Barbour County Schools Teacher Ashley Poling said students tend to recognize when someone truly has interest in and love for them.
“I feel the individual efforts of dedicated teachers make a difference. I adore getting to know the dynamics of each class, but I thrive on learning about my students as individuals. It is because of this that I am as effective in the classroom as I am.”
As a home bound instructor for Barbour County and an eighth-grade English teacher at Belington Middle School, Mrs. Poling said each class period adds a new chapter to the narrative of her career. When asked why she chose to pursue the teaching profession, she said it happened by chance, but a chance that paid off.
“Honestly, when I was a senior filling out applications for colleges, I was pretty cavalier about choosing a major. I knew I was good at English and Spanish and that I was NOT suited for a career that required strong math skills, a tolerance for blood and fluids, and/or an interest in computers,” Mrs. Poling said. “I ended up choosing Secondary Education because it seemed like the most practical choice if I wanted to ensure that I would be able to get a job. Of course, as I began taking classes and completing coursework for Secondary Education, I found that I had ‘grown into loving’ the major I had chosen.”
Mrs. Poling has been teaching since 2007. When she’s not busy helping students, she enjoys spending time with her family and three children: Tristan Brooke McCauley, 16; Grayson Matthew McCauley, 11; and Kyler Finley Poling, 20 months.