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Reflections from 20-plus years as a teacher

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Mike Zimmerman, a 4th grade teacher at Joyner Elementary School in Wake County, posing for a photo at the desk in his classroom he says he never uses (Alex Granados/EducationNC)
  • Mike Zimmerman has been a teacher for more than 20 years, five of them at Joyner Elementary School where he is currently a 4th grade teacher
  • Zimmerman moved to North Carolina from Maryland 15 years ago; if he had to make that choice today, he would not to come teach in North Carolina
  • If Zimmerman were to move back to Maryland today, he says he would get about an 80-percent raise

In this episode of EdTalk, host Alex Granados celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week with Mike Zimmerman, a 4th grade teacher at Joyner Elementary School in Wake County. They talk about why Zimmerman became a teacher, what he thinks of the state of education in North Carolina, and what he wishes people knew about being a teacher. 

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Meet the author

Alex Granados is the associate director of communications for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.