February 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
First in series of five stories. 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Justin Nokes once walked the halls of DeKalb Middle School as a student. Today he is one of the school’s most outstanding teachers.
Now in his eighth year, Nokes serves as seventh grade World History educator and is head coach of the Saints and Lady Saints Soccer Teams.
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Nokes is also this year’s Teacher of the Year at DeKalb Middle School and is in the running with four other educators for DeKalb County Teacher of the Year. Such an honor is something Nokes had not anticipated.
“I was very surprised and honored to even be nominated. There are a lot of great teachers here at DeKalb Middle School and they are all deserving,” said Nokes.
A graduate of DeKalb County High School, Nokes furthered his education at Tennessee Tech where he graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors Degree. Last May Nokes earned his Masters degree in Educational Technology at Tech.
Nokes cites several people who influenced his decision to enter the teaching profession but none so much as his late mother, Karen Jacobs, who spent more than 30 years as an educator, most of that time at Northside Elementary School.
“I always lived and grew up in the school system and I have loved every minute of it. I am glad and blessed to be here at DeKalb Middle School,” said Nokes.
“A lot of people have influenced and helped me along the way including my wife Macy who also teaches school. I remember too when I was younger how that Ron Rogers and Steve Officer with the 4-H programs really encouraged me to be a 4-H counselor in high school,” said Nokes.
Asked how he would react if named DeKalb Teacher of the Year, Nokes said “It would be a huge honor and I would be at a loss for words because I know the quality of teachers that we have from kindergarten to high school. I would be honored,” he said.
The overall DeKalb County Teacher of the Year winner will be announced during the twelfth annual Teacher of the Year banquet next Tuesday, March 5 at the Smithville First Baptist Church Life Enrichment Center.
In addition to Nokes, this year’s honorees are first grade teacher Vicky Hawker at Smithville Elementary School; fifth grade teacher Cheryl Vandagriff at Northside Elementary School; Jessica Antoniak, a sixth grade math and science teacher at DeKalb West School; and Linda Parris, a family and consumer sciences/culinary arts teacher at DeKalb County High School.
WJLE will be featuring each of the five Teachers of the Year at the school level through next Tuesday.