by: Tatiana Allen

Many first-year teachers try making good relationships with their students and try to be there when those students need help. The majority do not get recognized for their hard work. Lee County High School’s Kirby Forbes was one of the few recognized.

Forbes, a math teacher at LCHS, was named the Lee County Schools beginning teacher of the year. 

“I think that the administration nominated me for the award because they saw that I made really good relationships with my students last year,” Forbes said. “The better the relationship with the student is, the better the teacher can teach and understand them in times of need.”

Teachers at LCHS are nominated for this award by either a teacher that was chosen or just by administration. Rachel Davis, the beginning teacher coordinator for LCHS, was chosen to nominate a teacher the year before.

“I help support all the teachers that are new to teaching for the first three years of teaching,” Davis explained, “so I hold meetings and talk about things to make you a better teacher.

“I’m sure that anybody could ave done well, maybe they just saw that I like worked really, really hard,” Forbes said.

Forbes has taken on a new challenge in year two, along with challenges outside of school.

“This year, I’m teaching four blocks and I don’t have a normal planning period,” she said. “I’m working two other jobs.

Forbes takes pride in her job and especially her students. 

“I try really, really hard to put this job first and make sure that my students are taken care of and that my students are learning what they’re supposed to learn,” Forbes said.

Forbes, an LCHS graduate, went to Meredith College to study teaching. Now, she is home and being honored for her hard work.

“I basically went to school here and I loved the school,” Forbes said. “I thought it’d be cool to come back and teach in this classroom and I had a class in this classroom, so its just neat to share stories and memories.”

Forbes teaches Math 3, Math 3 honors and Math 2.