Jan. 7, 2025
A Math Mission
Join us for an inspiring conversation with J.R. Reid, a dynamic sixth-grade mathematics teacher and entrepreneur from Chester Middle School. J.R. returns to his Chester County roots, driven by a mission to uplift the community that shaped him. Discover how his own educational journey has fueled a passion for teaching and compelled him to become a beacon of guidance for students seeking positive pathways. J.R.’s candid reflections on classroom management and creating an engaging learning environment reveal the heart of his teaching philosophy.
WEBVTT
00:00:01.723 --> 00:00:05.633
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:05.633 --> 00:00:15.753
We are here at the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, here with JR of Chester Middle School Welcome JR.
00:00:15.980 --> 00:00:17.106
Yes, sir, thank you for having me
00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:18.242
Wonderful.
00:00:18.242 --> 00:00:19.106
Thank you.
00:00:19.106 --> 00:00:24.431
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brings you to the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
00:00:25.740 --> 00:00:29.467
Yeah again, my name is JR, last name Reed.
00:00:29.467 --> 00:00:31.612
I am a teacher at Chester Middle School.
00:00:31.612 --> 00:00:35.353
I teach sixth grade mathematics and I'm also a business owner.
00:00:35.353 --> 00:00:40.569
I have my own tutoring and after-school program right in Chester County, so I'm glad to be here.
00:00:40.569 --> 00:00:47.866
I was asked to come on behalf of my district, so I'm here representing Chester County and getting everything I can so I can bring it back to the district.
00:00:48.328 --> 00:00:55.453
Wow and can you tell us about your experience as a student and what brought you into the Chester school system?
00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:56.381
Definitely.
00:00:56.381 --> 00:00:58.546
I'm actually a product of Chester County.
00:00:58.546 --> 00:01:07.813
I went to Chester Park School of the Arts, chester Middle School and Chester High School and I actually wanted to come back to Chester in order to give back to the community that gave to me.
00:01:08.421 --> 00:01:09.445
That is wonderful.
00:01:09.445 --> 00:01:14.891
Was there a special moment or something that made you say, yes, this is what I want to do?
00:01:14.891 --> 00:01:21.171
I want to come back into the community and this is what I'm hoping to bring back to Chester.
00:01:21.712 --> 00:01:26.924
Definitely, chester is a much-needed area, especially for teachers that look like myself.
00:01:26.924 --> 00:01:43.445
We have a lot of people that go in the wrong path in our community, so it was important for me to come back and pour and instill into the youth of our city what would need to be happening so that they can go back and go into a more positive role instead of going to the same things that we're seeing in the trends in non-society.
00:01:44.429 --> 00:01:45.432
That is so wonderful.
00:01:45.432 --> 00:01:49.188
So what universities did you go to?
00:01:49.941 --> 00:02:08.413
I actually have my associate's degree from York Technical College, my bachelor's of science and educational studies from Winthrop University, and I also stayed at Winthrop to get my MAT my Master of Art in Teaching and Middle-Level Math, and I'm currently pursuing my EdD my doctor in Educational Leadership from Liberty University.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.284
Holy smokes, that is a lot of education.
00:02:11.284 --> 00:02:12.867
Yes, sir, that is great.
00:02:12.867 --> 00:02:16.562
So in the math field, we'll talk to that first.
00:02:16.562 --> 00:02:21.883
So what things have you learned in your university experience that you're hoping to apply in your classroom?
00:02:22.443 --> 00:02:23.987
So from the university we had a.
00:02:23.987 --> 00:02:26.993
Winthrop is a well-known school for education.
00:02:26.993 --> 00:02:28.787
They have a great education program.
00:02:28.787 --> 00:02:43.908
I could call out a lot of my professors by name, but the classroom management piece was something that they really stuck on at Winthrop so that we knew how to adequately manage a classroom to where the learning happened and fun could happen at the same time, to where students were always actively engaged.
00:02:44.300 --> 00:02:47.724
Gosh, that is wonderful and tell us a little bit about so.
00:02:47.724 --> 00:02:49.650
Now you have a tutoring company.
00:02:49.650 --> 00:02:50.372
How did that happen?
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:59.228
So I love teaching so much and I saw that there was such a need for math in the community because math scores are low across the state.
00:02:59.228 --> 00:03:01.245
So I actually started the business.
00:03:01.245 --> 00:03:12.393
That was just starting off as a tutoring business focusing solely on mathematics, but then we added on extra pieces to it because we saw that there were a lot of students who needed more additional help.
00:03:12.393 --> 00:03:16.849
So we just started adding on pieces gradually to where we could help more students in different areas.
00:03:17.230 --> 00:03:17.812
That's wonderful.
00:03:17.812 --> 00:03:20.669
And, JR, what is the name of your tutoring company?
00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:26.927
Actually, we have the Reed Institute where we have Reed's tutoring and we have a try after school program.
00:03:26.927 --> 00:03:28.710
Wow, and what is the website?
00:03:28.710 --> 00:03:29.531
It's reedtutoring.
00:03:29.531 --> 00:03:31.173
com.
00:03:31.173 --> 00:03:34.643
That's what the tutoring website is.
00:03:34.943 --> 00:03:35.564
Wonderful.
00:03:35.564 --> 00:03:36.467
That is great.
00:03:36.467 --> 00:03:38.192
And you're doing such great work out there.
00:03:38.192 --> 00:03:39.320
That is fantastic.
00:03:39.320 --> 00:03:43.927
Anything else you'd like to share with the SCCTM community?
00:03:44.408 --> 00:03:45.610
Well, scctm.
00:03:45.610 --> 00:03:50.788
I'm actually an ambassador for the program or the organization now, so I'll be inducted today as an ambassador,
00:03:50.788 --> 00:03:51.260
Congratulations.
00:03:51.260 --> 00:03:53.609
but I strongly encourage yes, I appreciate it.
00:03:53.609 --> 00:04:01.431
I strongly encourage anyone that teaches mathematics in South Carolina to join SCCTM, because it has many resources and very great benefits.
00:04:02.193 --> 00:04:03.254
Wonderful Well, thank you.
00:04:03.254 --> 00:04:08.673
I hope you have a lot of success here at the conference and I wish you all the success as well in your tutoring company.
00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:09.824
Yes, sir, thank you so much,
00:04:09.824 --> 00:04:10.186
Thank you.
00:00:01.723 --> 00:00:05.633
00:00:05.633 --> 00:00:15.753
00:00:15.980 --> 00:00:17.106
00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:18.242
00:00:18.242 --> 00:00:19.106
00:00:19.106 --> 00:00:24.431
00:00:25.740 --> 00:00:29.467
00:00:29.467 --> 00:00:31.612
00:00:31.612 --> 00:00:35.353
00:00:35.353 --> 00:00:40.569
00:00:40.569 --> 00:00:47.866
00:00:48.328 --> 00:00:55.453
00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:56.381
00:00:56.381 --> 00:00:58.546
00:00:58.546 --> 00:01:07.813
00:01:08.421 --> 00:01:09.445
00:01:09.445 --> 00:01:14.891
00:01:14.891 --> 00:01:21.171
00:01:21.712 --> 00:01:26.924
00:01:26.924 --> 00:01:43.445
00:01:44.429 --> 00:01:45.432
00:01:45.432 --> 00:01:49.188
00:01:49.941 --> 00:02:08.413
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.284
00:02:11.284 --> 00:02:12.867
00:02:12.867 --> 00:02:16.562
00:02:16.562 --> 00:02:21.883
00:02:22.443 --> 00:02:23.987
00:02:23.987 --> 00:02:26.993
00:02:26.993 --> 00:02:28.787
00:02:28.787 --> 00:02:43.908
00:02:44.300 --> 00:02:47.724
00:02:47.724 --> 00:02:49.650
00:02:49.650 --> 00:02:50.372
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:59.228
00:02:59.228 --> 00:03:01.245
00:03:01.245 --> 00:03:12.393
00:03:12.393 --> 00:03:16.849
00:03:17.230 --> 00:03:17.812
00:03:17.812 --> 00:03:20.669
00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:26.927
00:03:26.927 --> 00:03:28.710
00:03:28.710 --> 00:03:29.531
00:03:29.531 --> 00:03:31.173
00:03:31.173 --> 00:03:34.643
00:03:34.943 --> 00:03:35.564
00:03:35.564 --> 00:03:36.467
00:03:36.467 --> 00:03:38.192
00:03:38.192 --> 00:03:39.320
00:03:39.320 --> 00:03:43.927
00:03:44.408 --> 00:03:45.610
00:03:45.610 --> 00:03:50.788
00:03:50.788 --> 00:03:51.260
00:03:51.260 --> 00:03:53.609
00:03:53.609 --> 00:04:01.431
00:04:02.193 --> 00:04:03.254
00:04:03.254 --> 00:04:08.673
00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:09.824
00:04:09.824 --> 00:04:10.186
