Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools - May/June 2019 | Page 9

Monroe High teacher Jonathan Harbin named 2019-2020 UCPS Teacher of the Year
Nearly 20 years
ago, Jonathan Harbin
stood in front of
30 Sun Valley High
students as their new
English III teacher.
He had recently
earned both a
bachelor’s degree
and master’s degree
in English from the
University of Georgia,
and was completely
new to the teaching
profession.
By 3 p.m. at the
end of the school
day, he had fallen
completely in love with
the education field and
never looked back.
He didn’t know it
at the time, but that
exact moment was
the beginning of his
19-year-career as
an English teacher
in UCPS – a career
which most recently
culminated in Harbin
being named the
2019-20 UCPS Teacher
of the Year at the
school district’s annual
banquet on April 16.
“I had no idea,” Harbin said
after the announcement. “So
many amazing teachers were
being recognized that I wasn’t
expecting this at all.”
After working as an English
teacher at Sun Valley High,
Harbin joined Monroe High
in 2005 where he has taught
English at all levels, served
as the English department
chairperson, mentored beginning
teachers and worked with
summer enrichment programs.
As a master teacher at the
school, he also coaches and
mentors fellow teachers and
helps teachers share and
implement best practices.
“I’m overly excited for Mr. Harbin and this is definitely well
deserved. For me, what separates Mr. Harbin is his willingness
to go above and beyond for all of his students through the
relationships that he
builds with them,”
Monroe High Principal
Christopher Kelly said
after the banquet.
“He knows all of his
students individually
and he knows what
their challenges are
and he’s able to really
form a close bond that
I’ve seen firsthand
last outside of the
classroom. Students
who have graduated
always tell me how
great Mr. Harbin is.”
In his classroom,
Harbin said that
bond with students is
something he strives
to develop each day.
This connection is
critical as it also sets
the foundation for him
to encourage and push
his students to reach
the high standards he
sets for them.
“Building
relationships, and
creating an impact
with the community
through those
relationships, are what I enjoy
most about teaching. I’m finally
starting to see the long-term
effect of those relationships
and it’s amazing to watch,” he
said. “If I want students to take
away one thing from my class,
it would be to think of others
before themselves.”
For winning the countywide
Teacher of the Year title, Harbin
received $500 for his personal
use as well as a one-year lease
of a 2019 car, courtesy of
Union County KIA. The Union
County Education Foundation
also awarded him $1,000 for
his personal use. Additionally,
Harbin will now represent UCPS
in the regional Teacher of the Year program.
Pierce Group Benefits, Union County Education Foundation,
Target and Union County KIA sponsored the 2019-20 Teacher of
the Year Banquet, which was held at Rolling Hills Country Club.
Parent Teacher Magazine • May/June 2019 • 7