Congratulations to Mrs. Reed and Mr. Mehigan for earning the distinction of Teachers of the Month for March! Both are health and physical education teachers and teach courses such as Team Sports here at Cherokee.
Teaching is an important part of Mrs. Reed’s life, and she noted that her favorite part of the job is “connecting and building relationships with students and creating lifelong friendships with other teachers.”
Similarly, Mr. Mehigan loves “being around great kids and colleagues,” enjoying the memorable interactions one has as a teacher.
Throughout their years of teaching, Mrs. Reed and Mr. Mehigan have learned many valuable lessons.
Mrs. Reed’s are: “relationships drive learning, every student carries an unseen story, and flexibility beats perfection.” She’s also discovered that her strength is “creating lessons that students can connect with and teaching in a way that is not ‘boring.’” However, she admitted to struggling with bringing new technology into her lessons.
Mr. Mehigan has realized “that as a teacher, the three golden rules are to try to be firm, fair, and fun. If you can do that, most kids will respect that.” A strength that he’s acquired over time is patience, though he also has a difficult time with technology in the classroom.
Mrs. Reed and Mr. Mehigan will be remembered by their future students as a positive influence for a long time. They, too, had teachers like that when they were in high school and college.
Mrs. Reed said this about her college lacrosse coach: “She had the highest expectations with constant support, she was passionate and positive in everything she did, and the belief she had in me as a student athlete left a lasting impact.”
Mr. Mehigan remembers his football coaches from high school, Mr. Scott and Mr. Gambone. These names may be recognizable to some, as they taught at Cherokee when Mr. Mehigan was a student here. “[They] were great guys who were role models to myself and I’m sure many other young guys from back in the day. They are the reason I chose to do what I do,” he explained.
Mrs. Reed has three daughters and a chocolate lab named Cooper. Her husband is a special education teacher at Seneca. Her favorite pastimes are spending time with her daughters by coaching them in their sports, exercising, and going to the beach. She loves to watch Friends. “I have seen every episode, and it still makes me laugh every time I watch it,” she said of the classic series. She taught at Kingsway High School as a volleyball and lacrosse coach for nine years before coming to Cherokee.
Mr. Mehigan’s wife works as a school nurse at Seneca. It might surprise some to learn that Mr. Mehigan attended Cherokee alongside his wife, and that they started dating sophomore year. He has three children, a dog, and two cats. Mr. Mehigan also enjoys hanging out with his family and golfing. His favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. “Watch it and you’ll understand,” was his only explanation.
The dedication of these two educators continues to inspire students and leave a lasting impression on their lives, and Cherokee is a better place with them in it. Ms. Reed and Mr. Mehigan absolutely deserve the recognition as Teachers of the Month.
