Every Maverick has taken an English class throughout their high school career, but not everyone has had Evan Wilkins as their teacher. Entering his third year at Emerson, Wilkins has already left an impact on students in his English and AP Literature classes, along with his well-known love for coffee (which is, of course, why he has a coffee maker in his classroom). However, not everyone knows what initially inspired him to pursue a career in teaching English.
“We had to read ‘In Cold Blood’ over the summer … my sophomore summer going into my junior year,” Wilkins said. “[That] was like the first book that really sparked my interest.”
Beyond literature, Wilkins was drawn to education due to his own experience with an English teacher during his junior year of high school. Those very interactions aspired him to become a positive influence through the field of education.
“It was beyond reading, it was the way that he conducted his class day to day … that he genuinely cared for us. That impact made me realize how important of a job this is,” Wilkins said. “And I’ve always been somebody who needs to feel that value. I have to be active, and I have to feel like what I’m doing is contributing positively in some way.”
That high school aspiration eventually became a reality. Since graduating from the University of Arkansas, Wilkins has emerged as an English teacher and recently has spent the last three years at Emerson. Throughout his time as an educator, he’s maintained his core teaching values while simultaneously expanding upon new teaching strategies.
“There were a lot of things that I did my first year that, like, English curriculum-wise, didn’t make sense,” Wilkins said. “But the thing that’s kind of always remained the constant is putting the kids first and putting those relationships first. Emerson has really challenged me in the way that I teach things and asking the why of the way that I do my normal classroom instruction.”
In the classroom, teachers are the official instructors and their main priority is to expand their students’ knowledge. However, Wilkins’ day to day experience with his students have inspired his own growth and expertise as an educator.
“Every year is a chance to reflect … to learn and … to grow so each kid that comes in the door really is like an opportunity to get better,” Wilkins said. “Your approach doesn’t really change, but, you know, the way that you think about them after they’re no longer in your room … there’s always something to be applied to the next year’s kids.”
With this in mind, Wilkins constantly aims to foster a positive, ever growing learning environment. After all, his approach to teaching is to have an open mind.
“That’s what I love about [teaching], is that you’re always learning and you’re always improving. If you’re really dedicated to teaching, you never stop learning,” Wilkins said.
