The 2017 Athens Drive Teacher of the Year is science teacher, Shane Barry. A large group comprised of administrators, students, teachers, and principal, Stephen Mares, surprised Barry while he was teaching his fourth period physics class on Friday, November 3. Mares announced that Barry had won and administrators handed him balloons and a sign to congratulate him.

Barry graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. Before his seven years, and counting, of teaching at ADHS, he worked as a field engineer on the Pentagon Renovation project in Arlington, Virginia. He currently teaches Honors Physics, AP Physics and STEM Capstone classes.

Barry’s favorite part of teaching high schoolers is, “the connections that you make with students,” while the biggest challenge was that, “some high school students are troublesome, and making connections in some cases can be hard.”

“A lot of times there are long hours and a lot of work, and you’re not always as appreciated as I feel in this moment,” said Barry about his experiences in teaching. Expressing his deep gratitude for everyone who supported him, Barry said, “I feel like I’ve always been a teacher.”