Memphis teacher honored by Disney for bringing magic to class with hip-hop – FOX13 News Memphis


WATCH: Local teacher recognized by Disney for how he brings magic to the classroom

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A local educator is honored by Disney. Yes, THE Disney.

Timothy Moore is one of 50 educators worldwide to be recognized by Disney’s Campus Imagination program.

For him, it’s not about getting noticed, it’s about showing kids that there’s magic and inspiration in the life we ​​live.

“I started having all these ties to the same thing. My kids are like, ‘Mr. Moore, you have to go to Disney!’ Moore said.

He was an educational consultant working in schools in Memphis for over 15 years. Through his experience, he wanted to inspire the children he teaches – in a way that Disney has inspired many. So when Moore found out he had been recognized by the company supposed to bring magic, the Memphis professor couldn’t believe it.

“I didn’t know if it was real, and the next thing I know is I’m looking, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is real! ‘” Moore said.

Moore found a way to combine hip-hop and poetry for her program.

As an English and language arts teacher, the pairing was magical.

“I started taking the hip-hop language, the poetic language, hanging everything on the wall, and I was like, ‘What are you all seeing?’ and these kids started decoding it,” Moore said.

Although he loves his job, he admits it comes with challenges. Moore talked about an exercise he did with college students where he asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. A child’s response shocked Moore.

“I had one person rip my guts out, and he said, ‘I just want to be alive. That’s it.’ Period.”

These are challenges that Moore says he’s not afraid of. He says the reason he keeps doing what he does creatively is to inspire the kids he teaches.

“When I go to these school places, what can I do to bring motivation to these school places and inspiration for this hard work that we do for education every day?” said Moore.

Although Moore says the recognition from Disney is an honor, he has big dreams for Memphis and how it can inspire kids in the classroom.

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