Teacher Spotlight - Dr. Lily Gates

Official job title and Location/Department:

I currently teach all of the high school English courses and English-based electives at Cleveland Innovation Virtual Academy. I am the Beta Club sponsor there, too. I also developed the English curriculum for the School-to-Work program at Turning Point Academy. I provide academic support to students enrolled in English 1-4 within the School-to-Work program, too.

Years of Service with CCS:

After teaching in a different county for nearly a decade, I made the (BEST) decision to come to CCS in 2021. I immediately felt like I was "home" and have enjoyed every minute since then.

Education:

I have a Bachelor's Degree in English with a minor in Secondary Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I have a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as Curriculum Specialist certification, from Appalachian State University. Clearly, I LOVE education because I am most proud of my Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Urban Literacy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (GO NINERS!)

What Lily Loves Most About Her Job:

I am a lover of stories and my favorite stories are those of the lives of people. I am blessed with the privilege of hearing the stories of both tragedy and triumph from my incredibly resilient students. I get to watch my students pen true-life narratives where they become the heros in their own stories. It's SO FUN to watch one chapter close and another begin as they walk across the stage at graduation. My students keep me laughing and guessing; their honesty and genuine excitement for life is refreshing. I am eternally grateful for their influence in my own life - I often tell them that they teach me more about life than I could ever teach them about reading literature!

Favorite Memory from Working at CCS:

While I don't have a specific memory that I can recall as my favorite - the overall feeling is what is special to me. When I walked through the doors on my very first day as an official CCS teacher, I was immediately welcomed and made to feel like I belonged there. It truly felt like I had arrived at home. The Suttles, Dr. Ware, and Ms. Kale were a few of the first people that I encountered and I considered them (and still do) instant family. I have always felt included, heard, and supported throughout my time at CCS. I get to work with some of the coolest people who put students above all, encourage innovation, and seek to be the best educators in all that they do. Having a CCS family that I can count on is the feeling that continues to be my favorite part of every week.

Something Unique About Lily:

I like to say that the Lord has a sense of humor because I hated reading in high school and now I have a Ph.D. in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction. I use the title "reformed reluctant reader" to describe myself because one teacher changed everything for me. I get so excited when I get new students who tell me they hate reading or writing. I've never backed down from a challenge (even though I've learned my lesson more than once), so it's fun to get in there and show them that literacy goes far beyond reading an excerpt and answering a test question. I love when students begin to see how empowering reading and writing can be. Literacy is life changing!

Hobbies and Interests:

I am a multi-passionate person, so I enjoy everything from crocheting to true crime documentaries and podcasts. My husband and I have the world's sweetest dog, Theo, and we also love to travel - we even went to the Olympics in Paris this summer (the sweet treats were my fav. part)! I love to try fun new workouts and you can typically find me hanging out with my (the world's best) mom every Saturday morning. Of course, I love to read and learn new things - it's my ultimate goal to make it on to a game show one day!