Earlier this year, we said goodbye to a beloved administrator at Watauga, Dr. Rachel Shepherd. After nearly 8 Years at WHS, Dr. Shepherd has left to join Appalachian State University as the Associate Director of Empowered Teacher Learning, a program that helps teachers learn how to further improve their teaching skills.
To fill the assistant principal position, Watauga has welcomed Mr. Machon, a former Kindergarten teacher at Parkway Elementary School. Machon shared about his origins and what brought him to WHS.
“Previously, I was at Parkway as a teacher, and at the beginning of this year, I was at Valle Crucis as a Principal Intern as I finished up my Masters in School Administration,” said Machon. “I’m part of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program. They allowed us to do a year-long internship, and the internship was cut a little short, as I moved over to the high school. But I’m excited to be here.”
After years of teaching Kindergarten, Machon decided to transition to the high school environment, beginning by utilizing the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program to secure an internship at Valle Crucis Elementary School. Machon moved to the high school at the beginning of the semester, joining the administration team.
“Leaving the classroom before going into the internship was really hard,” Machon said. “Kindergarten was a fun place to be. I really enjoyed starting in Kindergarten and being a part of the student’s education from the beginning. But now, looking at the internship and in high school, it was exciting to see K-8, and now I get to see 9-12. It was really cool to see the progression of a student's growth and learning, so I’m excited to now see the end of a student's educational career.”
Machon discussed what inspired him to move to WHS, what pushed him to make that large of a change, and how it compares to a Kindergarten classroom.
“I think the biggest similarity is that it's all about relationships. As a teacher, I work hard to build positive relationships with my students, but also with their families,” Machon said. “In Kindergarten, it’s the start of someone’s educational career. A lot of times, parents are nervous or hesitant about sending their child to school, sometimes for the first time. And now, it's still about relationships, but more so than just the four walls of my classroom. I’m now building relationships with families, with students, with teachers, and being able to support all of those different levels of students, families, and teachers throughout this building. And the high school is a little bit bigger, so it’s cool to serve all of those communities that we have in Watauga County and not just a specific school.”
Although he’s been here for just a brief time so far, Mr. Machon has found the joy and passion that comes with the challenge of transitioning from K-8 to high school, even as an adult. Although the transition can be difficult, Mr. Machon has welcomed the high school with open arms, just as we welcome him.
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