Author: Chris Shaw

Third-grade teacher Allyson Chick walked down a center aisle of the Richland Elementary School cafeteria last Thursday beaming, as if she’d just won an Academy Award. There may have even been a few tears.

Students holding signs that read, “We love you Miss Chick” cheered, as news cameras taped Chick’s reaction to the surprise party celebrating her Tennessee Teacher of the Year 2013 Award. This is the first time a public school teacher from Memphis has won the award in more than 30 years, so a surprise party was definitely in order.

All of the faculty’s surprise party planning after hours had finally paid off. But for Allyson Chick, the ride is just getting started. — Chris Shaw

Flyer: When did you find out you had won?

Allyson Chick: They announced [last] Tuesday night that I had won. This was a long process. First you had to win for your school, then for your city, and then for your region.

What criteria made you eligible for this award?

You had to have been teaching for five years and have high evaluation scores and proven leadership ability. You have to be involved with community service and be dedicated to teaching. I also had to write 10 essays, get three letters of recommendation, and participate in an interview in Nashville.

You’ve only been teaching for 11 years. Does the award typically go to teachers with more experience?

I was the youngest out of the nine finalists. I thought that might hurt my chances. But I know in my 11 years of teaching it’s possible that I’ve done more than some teachers have done in 30 years. I think it proves there are good teachers at every level.

I will say that perhaps I have a level of commitment beyond the average teacher. The amount of work that I put into my job for what I want to be able to do in my classroom takes an extensive amount of time. If all I did was just use my textbooks, I wouldn’t be able to provide an excellent experience for my kids.

You scored very highly on the new Teacher Effectiveness Initiative put in place by Memphis City Schools.

One of the best things about the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative is it’s making teachers become more reflective. It’s causing us to look at our practices and consider what we can do to be more effective. That process caused me to be more introspective and look at my teaching practices.

You had the opportunity to move to the next grade with your students, teaching them both second and third grade. How did that experience help you grow as a teacher?

I was originally their second-grade teacher. At the end of the year, I always get a little sad that I have to say goodbye to my kids. It’s like breaking wild mustangs. At the end of the year, you have them where you want them, and then you have to send them on to the next grade for another teacher to figure out where they are.

So [Principal] Sharon [McNary] asked me if I wanted to move with them and be their teacher for two years. I want to see how having a child for two years will help them grow academically. I’m hoping their test scores can go through the roof, because I already know their different learning styles.

The word “mob” usually has a negative connotation, like “angry” or “unruly.” But a new kind of mob is taking off in Memphis, and it focuses on something positive.

On October 17th, over 100 patrons eager to support local business swarmed Goner Records in Midtown, sparking Memphis’ first-ever cash mob.

Started in Buffalo, New York, by Christopher Smith, the grassroots campaign has spread to all 50 states, with cash mobs also springing up in Canada and Australia.

The idea is simple: a group of people plan a time and location using social media, set a spending amount (usually around $20), and spread the word. After participating in a cash mob in Syracuse, New York, nonprofit independent consultant Shannon Dixon wanted to bring the idea to Memphis.

“I’m excited by some of the grassroots stuff happening in Memphis, and I wanted to get involved without starting my own project,” Dixon said. “Small efforts can really make a big difference, and it seemed like the perfect idea for me to copycat.”

Dixon said she chose Goner Records as the site for the first cash mob, because she wanted to introduce more people to one of her favorite local businesses. Specializing in obscure and hard-to-find vinyl from the 1950s to the current day, Goner has also served as the record label behind local-turned-national acts like Jay Reatard, the Oblivians, and Harlan T. Bobo. After attending a few packed concerts inside the store, Dixon was confident the small space could handle being mobbed.

“Cash mobs by nature are crowded and chaotic, and after seeing bands play at Goner, I knew it would work,” Dixon said. “I also wanted to introduce members of the community to Goner who haven’t shopped there before.”

But Goner Records wasn’t the only benefactor of all the extra cash floating into the store. Goner agreed to give 10 percent of all sales to the Cooper-Young Neighborhood Association. Dixon said each mob will donate part of the proceeds to a different charity each month, which she says makes her cash mobs different from others across the county.

When asked about his initial reaction to the cash mob, Goner Records co-owner Zac Ives admitted he was skeptical at first.

“We were waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking that there must be a catch, but there really wasn’t one,” Ives said. “It’s a cool idea, and it’s a way we can give back to the Cooper-Young community, give back to charity, and have a good day of ringing up sales.”

The next cash mob will be December 9th in the lobby of the Literacy Mid-South building on South Cooper and will feature crafts from 20 local women who normally sell their goods online. Ten percent of all proceeds will benefit Literacy Mid-South, and the rest will go to the crafters.