Hillside High School instructor named DPS teacher of the year

Hillside High JROTC instructor First Sergeant Jeffery Matthews.Photo byCourtesy of DPS

By Crystal Roberts

Durham Public Schools

DURHAM – First Sergeant Jeffery Matthews says his wife has been patiently waiting for him to plan their retirement travel. After all, he’s already served in the United States Army for 29 years.

But he’s now working his second career as a JROTC instructor at Hillside High School, and commits to four more years when he receives freshman students every year. Having charge over ninth, 10^th, 11th and 12^th grade students, the retired non-commissioned officer says he needs to see his freshmen graduate. He’s serving his seventh year of ushering his young scholars through the threshold of commencement after having tracked them through their high school careers.

A native of Louisiana, Matthews says he loves learning, citing history as his favorite subject because he loves dates and timelines. He also enjoys reading and writing. He is working on his master’s degree in business administration. He was a military instructor and taught advanced individual training while serving his country. He trained officers and non-commissioned officers in developing basic job skills, wrote curriculum, and worked for Training and Doctrine Command of Virginia.

Matthews says as a teenager he didn’t always demonstrate his capacity so his goal is to model the philosophy that one must overcome their shortcomings and achieve despite those who don’t see your potential, including yourself. He describes his own self-neglect coupled with counselors who weren’t there for him during his high school years. He was the collateral damage after a perfect storm: “My counselors were not there for me. They kind of left me to the side. So I never had an advocate in school. I wasn't a bad student, but I wasn’t a great student. But what about the kids in the middle? We kind of always forget about the kids in the middle.”

As a result, he was forced to repeat 11th grade. His father wanted him to learn his lesson and refused to allow him to attend summer school.

Now, as a retired military instructor, he’s inspired to give back. And despite his experience of being overlooked by some, he acknowledges that he still had support. “My dad and my mom were great motivators. Growing up in Louisiana, we had a great village of learning,” he said.

…“Teaching is a great profession. You can show kids you can have success in adversity. We share a lot of stories in JROTC as military instructors. We use our life skills and experience to enlighten kids to study and think critically.”

He encourages his younger colleagues in the profession to grow with the failures they may encounter and enjoy the learning process. Treat students the way you would want to be treated. He adds that every student is an individual and should be treated equitably. Doing so will encourage students to trust and open up to you and your teaching techniques.

Matthews is quick to say that he couldn’t experience the success that he has as a teacher without the support of his wife and family, and his faith in God. He also knows that the energy he brings to the classroom is a necessary ingredient. And for those who are considering the teaching profession, he simply says you must be drawn to it.

“It’s a passion. You've got to have a passion for it. Ninety-nine percent of the teachers have a passion for this work. We are counselors, mentors, coaches, guiding lights,” he said.

Mark Jacobson Toyota provided Matthews with a one-year lease on a 2024 Toyota Camry. He also received a $1,000 award, a laptop from Lenovo, an overnight stay and $50 dining credit at The Durham Hotel, VIP Cinema Pack to The Carolina Theatre, VIP Package with two tickets to Clue courtesy of the Durham Performing Arts Center, a four-ticket prize pack to a Durham Bulls game, $100 gift card to Geer Street Garden, a 60-minute massage from Healing Strength, a gift card to Beyu Caffe, and a custom engraved teacher of the year keychain from local jeweler JewelSmith.