Sharon Watkins has been with Chester Community Charter School for 21 years; her career at CCCS began in the 2000-2001 school year. She has been a teacher, Grade Supervisor, Building Director, Vice Principal, and a Principal for 12 years. She is now CCCS’s Director of Climate and Culture.
Watkins got her start in the education field while at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. She reluctantly took on a teaching job in a local school while studying to earn her degree. "I ended up teaching at my first school for 10 years, as a 4th grade teacher," Watkins said, "until it ultimately closed. At that point, one of my colleagues started working here at CCCS, and she encouraged me to come in for an interview. The rest is history."
After teaching both 4th and 5th grades for a few years, Watkins became the Grade Level Supervisor for 5th grade, and one of CCCS's first Directors. She was eventually promoted to Vice Principal of the brand new middle school, before becoming Principal of Kindness Hall (East D).
For the past two years, Watkins has held the title of CCCS's Director of Climate and Culture. "Each of our buildings has its own unique culture that's ingrained in everything that happens there," she says. "But universally in this role, Iencourage principals to be cheerleaders for their teachers to motivate them and keep their morale up. I make sure that we're always recognizing our scholars with different programs, and helping them with their social-emotional skills, and keeping our families involved in what's happening here."
Watkins says that seeing CCCS scholars' post-graduation successes has been the most rewarding part of her long career. "When I see my scholars doing good things in the community, or when they visit us here and tell us how they're doing," says Watkins, "that's when I see firsthand how important this work is."
Original source can be found here.
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