Educator of the Week: Maegan Qualls

It’s time to recognize this week’s Educator of the Week, presented by the Tennessee Education Lottery.

“I had an elementary art teacher Miss Becky,” said Maegan Qualls. “I just decided then, and that was in the fourth or fifth grade, I was like I love this. I want to be an art teacher.”

The love for teaching art has carried Qualls to inspire students at Scotts Hill High School for the past nine years.

“The idea of just inspiring kids to be better, to be more than they think they can be, to accomplish things that they didn’t think they would be able to accomplish,” Qualls said.

Qualls says teaching art is like an other area of study. Each student has to start at square one.

“I tell all of my students to start at ground zero. We’re all starting from the beginning side, some just have a little more practice than others, and then we just progress like you would in any subject. We just kind of build and add to it,” Qualls said.

She says tapping into each student’s artistic talents is key in motivating them to helping them grow and learn about life beyond the classroom.

“I think it helps them outside the box because oftentimes they can find themselves to just a little, a little box, and they don’t think outside the lines and think how they can use art to help them in all aspects of life,” Qualls said.

Qualls is now eligible for the Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award.

To vote for her or any other nominees, go to the Tennessee Education Lottery website.

To nominate an educator for our weekly award, just email us at [email protected].