Top Teacher: Austin Jackson

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Every child is gifted. They just unwrap that gift at different times. and nobody knows that better than a special needs educator.

Meet this week’s WTOC Top Teacher, Austin Jackson.

“I come from a family of teachers. They pretty much guided me. So I walked in my mother’s footsteps.”

Austin Jackson is a Special education teacher at Mercer Middle School in Savannah.

“My mother was a speech pathologist, She taught me to think about the children first. She taught me to make sure I was well studied. in order to support students in a quality way.”

Jackson says he loves to see his students make positive progress and tries to build a strong relationship with the student and their parents.

“What I like to do is be creative. To meet the preferences of the students, and I always like to get closer to their families. So that they know what I am doing makes it’s way home and what happens at home makes it’s way to school.”

“Mr. Jackson has the heart for that position. because he understands the power of meeting the students where they are but also getting them to strive to accomplish,” Mercer Middle School Principal Christian Pantin said.

One day at a time, put your heart first and your mind second. and clock in, you can’t facilitate change if your not in the classroom.