#LEADStaffSpotlight: Andre Mayberry, LEAD Cameron
Andre Mayberry has been at LEAD Cameron for the past five years, and he sees teaching as a calling. He follows the mantra, “Your calling will make room for itself,” and he has seen this play out in his own journey. 
“My college organization did a lot of mentorship, reading with kids at neighboring schools, such as McKissack Middle and KIPP,” he explained. “After college, I did a lot of mentoring at Cane Ridge High School where I was later encouraged by a teacher there to pursue a path of teaching. So I did!”
Mayberry started off in a teacher resident program called Nashville Teacher Residency (NTR) as a teacher assistant. The following year he became a fifth grade English language arts (ELA) teacher at LEAD Cameron, and he later moved up to his current role of teaching sixth grade ELA.
“Andre has a heart of gold. He has such a warm and firm presence with students that makes students feel safe, while also challenged in a productive way. He is a model for our young men in the best way.” –Abby Upperman, Assistant Principal of Instruction, LEAD Cameron
Not only does Mayberry teach his sixth graders about the significance of literature – he uses it to prepare his students for life. “Each novel taught has a life lesson that students can walk away with,” he said. “A nonfiction text may seem boring upon first glance, but it can explain real historical accounts to help future generations (our kids) avoid mistakes. I hope students understand how each subject taught can be used as a skill in life.”
“As a nerd at heart, the best part of my job is seeing the light bulb click in a student’s head. I love when a student is able to interpret something difficult and precisely explain their answer back. This may include unpacking figurative language, recognizing literary devices independently, or finding the ‘Easter eggs’ from the author in a novel. It’s what makes literature fun!” –Andre Mayberry
After-school activities like clubs and sports are a priority at LEAD because they are beneficial for community- and skill-building – and Andre is a big part of this culture at LEAD Cameron.
“His passion for coaching students through extracurriculars, such as basketball, is such a value and asset to our school community!” said Abby Upperman, the assistant principal of instruction at LEAD Cameron. “Andre has such a gift when it comes to developing our young student athletes. We are lucky to have him!”
“Andre is resilient as an educator and coach. He treats his students and athletes as his own. He believes so much in our students, that he’s involved his family (his wife and father) in student athlete development throughout the school year and over the summer. It has been inspiring to witness his growth since his first day as an NTR resident to where he is now.” –Ebony Freeman, Assistant Principal of Students, LEAD Cameron
We are proud to have LEADers like Andre Mayberry serving our students every day. If you’d like to nominate a LEAD staff member for a spotlight, please complete the nomination form here.
