Joel Lookadoo ’13 thought he was attending a normal school assembly at Lakeside Junior High School in Springdale. In a surprise announcement before friends, family, students, colleagues and educational leaders from across the state, Lookadoo was named the 2020 Arkansas Teacher of the Year in October 2019.
“I walked in and realized, ‘There’s some cameras here, and, oh, there’s the commissioner,’” Lookadoo said. “This is actually happening. So, it was definitely a surprise.”
The Rogers native spent six years as a freshman algebra teacher at Lakeside before becoming an instructional facilitator at the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale. At Lakeside, he and his wife, Chantelle ’13, created a program called Beyond, which targets students who have an interest in college but are uncertain on what steps to take. The group focuses on ACT preparation, scholarships and college applications, as well as other activities to prepare students for college life. Now in its fourth year, Beyond saw its first seven students become college freshmen in fall 2019.
“Every student has a story, and how do we build on that? It’s not about changing their story. It’s about building on it to help them be the best version of themselves,” Lookadoo said. “For teachers, how can we work together to make sure that we’re supporting them in the best way that we can?”
Lookadoo’s desire to pursue a career in education began on the basketball court. He played basketball throughout high school at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale and hoped to become a coach. While working to earn his bachelor’s in secondary mathematics education at the University of Central Arkansas, he discovered a passion for the classroom.
As Teacher of the Year, Lookadoo will spend the next academic year traveling the state meeting and speaking to Arkansas teachers to highlight best practices in education. He will also be a nonvoting member of the Arkansas State Board of Education.
“My goal was just to support students,” Lookadoo said. “That’s what I set out to do each day.”