'Outstanding Young Alum' showed early promise as teacher

Posted May 27, 2010

Some teachers—usually the best ones—just seem born to teach. Like they shot from the womb grasping a lesson plan in one tiny hand and an eraser and chalk in the other. And maybe a couple No. 2 pencils tucked between their tiny toes.

In the case of Alachua Elementary School teacher Kevin Berry, who was announced this week as the 2010 Outstanding Young Alumni Award winner by the University of Florida’s College of Education, this description actually is not too far from the truth.

“I have always wanted to be a teacher. From the first day of kindergarten, I grabbed a chalkboard and taught my mom what I learned in school that day,” said Berry, 34, who teaches gifted third- through fifth-graders at Alachua Elementary. “It continued as I grew older, from ‘playing school’ with my cousins and friends to volunteering and becoming involved with Future Educators of America in middle and high school. 

In 1993, Berry’s predestined career path led from the after-school FEA meetings at McArthur High in Hollywood, Fla., to the University of Florida, where his coursework and hands-on teacher-training sealed the deal: He not only would become a teacher, but also a lifelong learner of the best practices of classroom instruction. He received his bachelor’s degree in education from UF in 1997 and a master’s the following year while serving his fifth-year teaching internship at Alachua Elementary.

Alachua Elementary Principal Jim Brandenburg, a devout UF “EduGator” alum himself, hired Berry right out of college. Twelve years later, Berry remains entrenched on the school’s faculty, but he has continued advanced degree coursework at UF, earning his Ed.S. (education specialist) degree in 2006 and is now working on a doctorate in curriculum, teaching and teacher education.

“In his brief career, Kevin has accomplished more than most educators do in a lifetime, yet he seems unaffected by his professional success,” Brandenburg said. “Even as a beginning teacher, he showed a mastery of the complexities of positive student management and engaging instructional delivery typical of veteran teachers.”

Berry (pictured, right, chatting with 5th grader Paul Winner) was one of the school’s first National Board Certified teachers and developed a mentoring program to help other Alachua Elementary teachers earn this prestigious designation. He also was instrumental in Alachua Elementary becoming a founding partner in a pilot “professional development community” (or PDC), a network of 10 Alachua County elementary schools. At PDC schools, UF education students learn to teach diverse learners alongside school-based mentors and UF professors who are committed to inclusive education in public schools.

Berry credits Brandenburg and former UF education professor Diane Yendol-Hoppey as the “two driving forces” behind his decision to pursue graduate studies in education and take a leadership role in school improvement efforts at Alachua Elementary.  He also cites College of Education professors Elizabeth Bondy, Nancy Dana, Danling Fu, Kara Dawson and several other UF faculty and graduate students as important mentors during his schooling and early teaching career.

“When I first started teaching, I enjoyed helping others discover new knowledge, but now my passion has evolved beyond teaching the basics,” Berry said. “My goal now is to support all of my students, from third graders to college seniors, as they decide the type of people they want to become.”

Berry said he will use his standing as UF’s Outstanding Young Alumnus in education as a bully pulpit to persuade other young EduGator graduates to stay connected with their alma mater.

“I feel like once a College of Education student, always a College of Education student. Just because you graduate doesn’t mean you have finished learning,” Berry said. “You need to continue to learn and grow as long as you are in a classroom.  Experts at the College of Education—through informal relationships, not only by paying tuition—can help you continue your growth as a professional in so many ways.”

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CONTACTS

Sources

   Kevin Berry, Alachua Elementary School; 386-462-1841; berrykj@gm.sbac.edu

  James Brandenburg, principal, Alachua Elementary School; 386-462-1841; brandeje@gm.sbac.edu

Writer

   Larry Lansford, Director, UF College of Education, News & Communications; 352-273-4137; llansford@coe.ufl.edu