Veteran educator named Cumberland teacher of the year

Myra Dunham, a language arts teacher at John Griffin Middle School, was named during the district's annual banquet at the Embassy Suites Fayetteville/Fort Bragg. 

Dunham, a national board certified teacher, has been named the district's teacher of the year and teacher of the month before, officials said.

“I believe that each day a child walks into my class, he or she has been given an opportunity to learn new information, enhance his or her understanding of prior knowledge, and/or make better choices than those made from a previous day,” Dunham said in a statement. “I feel it is my responsibility to provide an environment where each day my students are challenged to learn the subject matter, challenged to be better people, and challenged to make the most of each day [that] they are given.”

Dunham received her undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and a masters in teaching from East Carolina University.

The educator said she became a teacher due to her role models who “showed tremendous dedication, compassion and commitment to the world of education" along with her loves for learning and children.

Durham will receive a one-year lease of a 2014 Chevy Cruze, $550 in cash and a weekend stay in the presidential suite at Embassy Suites Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, among other prizes.