Educator of the Week: Mallory Blake

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

Mallory Blake is a first grade teacher at Bargerton Elementary School in Lexington.

Before becoming a teacher, she was an auditor for the State of Tennessee. She says the pandemic motivated her to obtain her Masters and make a huge career change.

“During the pandemic, I was helping my son at home with his education and I decided just to take a leap of faith. I felt like this is what I was called to do and so, that’s what I did, how I ended up here,” Blake said.

Blake said her favorite part about her job is when the lightbulb goes off and her students start to understand the concept.

“When it just clicks for them and they have their ‘Aha!’ moment. It just warms my heart. It’s such an exciting moment,” Blake said.

Her biggest reward as an educator is teaching her students how to read.

“I love that. That’s my passion. I love, love, love getting to teach them about phonics, how to understand different words, watching them take what I have taught them and apply it and decode new words. I love it. I love teaching them how to read,” Blake said.

She said what makes her classroom unique is that she is open to letting her students be themselves and lead the learning. She understands that little kids have lots of energy and need to move around.

“I don’t care if they’re sitting or not, if they want to get up and walk around, if they need to take a break from learning. I have a blue rug in the corner if they’re just having a moment. If they need to calm down and reflect, they can go sit in the corner. They’re not separated from the class; they’re not separated from learning. They’re just getting a change to cool off and come back when they’re ready,” Blake said.

Blake 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].