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Teacher Ncube Inspires Students by Teaching U.S. History and Sharing His Story
education, middle school teacher, ncube inspires, norris ncube, story, u.s. history,
Norris Ncube is passionate about the U.S. history he teaches at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School‚ but he also inspires his sixth-grade students with his own love of learning.
Ncube‚ in his second year as an instructor in the Collinsville school‚ is a native of Zimbabwe who came to the United States in 1996. His journey to Henry County was a long one – both literally and figuratively.
“I’ve always been a history fanatic since high school‚” Ncube says. “That’s why I pursued history‚ so I could teach.”
Ncube’s works hard to pass on to his students his determination to achieve.
“From age 1 to 17‚ I went to school there [Zimbabwe]‚” Ncube says. “Seven years of primary school took 12 years for me. At one time‚ we experienced the war of liberation and that stopped us from going to school‚ because the schools were burned by the freedom fighters. We survived basically from nature.”
After completing college and teaching in his homeland‚ Ncube moved to Indianapolis and taught in inner-city schools.
“There‚ it was one student at a time. There‚ you could not look at a class and try to reach everyone‚ because you would fail. So you just taught it and hoped to get one student at a time.”
He came to Martinsville in 2006 with his wife‚ a midwife‚ and four children‚ ages 3 to 14. He firmly believes his life story can motivate his students.
“Right at the beginning‚ people want to know where I come from. And that story has to be told‚” Ncube says. “And that story always ends by saying it is possible for anyone in any circumstance to make a decent living for oneself. All it takes is for one to make a goal. I just want to stand up there and say‚ ‘Hey – get up and do something.’”
Story by Anne Gillem
