Teacher of the Week: Dawn McPherson

Dawn McPherson is the epitome of perseverance. Not even a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is keeping her away from her third-grade students at Olive Chapel Elementary School in Wake County.
Posted 3/12/2025, 1:00:19 PM Updated 3/12/2025, 5:58:04 PM

THE UNIVERSE EXPANDING SO FAST

IN A FEW. THE FIRST MOMENTS,

OUR TEACHER OF THE WEEK IS NOVA

MIXING IN A LITTLE HUMOR WITH

HER LESSON PLANS.

>> PRESENTED THIS WEEK'S AWARDS

EDUCATOR WHO IS ALLOWING HER

HEALTH CHALLENGES TO KEEP HER

OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.

>> WHO CAN TELL ME WHAT IS

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THIS

CHAPTER, DON MCPHERSON IS THE

EPITOME OF PERSEVERANCE.

WINDY TO END THIS CHAPTER, NOT

EVEN A RECENT DIAGNOSIS OF

PARKINSON'S IS KEEPING HER AWAY

FROM HER 3RD GRADE STUDENTS AT

ALL. A CHAPEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

IN WEEK OUT. WHAT KEEPS YOU

COMING BACK? THE KIDS?

>> THEY'RE REALLY GOOD POINT.

YOU THINK IT COULD BE

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH WHEN SHE

STARTED COLLEGE, THEIR FIRST

SON AND HER FAMILY WERE

THINKING ABOUT OPENING A CHILD

DEVELOPMENT CENTER IN GEORGIA

UNTIL HER FOR HER STUDENT

TEACHING ASSIGNMENT MORE THAN

30 YEARS AGO THEN AND THERE SHE

WAS BOOKED. I SAID MOM AND DAD.

>> I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT

ANYMORE. SELL THE PROPERTY THAT

YOU BOUGHT, WHATEVER I HAVE

TO TEACH. I LIKE THE WAY YOU

GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT THE

FLAMINGOS. I DON'T KNOW THAT

I HAVE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE TO DO

MY COMEDY ROUTINE TO EVERY DAY.

>> OR ORT. IT'S JUST KIDS.

THEY JUST TO ME ARE SO GOOD.

AND THEY'RE STILL SO IN A SENSE

STATE. AND I JUST LOVE SEEING

THAT SPARK AT THAT PARK IS THE

CONNECTION CEI EXPERIENCES

EVERY DAY THAT KEEPS YOUR MIND

OFF HER OWN HEALTH CHALLENGES

AND FOCUSED ON HER STUDENTS.

THEY KNOW THAT I

HAVE IT.

>> AND THEY KNOW THAT AS A SEA

OF BRAIN DOCTOR EVERY SO OFTEN

AND MY MEDICINE HELPS ME TO

WALK.

>> SO AND THEY'RE JUST THIS

WEEK AS THEY CAN BE.

>> MS MACPHERSON YOU ARE WRAL'S

TEACHER OF

THE WEEK.

>> OMEGA AND GRANT SHUNS THE

>> IT SAYS A PRESIDENT, THEN

YOU'D LIKE TO NOMINATE A

TEACHER. GO TO WRAL DOT COM AND