Brian McGill, an English teacher at Tomahawk Creek Middle School since 2020, has been selected as the 2024 Teacher of the Year and Middle School Teacher of the Year for Chesterfield County. Mr. McGill has taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools since 2008 and previously taught in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“I ensure education transcends the classroom by taking the lessons we have learned through literature, both fiction and nonfiction, and apply it to real life situations,” Mr. McGill stated about his impact on students. “One may think that applying it to ‘real life situations’ means societal issues, and that is true, but first I make the students apply it to themselves.

Why? Because we cannot control society, we can contribute to it on an individual level, so I start with the individual.”

Rebecca Thompson, the principal at Tomahawk Creek Middle School, noted Mr. McGill’s ability to connect with his students and to “ignite the passion for reading” into them.

“Not only does he encourage students to stretch themselves academically, he also gives students the tools to be independent thinkers and researchers,” Ms. Thompson said.

Each Chesterfield County school chooses its Teacher of the Year annually. Of those honorees, Chesterfield County Public Schools selects a Teacher of the Year for elementary, middle and high school. The districtwide Teacher of the Year is then chosen from those three honorees.

For 2024, the Elementary School Teacher of the Year is J.P. Gates, PE teacher at Greenfield Elementary School, and the High School Teacher of the Year is Kathryn “Katy” Clarke, program coordinator for the Governor’s Academy for Engineering Studies and technology education teacher at Bird High School.

Superintendent Mervin Daugherty acknowledged the district’s top three Teachers of the Year as “teaching superstars.”

“These teachers demonstrate care and compassion, stress the importance of rigor and relationships and do the extra things necessary to help move our students toward success. They are committed to being game changers,” Mr. Daugherty stated.