By all accounts, Athens City Middle School TAP master teacher and 6th grade math instructor Kevin Winters has the “X Factor” for success in education—strong relational skills, exemplary motivational strategies, and dedication to students and colleagues.
As a master teacher for TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement, Winters works with the principal and faculty to analyze student data and develop a comprehensive school academic achievement plan that includes educator evaluations and ongoing professional development. He leads a weekly “Think Tank” for teachers, providing demonstration lessons, coaching and team-teaching strategies.
In the classroom, Winters meets students at their individual academic levels. He invests hours analyzing test data to determine the most appropriate lessons to engage students and increase achievement. One day he might create a hyperdoc for students to explore to effectively communicate math or science concepts; the next, he might be seen wearing a carpenter’s belt loaded with flash cards, markers, and rewards to build student skills. He also sets up academic camps to boost achievement.
While Winters currently works as a Senior Specialist with NIET, he has served as a Master Teacher, instructional coach, and taught all the core disciplines in first and sixth grade. Whatever the subject, his students consistently make achievement gains above district level averages as a result of his highly effective teaching.
An advocate for developing leadership and collaboration skills at a young age, Winters partnered with the Lions Club on a program that nurtures leaders for student government, including peer mediation skills to resolve conflicts. This program has expanded to the high school, extending Winters’ impact on young lives.
I could not be more excited to be welcomed into this family of such dynamic and passionate educators. I am proud to represent all of the amazing teachers that I work with and that I have learned from on this incredible journey. Through the Milken Educator Award and the TAP System, Lowell Milken has absolutely changed my life by enabling me to serve my family, students, fellow teachers, and community more effectively than I ever thought possible. I am so grateful to him and his tireless team for the work they do on behalf of students and teachers across America. They are a genuine blessing and an inspiration.
Tennessee Educator Fellowship
