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Love And Support Key To Local Teacher’s Success

Gwendolyn Glenn
/
WYPR

Baltimore County teacher Sean McComb is known for showing his students love and support.

It’s one of the reasons he was named national teacher of the year last week. Now, over the next year, he gets to tell educators at home and abroad about his teaching style. “What it boils down for me is kids before content and love before all,” McComb said at the May 6 National Teacher’s Day ceremony at Patapsco High and Center for the Arts, where he teaches English. “I think of students before the skills I teach. I think of where they are and what they need and then I try to do it all through love.”

The ceremony was attended by elected and school officials, including Baltimore County Superintendent Dallas Dance. He described the 30-year-old McComb as a humble person who puts his students first. “He said when he became national teacher of the year, his students became national students of the year,” Dance said.

In his speech, McComb told the students about his childhood in Pennsylvania, coping with a mother who was an alcoholic. “There were times I wasn't sure if I'd make it in life and that's where my teachers came in. They believed in me and valued me and had great expectations for me,” McComb said.

He says he became a teacher because teachers inspired him growing up. It’s something he tries to do for his students. “So many students have overcome challenges in their lives and every time I'm a witness to that victory, my belief that it can happen again and again for more students becomes more firm,” he said.

The ceremony at Patapsco wasn’t McComb’s first. Last week, President Obama honored McComb at the White House. The president read from a parent’s letter of recommendation. “No matter his schedule load, if he knew one of his students was in need, whether for a shoulder to cry on or a calming word of encouragement, he would be there to help,” he read.

At Patapsco this week, senior Austin Goodman said McComb pushed him hard when his grades slipped because of personal problems. “I love him because he was always there whenever I needed him, no matter what time, early in the morning or late at night,” said Goodman, who spent four years in the college preparatory program that McComb oversees. “He’s helped me reach my goal of attending the University of Maryland and I was very excited when I got that letter.”

Patapsco principal Craig Reid said McComb “finds ways to get students engaged.” “First he makes them know he cares and then challenges them to do their best,” Reid said. And he connects with students on a personal level. “Making those emotional connections is not easy. Not every child comes in wanting to share with teachers. It's a struggle to break through and Sean doesn't give up,” Reid said.

During his travels over the next year, McComb will be talking about the need for a well-rounded education that values creativity and innovation while giving students a chance to explore their personal talents and abilities. “It’s important to have that well-rounded education for all students and not just students in the wealthier areas,” McComb said. “We shouldn’t leave the education of our children up to the happenstance of the zip code they were born in.”

He says he’ll miss the school and his students, but he’s ready for new challenges and the opportunity to meet educators from around the world. “I'm really looking forward to learning from other educators I meet around the country and bringing all of that back to Patapsco in Baltimore County,” McComb said.

Which spells good news for Principal Reid, who admitted he feared other schools might try to lure McComb away from Baltimore County.