In Batesville, Southside Middle School’s Derek Tharp has journeyed from the classroom to an instructional facilitator, then to an assistant principal, and now, back to his roots as a classroom teacher. After serving in both teaching and administrative roles, Tharp chose to bring his instructional experience back to the classroom at Southside Middle, where he currently serves as a fifth grade math teacher and lead teacher, continuing to make a direct impact on the academic and personal lives of his students.
Tharp brings a new meaning to the term “relentless.” Known for going the extra mile for his students, his drive to help students reach their maximum potential is infectious. Tharp is often seen working alongside his students during recess, lunch, and before and after school to ensure their individual needs are met. He helps provide dyslexia screenings and services for students in fourth through 12th grade and serves as an interventionalist during the school’s Response to Intervention (RTI) periods. His data-driven, targeted strategies paired with the use of higher-order questioning, call-and-response, and collaborative learning have proven to be effective, consistently leading students to high growth and achievement on NWEA MAP assessments and ACT Aspire summative assessments.
On a district level, Tharp serves as a testing coordinator, mentor teacher, and personnel policy committee member, and presents professional development sessions on test-taking strategies, classroom management, and more. He has presented at a state reading conference and is a guide for the Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (ATLAS) Classroom Tool. At Southside Middle, Tharp holds a leadership role in his PLC as a mentor for new educators and has helped develop inclusion model unit lessons for a PLC science program.
Tharp tutors students across various grade levels and serves as a positive, stable role model in their lives. On the rare occasion that Tharp misses a school day, he pre-records lessons for his substitute to use, ensuring that his students remain on track in his absence. His passion for learning extends to higher education, where he serves as an adjunct instructor at Lyon College in Batesville.
Tharp earned his Bachelor of Arts in middle level math and science from Harding University in 2015 and his Master of Science in Education in educational theory and practice from Arkansas State University in 2017.
Press Release: The $25,000 Milken Educator Award Goes to… Batesville Math Teacher Derek Tharp!
