Jamar Turner
I am an AACPS: Special Education Teacher, Marley Elementary | 22-23 Rising Star
We are excited to spotlight Jamar Turner. Jamar Turner is a 22-23 Rising Star Teacher.
Mr. Turner was nominated by the school’s principal, Tamara Kelly-Molock. The Marley Elementary School Special Education teacher is a Morehouse College alum.
We had an opportunity to talk with Jamar about being recognized as a Rising Star Teacher.
Here are a few highlights of the conversation:
Describe who you are in 5 words or less.
What was your motivation to go into education?
Seeing the need for more male educators, specifically black male educators. Having somebody that looks like you, sounds like you, and having that shared experience can definitely motivate children. I definitely wanted to bridge that gap where just by being present in the child’s life matters and shows success to them.
What would you tell yourself about your potential as an educator?
Don’t limit yourself. The sky is the limit.
What one thing do you love about working in your school?
It feels like home. I don’t feel like I’m coming to work. I’m working with educators that have the same mindset of changing children’s lives, but as far as the atmosphere and the flow of the building, everybody gets along. We push each other to be successful.
What is your favorite memory of your family and friends supporting you on your journey as an educator?
My mom is my #1 motivator, but not even just my mom, my aunts, my cousins, my grandmother are there. I didn’t have to ask for anything. If I needed anything for my classroom, they got it for me. It takes a village and they are my village.
Thinking about the future of education, what are you most excited about for schools?
I think the improvement of technology within our building is the future. We’re starting to see many different ways to learn. I think it is going to be able to enhance different styles of learners and help them become more successful.
What is one hidden talent you have that no one, or few people, knows about and would surprise them?
I definitely think my talent is my voice. I can engage myself in conversations where I don’t know where they’re going, but I see that I finished a lot of conversations where people are inspired by me. It feels nice.
If you had to make a time capsule about this year as a rising star teacher and you had to include an item, an image, a quote and a song/melody, what would you include?
The images are the yearbook pictures from my first and second year. Just to see how much I’ve changed. My quote “the Sky’s the limit” because I’ve accomplished so much and still want to accomplish so much more. I have an album instead of a song, it would be Jay-Z and The Blueprint. Jay-Z talks about the blueprints of his life. So I’m definitely connecting that to knowing I need a blueprint for my life.
What is one reason why someone should choose to become a teacher?
I don’t look at this as a career, this is a lifestyle to me. So if we want to see the world change from something that might not have gone right when we were children, our generation has the direct impact on the youth, we can lead them to be the change. I always say if you can’t start with you, then pass it on to the next person and let them make the change.
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.
