During what was supposed to be an End-of-Grade (EOG) pep rally, students and teachers at Plain View Elementary School learned that the pep rally was really to celebrate one of their own.
The real excitement came to life when Leslie Seals' name was announced by Plain View Principal Melanie Smith as the 2023-2024 Sampson County Schools’ Teacher of the Year. Earlier in the month, Seals along with two other teachers was named as a top three finalist for the county-level teacher of the year award.
“I knew something was odd about the pep rally when I saw my family members walk in the gym,” said Seals.
Seals, a 4th-grade mathematics teacher at the school, began her teaching career in 2009 at Northeast Elementary in Pinetown, NC. As the wife of a Methodist pastor, who is routinely reassigned every few years to a new church and city, Seals previously taught in Dare, Cumberland, Richmond, and Beaufort counties before coming to Sampson. She was the 2017-2018 Cumberland County Schools Teacher of the Year, a previous WRAL Teacher of the Week, and Q98 Teacher of the Week. At Plain View, she serves as a grade-level chair, a member of the school improvement team, and an after-school mathematics tutor. She has a bachelor’s in elementary education from ECU.
"Today’s announcement, outside of graduation ceremonies, is the most important day we have in the school system, to celebrate the teachers who walk side-by-side with our kids each day, supporting their accomplishments, and it's an honor," said SCS Superintendent Dr. David Goodin.
“My favorite thing during the school year is the teacher of the year because I get to see firsthand the best of the best,” said SCS Beginning Teacher Coordinator Brenda Nordin. “I sat in on all the finalists' interviews, and Mrs. Seals is awesome.”
When asked about the importance of education, Seals said, “The biggest influence I had in seeing education and the value of it was my mom, who recently retired as an administrator in Harnett County Schools, and my step-father, who was the Superintendent of Harnett County Schools. Growing up, I saw how important education was to them and the difference they made in children’s lives.” She goes on to say that educators often sacrifice their own personal time and money to ensure that every child is successful.
“As a young child, I watched my step-father spend countless hours outside of his regular job organizing Toys for Tots toy drives to provide thousands of kids Christmas presents each year,” Seals fondly recalls. “To this day, my family still participates in Operation Christmas Child and Toys for Tots.”
Seals said she became a teacher because, “I believe that this is a calling from God, not just an occupation.” She answered that call by investing herself in the whole community and each student in a special way.
To ensure that no child is left behind academically, Seals works with 4th-grade students in after-school programs, tutoring them with extra help in math. She sees this as an opportunity to connect with the students in a one-to-one setting, showing them they are more than just a test score.
In her classroom, Seals purposefully meets with her students in small groups as well as individually to work on what they each need. “I can challenge, motivate and intervene when needed to help each child be successful,” she said. Her students also use a peer-to-peer model, where students help each other become successful. “I really try to create a culture where the class is a family, and that all children know they can learn (from me and each other) and have the right to learn in a safe and secure environment.”
Outside of the classroom, Seals can be found volunteering her time with First Methodist Church of Clinton, where her husband is the pastor, with the Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, and supporting the Child Advocacy Center of Clinton. She is currently working with various churches to host Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine. “If our application is approved, I am excited to see how God uses this to bless others and bring our community together,” said Seals.
“When we create a real difference in a student academically, emotionally or behaviorally, I feel we have accomplished what is sometimes not recognized by others, but is more valuable to the future of our communities and world than a test score,” Seals concluded. “We are helping students find their potential and excitement for learning.”
As the 2023-2024 Sampson County Schools Teacher of the Year, Seals advances to the Sandhills Regional Teacher of the Year competition. The Sandhills region comprises Bladen, Clinton City, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, and Whiteville. The regional winner will be announced in the fall of 2023.