Moore Selected as Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Daniel Moore
Mathematics Instructor, Daniel Moore, has been selected as Nash Community College’s 2021 J. Edgar and Peggie T. Moore Excellence in Teaching Award recipient.
Excellence in Teaching Award nominees are full-time faculty members chosen annually through a secret ballot by the faculty and represent the best in community college instruction. In recognition of this honorable distinction, Moore will receive a cash award made available through the generous support established by the late J. Edgar and Peggie T. Moore, formerly of Rocky Mount.
“I started teaching because I loved mathematics,” Daniel Moore said. “After my first college class, Number Theory, I knew right then that I wanted to be a college instructor. Although my love for math has not diminished, it quickly took a back seat to a new passion. The opportunity to make a bond with each and every student became my new priority as an instructor.”
Moore began working at Nash Community College in 2013 and has remained committed to connecting with his students about math concepts and life. “Sometime during my first semester in the classroom, I realized that I wasn’t just at a whiteboard teaching math. I was getting to know my students and they were getting to know me. This bond that I was making seemed to quickly become contagious between my students across the classroom. This connection often opened the door for funny stories and good laughs to get shared within the class each day.”
The impact of laughter, care, and open communication in the classroom is difficult to quantify, but Moore noticed the effect on himself and his students. “It truly seemed to bring us together as a team, and we all rooted and helped each other conquer the new mathematical challenges each day,” he reflected. “Not only did this connection make me more approachable to my students; it also provided me the opportunity to share in the joy and excitement they experienced throughout their college career. Whether it was the excitement of passing a test or the excitement of walking across the graduation stage, I was able to enjoy the moment with them.”
Moore initially struggled to create a similar learning environment when he began teaching online classes. Thinking back, he said, “When I first started teaching online a few years ago, it was pretty obvious to me that I was not duplicating the same bond with my online students. Even though I was still teaching the same ‘math’, something was missing. I was losing some of the joy that teaching had brought me. I quickly realized that I needed to find a better way to connect with my online students.”
Over time, Daniel Moore began to incorporate strategies to increase the sense of community with the students in his online classes. He noted a technique that has worked well during the pandemic. “I ask my students to submit student videos throughout the semester. In these videos, students record themselves working out a basic math problem to demonstrate they have grasped the concept of the weekly topic. Due to these videos, I have gotten to know my online students on a personal level. I often get introduced to pets during these recordings, and many have even taken the time to introduce their family members.”
Daniel Moore earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Religious Studies from North Carolina Wesleyan College and a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics from East Carolina University. He also was recognized as a Master Instructor for Higher Education at Nash Community College.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Moore were longtime supporters of the college. In addition to the Excellence in Teaching Award honoring faculty, the Moores also supported the annual Staff Award recognizing the outstanding work ethic of a non-instructional employee at NCC. In 1998, they established the NCC J. Edgar and Peggie T. Moore Faculty Senate Scholarship and later funded the Peggie Thigpen Moore Endowed Chair for Culinary Arts in 2009 to honor NCC culinary faculty and their commitment to exemplary teaching and excellence in the classroom. The Peggie T. Moore Culinary Arts Wing in the College’s Business and Industry Center honors Mr. and Mrs. Moore’s legacy.
