Juwuan Jones | Special Education Teacher | Lanier High School

Juwuan Jones, from Sugar Hill, Georgia, was a consistent force on the defensive line for WKU football from 2017–22. A Freshman All-American, he became a mainstay on the Hilltopper defense and helped lead WKU to a CUSA East Division title. Jones excelled off the field as well, earning recognition as a three-time Academic All-American and three-time CUSA All-Academic honoree, along with two All-Conference Honorable Mentions. He completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in education during his time at WKU.

What is the best thing about being a teacher?
The best thing about being a teacher is being able to impact young kids lives in a positive way. We are helping the next generation of leaders in our country become the best people they can be.
 
What inspired you to become a teacher?
A lot of my family is already in Education so I guess you could say I was destined to be a teacher. The main reason I became a teacher was so that I could coach Football as well. In Georgia, you have to be certified as a teacher in order to coach in high school to make good money. This was a no brainer for me.
 
What was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subjects in school were Social Studies and Language Arts.
 
What makes a “good” day at school?
A good day at school is one where all of my students are happy and ready to learn!
 
How do you remember all your students’ names?
I have a really good memory and I think it is very important that you call everyone by the name that they want to be called. I do not have a cool trick or anything to remember my students’ names. I just try to build a personal connection with them first and then the rest follows.
 
If you could take your students anywhere on a field trip, where would you take them?
I would take my students to Universal Studios because a lot of my students like all the characters that are at that amusement park. I think it would be cool to see how excited they would be on a trip like that.
 
What advice can you share for future teachers?
My best advice is that you must build a relationship with the students before you can teach them anything. Students want to know that you care for them on a personal level, and you aren’t just at school to collect a check. Get to know them and they will learn anything from you. Another bit of advice would be to do all of your work at school and don’t take any work home. It is important that you have a good work/life balance. Teachers often get burnt out because they take work home and worry about things that are not in their control. Do your work at work and when it is time to go home, you need to not worry about school. It is important to find something you love to do outside of work.