Golden Apple Award: CCA JB Copeland

Golden Apple Award: CCA JB Copeland CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – From the morning car line to after school activities, J.B. Copeland sets a positive tone for the entire day at Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts. He's makes learning fun, and he genuinely cares for his students. And that's the recipe for this week's 'Mr. Copeland is an amazing teacher. You know, when we walked in the room, it was hard to find him because he was in the mix with the kids sitting at a table working with them. He just has a great rapport with the students. They're motivated by him and um they love to learn in his classroom,' Dr. Jill Levine, CCA Principal, said. 'I'm a husband, a father, and a teacher. Um and I love teaching. I've u taken breaks and done a couple different things, but always come back to teaching cuz it's where my heart is,' JB Copeland, CCA Geometry Teacher, said. 'He's different from other teachers because he's more of a he's not just a teacher, but he's also a friend, a helper. He's also like a family,' Reaghan Newson, CCA Sophomore, said. 'I think what makes Mr. Copeland special is his way of being able to connect with students and understanding their struggles and being able to help them with their struggles,' Caleb Glass, CCA Sophomore, said. Copeland says, 'So, the longer I do it, the more I realize that the relationships are the the key to it all. And just making sure the kids feel safe, making sure they feel heard and um, you know, and just ask them to learn. I mean, that's what I come into all the time and just say, 'Hey, what are you going to learn today? What do we We're just want to learn. Just get better at something.' which is the one that was the that always inspired and I've been able to talk to him was my middle school football coach and science teacher David Beth and I got to later teach with him, coach with him, coach against him, uh, you know, and so he and I have always had a great relationship. I've been able to tell him um that he's the inspiration of why I do it kind of thing, but he's kind of my mentor.' 'Mr. Copeland is so fun um and energetic and personable with his students and math is not easy but he makes it really enjoyable for the students and I'm in a um a co-teacher with him and I've learned so much from him. Math is not my specialty but he makes me want to be a better better math teacher,' Kristen Hernandez, CCA Co-teacher, said. Copeland continues, 'I don't think grades are a motivator. I don't think grades are super important. Uh, I think learning is the most important thing and we talk about that all the time in class and that's the message I want them coming out of my classroom and then just in school I want them to know that I I care about them. I enjoy hanging out with them. I love this place because the kids bring me energy every day. I mean, they'll there are times I'll come in and be grumpy and and in a bad mood and I generally tell them and then 15 minutes later they've got me going in a positive direction. So, um I love that energy.'