MONROE, N.C. — An eighth-grade math teacher at the Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School has been named a finalist for the 2024 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Award.
Sarah Lefebvre has been teaching for 16 years and her passion for teaching is apparent every day she's in the classroom.
"Kids, kids, kids, kids are the thing that keeps me coming back," Lefebvre told WCNC Charlotte.
A huge component of Lefebvre's teaching philosophy is believing in the power of mistakes.
“Your brain can grow and change mistakes from all these new pathways," Lefebvre said. "Like they can really learn math. And so that drives me to connect to them on that level."
Lefebvre will admit she wasn't a big math person growing up, but after learning through her mistakes, she's grown to love the subject and now aims to help her students by connecting with them in any way possible.
Dulce DeLazue, one of her eighth-grade students, said that Mrs. Lefebvre is extremely helpful.
“When I'm like confused about the situation, she always comes to explain it better," DeLazue said. "She actually goes by detail as well.”
“She's really helpful when you're not understanding the material," another student Nyira Nolen said. "She'll come and help you one-on-one and give you an explanation that you might like that might help you.”
What makes this moment so special for the 16-year teaching veteran is that Lefebvre is teaching at the same school she attended.
“For the students at Monroe Middle and the students in Union County, I'm going to have a voice for them that will be heard in Raleigh, potentially nationally, and that I cannot wait to get to be in that room and talk to those people and work with this team to just really advocate for public schools,” Lefebvre said.
The winner of the Teacher of the Year award will be announced in April.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.