Ken McLemore

HOPE – Hope High School ninth grade English teacher Jeremy Floyd’s brief teaching career has put him in the Arkansas Department of Education spotlight. Floyd was featured recently on the ADE Division of Elementary and Secondary Education website “Stories That Matter.”

The website feature profiles Arkansas teachers who have taken innovative approaches in the classroom and heightened student engagement.

The DESE noted Floyd’s unique approach to virtual studies student engagement and the effects of social distancing in the classroom.

“Novice teacher Jeremy Floyd is overcoming the struggle through the use of TikTok and feels this is his best year yet despite a national pandemic that has affected what was once a ‘normal’ classroom setting,” the DESE noted.

TikTok is an internet-based digital application that allows users to create short videos, typically with a musical or humorous context. The platform is popular with teens worldwide.

Floyd said his approach is simply an extension of what teaching should represent.

“For me it’s all about relationships,” Floyd said. “I believe teaching is about guiding our students to becoming good human beings who care for those around them and have a lifelong love of learning.”

Creating an environment to achieve that end is his goal, he said. Floyd said he wants his students to be themselves and feel free and safe to explore new ideas.

“Jeremy modeled this by creating videos to show his students it’s okay to explore new ideas,” the website notes.

HHS Principal Bill Hoglund said Floyd leads in the classroom and on the campus.

“Jeremy has brought joy to the classroom during a very difficult year by meeting students where they live using TikTok and other methods to communicate with students,” Hoglund said.

Floyd came to HHS in 2019-2020 through the Arkansas Teacher Corps after seeing the impact his mother had on students as a teacher. He has since taken a role as a Global Professional Development lead teacher for HHS, Hoglund said.

“As a second year teacher, he represents what a lot of experienced teachers wish to be,” he said.