Building relationships, celebrating resiliency are key for new Heroes Elementary School principal

This week in the school spotlight is Dr. Kimbery Redmond-Carr, the new principal at Heroes Elementary School (HES) on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Carr has been an educator for 29 years, and starts a new chapter with HES this year.

Carr graduated with a Bachelors and a Masters degree from Austin College and a Doctorate from Walden University.

Q. What encouraged you to pursue your job as an educator?

A. My mother was a kindergarten teacher and I helped her as a young girl. Being an educator is “in my blood.”

Q. What encouraged you to pursue education within your specific age level/curriculum?

A. I believe in leveraging strengths – math and technology were mine.

Q. What is your main classroom philosophy?

A. Relationships matter and learning is fun.

Q. What is a lesson you have learned from your students?

A. Take feedback as coaching and not as “evaluation.” Young people are not as apt to be defensive when feedback is provided; sometimes adults can learn from that.

Q. What is your favorite part of being an educator?

A. The children.

Q. What advice would you give to upcoming/new educators?

A. Be a reflective practitioner. Think about your actions and strategies, analyze them and find ways to continuously improve.

Q. What three words describe your life outside of the classroom?

A. Family, wellness and balance are important to me.

Q. What is a favorite memory from being a teacher?

A. I ran in to a young woman a few years ago who was in my first class (as a first year teacher). She was so excited to see me and shared that she had told her daughter all about me because of how much I had helped her. This brought tears to my eyes.

Q. What advice would you give to a parent?

A. Praise effort and resiliency.

Q. What changes would you like to see implemented in the school system within the next five years?

A. I genuinely believe that the Department of Defense and Education Activity’s (DoDEA) College and Career (CCR) initiatives will improve teaching and learning. In my job over the next five years, I will strive for effective implementation of the CCR standards and practices.

Q. What are the most significant challenges you face as an educator in a military town?

A. Leading a dedicated staff who seek to support our military families who constantly juggle deployments, permanent changes of station and other challenges.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share about being an educator?

A. I love learning and I try to model that for my students and my staff.