Chapel Hill High School faculty voted math teacher Emily Duncan as the school’s 2018–19 Teacher of the Year, and counselor Sonya Sutton was honored as school district’s Exceptional Children and Student Services Employee of the Year.
Duncan, who taught for five years in New York and is in her second year at Chapel Hill High School, was “shocked and then incredibly grateful” when she found out that she had won.
“I, like most teachers, put in a lot of work, and it was just really rewarding to feel acknowledged for the amount of work I put in,” Duncan said. “Being a teacher, you don’t normally get awards, and, once you’re a teacher, that’s it; you’re not looking to be promoted.”
Sutton has been a counselor for six years and is in her first year at Chapel Hill High School. She was previously a math and engineering teacher.
“During my time here at Chapel Hill High School and in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District, I have personally witnessed and worked with some of the best professionals in public education,” Sutton said.
Sutton described herself as “humbly grateful” for the recognition, but named East Chapel Hill High School’s counselor Jessica Harris as a colleague she considered deserving of the district award.
“Although there can only be one finalist at a time, given the talent within our student support community, there are many who deserved and have earned the title of Exceptional Student Support Member,” Sutton said.
Duncan thinks that she has a strong “rapport” with her students.
“We have a very welcoming classroom environment and all students—hopefully, all students—feel as if they can participate and they can be who they are in my classroom, and that allows them to be successful individual learners,” Duncan said.
Sophomore Noah Walker, a student in Duncan’s Math II class, described the classroom environment positively.
“Ms. Duncan is very kind and gives everyone equal opportunities to share their ideas,” Walker said. “Her personality itself makes you feel welcomed and ready to learn math.”
Freshman Kaia Love, also one of Duncan’s students, enjoys her Math I class.
“She is a fantastic teacher,” Love said. “I like how thorough she is. I’m never confused.”
Walker said he was “really happy” when he heard Duncan won because he “knew it was something that she most definitely deserved.”
“She is an amazing teacher and is always there to help when I’m confused about a topic in math or when I’m feeling down about a problem I had,” Walker said.
Also awarded for the 2018–19 school year were Gina Horton, as Classified Employee of the Year, and Anna Hipps, as the district’s Assistant Principal of the Year.
