With two degrees from the University of Lynchburg and a third in the works, Raymond Smith ’23, ’25 MEd, ’28 EdD said he’s often asked about his career goals.
“People hear about my degrees and instantly assume that I want to go into administration, but I’m not certain that’s in the future,” said Smith, a social studies teacher at Forest Middle School in Bedford County, Virginia. “I love teaching and working with students.”
“My answer has become, ‘I will keep on teaching as long as I love it and feel that I’m providing a good environment for students.’ If the day comes when I don’t feel I’m doing a good job or my students stop responding to me, that’s when I’ll look for other opportunities.
“I pursue degrees because I love learning and never want to stop learning new things.”
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This fall, Smith was named Forest Middle School’s “Teacher of the Year,” an honor that puts him in the running for Bedford County Teacher of the Year, along with regional, state, and national awards.
“I have had the privilege to be Raymond’s administrator the past few years and see, day in and day out, his commitment to his students and Forest Middle School,” said Christy Moxley, assistant principal at FMS. “He is on our school’s leadership team, the social studies department chair, and leads the National Junior Honor Society at FMS.
“Something that I think makes Raymond being our ‘Teacher of the Year’ even extra special is that he was a student himself at FMS. One of his nominations said this statement, which I also strongly agree with: ‘He seems to have found the perfect balance between building relationships with his students while holding them accountable for their actions and pushing them towards academic success.’”
This is Smith’s fourth year at Forest Middle School, where he teaches eighth grade world geography and Character and Career. He also is the debate coach at Jefferson Forest High School and clerk of congress for the Southwest Virginia Forensics League, and he has served on the board of directors for Little Town Players, a local theater company.
Smith participated in debate when he was a student at Jefferson Forest High School and said “serving as the coach today is a great full-circle moment for me.”
Smith transferred to the University of Lynchburg from Central Virginia Community College, where he earned an associate degree in education as part of the Grow Your Own Teachers program, a partnership that involves CVCC, University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg City Schools, and local nonprofit Beacon of Hope.
At Lynchburg, Smith completed a bachelor’s degree in history and social studies education and a Master of Education in interdisciplinary studies. He’s on track to finish his Doctor of Education in leadership studies at Lynchburg in May 2028.
Smith, who describes himself as a “proud product of Bedford County and Bedford County Public Schools,” said he didn’t always want to be a teacher but was inspired by one of his own teachers to take that route.
“Up until eighth grade, I thought I would become a professional chef,” he said. “However, in eighth grade, my World History I teacher, Mr. [Lloyd] Parker, made me realize that I could become a teacher and make a living talking about things that I loved.
“As I went through high school, I reflected back on the amazing teachers that I had growing up and became more committed to the idea of becoming a history teacher.”
When it came time to choose a college, Smith got some advice from his principal, Dr. Lee Ann Calvert ’98 MEd, ’14 EdD. “It was funny how I chose Lynchburg,” Smith said. “At the end of senior year, I met with my high school principal. I told her I wanted to become a teacher, and I wanted her opinion on where I should go to school.
“She … is a Lynchburg alum and recommended the Grow Your Own Teachers program with CVCC and Lynchburg. I took her recommendation and ran with it. Now here I am, working on my third degree through Lynchburg.”
At Lynchburg, Smith said he has been “blessed to have some truly incredible education and history professors,” adding, “I have to give a shout-out to Dr. [Holly] Gould as the gold standard for modeling learning behaviors.
“In all of her classes, she always brought new and updated approaches to learning and modeled best practices for the classroom. Now, when I’m teaching or planning, I try to think of how I can model like her or bring something new from her classes to my students.”
While history has always been Smith’s favorite subject, he said “the best part of what I do deals less with content and more with relationships. Getting the opportunity to interact with and teach students is the best part of my job.
“I love getting to know my students, learning about their experiences, their passions, weaknesses, and dreams. Outside of the classroom, I love going to extracurricular events and seeing my students do what they love. I make it a point to go to at least one game/performance for each sport/activity throughout the year.
“It means a lot to the students to see that teachers take the time to actually support them outside of the classroom. Not to mention, going to high school games provides a great opportunity for me to see former students. Seeing them light up when they know I’m there is an incredible experience!”
This is the first time Smith has been named Teacher of the Year, and he said he was “dumbfounded” to have been selected. “There are so many incredible teachers at my school who work so hard and provide incredible instruction to our students,” he said.
“As a fourth-year teacher, I don’t take it for granted that I was selected over them. I look at this as recognition of what I do to make connections with students and ensure they have a positive experience in eighth grade, but I also look at it as a team win.
“Without the incredible world geography teachers I work with and my overall eighth grade team, I wouldn’t be able to do everything I do now. They help push me to be the best that I can be.”
