NC Teacher of the Year speaks for ECSU
By: Kesha Williams
November 26, 2012
Elizabeth City State University welcomed Darcy Grimes, the 2012 – 2013 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, as the guest speaker for the annual assembly held in observation of American Education Week. Grimes began her career teaching second and third grade at Moravian Falls Elementary School in Wilkes County. After three years, she moved to Bethel Elementary School in Watauga County to teach third grade. Grimes contributes to her peers and the students at Bethel Elementary and her surrounding community in many ways. She is a member of the school’s Personnel Advisory Committee and a beginning teacher mentor. She piloted the Leader in Me program for faculty and helped to earn her school a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grant from the USDA. In addition to her work in the school, she started an after school running club for girls in grades 3-6 and she has volunteered with the local science club that serves public school students in grades 1-8. Thanks to her hard work and dedication to her students, Ms. Grimes has received several awards including Northwest NC Regional Teacher of the Year, Watauga County Teacher of the Year, Bethel Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She is also a Watauga Education Foundation Grant recipient and an Intel Master Teacher. While at ECSU, Grimes told her audience it is essential for all students to have the opportunity to collaborate with other students across North Carolina and abroad. "We have to prepare our students for jobs that have not even been created yet. Global education and technology both need to be integrated into all subjects, not taught as separate subjects," Grimes said. "My students have many opportunities to work in collaborative groups on project-based assignments." For the area teachers of the year who attended the ceremony and accepted awards she said, ‘Thank you teachers for everything you do for your students each and every day.’ Ms. Grimes completed her undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education K-6 and minored in Social Sciences. She also successfully completed coursework for add-on licenses for Social Studies 6-9 and Language Arts 6-9 in 2009. She is currently working on her master’s degree in Instructional Technology at Appalachian State University. As North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Ms. Grimes will spend the next school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching profession. She also will serve as an advisor to the State Board of Education for two years and as a board member for the NC Public School Forum for one year.