The trials and tribulations of skateboarding can be applied to any walk of life, as Ward Owen tries to convey to students at Forsyth Academy.
Everyone falls or has a failure. Or has trouble learning a new skill. But how you deal with setbacks defines your character. To provide an alternative to the school’s sports programs, Owen, Forsyth’s physical education teacher, started a skateboarding club to offer students.
“For me it was a great life lesson to learn,” Owen said. “You’re going to have to learn, and you have to keep learning and you have to keep working. I'm glad I get to teach the kids that.”
About 20 students are in the club where they learn to ride and do kickflips from Owen and his friends in the skating community. The outreach is one reason why Owen was named an Excellence in Teaching winner this year as part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) Excellence Awards.
Owen has taught for 10 years at Forsyth. Despite being his first teaching job, he has never ventured further because of his love for the students and trust of the administrators.
“I really like how we jive together,” he said. “The teachers, we have a great relationship. I'm not here to be recognized, but I was.”
Owen is proud that he always has been able to connect with students of different backgrounds and abilities. The Forsyth community clearly values his efforts, naming him teacher of the year in addition to the Excellence Award honor.
All the accolades and admiration are simply a reflection of his enthusiasm for the school and his dedication to helping students achieve success in and out of the classroom.
“I love the people that I’m around, love serving the students,” he said. “I just love my job.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Owen!
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About Forsyth Academy
Forsyth Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®)network, which includes over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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