Our Northshore Schools Foundation Teacher Spotlight this week is on Ronald Jones, Para-Educator and Football Coach at Woodinville High School.
As a Para-Educator, Mr. Jones assists WHS’ “very talented and driven special education teachers” in the classroom as well as shadowing some students in their general education classrooms. At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Jones did primarily 1:1 support work with special education students and has shifted to a classroom support role this second half of the year in the “classroom to cloud” environment.
Mr. Jones says:
“I mainly help fill in the cracks where a student might struggle and I make sure that if a teacher cannot help a student at the time they might need it I’m right there to help. I personally try to reinforce to the students that they can do whatever they want to in this world as long as they understand that it might be hard or somewhat scary but if you want it enough you can do it.”
As a football coach at WHS, Jones wants his players to know that football is a fun, enjoyable, and rewarding game to play but that, ultimately, it’s about the life lessons they will learn through the sport.
“The ultimate lesson they will learn when they play their last season as a senior is to become a better member of society, a better son/daughter, a better worker, a better person overall,” Coach Jones said.
In addition to his work with students at WHS, Jones has played a key role in our community, especially in our current times and giving leadership and mentoring at peaceful protests in our Northshore community. Recently, Mr. Jones spoke at a peaceful event at DeYoung Park in Woodinville, helping to bring community and city leaders together for change and equality.
Mr. Jones is a powerful change-agent and advocates for Black Lives Matter and he wanted to share this MLK Jr. quote:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.During these times in the world ask yourself where will people measure you during these times of challenge and controversy?” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
We are awed and inspired by the work Ronald Jones is doing in the classroom, on the field, and in our local community. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated leader and role model for our Northshore district. Thank you, Mr. Jones, we are so grateful!
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If you know of a teacher in our district who is doing creative and innovative education in our new virtual classroom platform that we should know about please email their info to julie@nsdfoundation.org
Northshore Schools Foundation is a local 501(c)3 non-profit serving students and teachers in the Northshore School District, located in the communities of Bothell, Kenmore, and Woodinville. Since 1995, Northshore Schools Foundation donors have funded more than $2 million in grants to benefit the district’s students and teachers. To learn more, visit www.northshoreschoolsfoundation.org.