateful.
For the last question, what is one reason why someone should choose to become a teacher?
I’m going to go back to my quote, “If you want happiness for a lifetime. Help someone in the next generation.”
Louis Nesbitt, PDM Department
The journey of an educator is a lifetime. We are thankful to those who have chosen to embark on this path. As a community, one of our greatest capacities is availability, so when the opportunities arise, find your own way to support education.
