HC teacher Ratliff nominated for LifeChanger of the Year Award

HC is home to faculty that works within its community to ensure the success of its students. A member of this faculty is HC science teacher Joe Ratliff. Ratliff is an active leader in after-school activities, ranging from the National Honor Society  to the golf team. This year, Ratliff was nominated for a LifeChanger award because of his activism within the school.

The LifeChanger award is an honor that is bestowed upon an educator that makes a great difference in students’ lives. With this nomination, Ratliff will be eligible for the top 15 LifeChanger award for this school year. The award is organized by the National Life Group, an organization that works to honor any faculty in schools that make a difference in students lives.

“There are millions of teachers, principals, administrative assistants, superintendents, custodians, nurses, bus drivers and coaches in our schools making a difference in the lives of our children,” according to the The LifeChanger of the year website. (lifechangeroftheyearaward.com)

The LifeChanger award determines its winners based on a criteria of the commitment of the teacher to the students, how positively they add to their school, and the leadership they show within their region. In his nomination an unnamed colleague comments on Ratliff’s activism with the HC community.

“Mr. Ratliff is a teacher of the highest quality who goes above and beyond to lead and be involved with students,” the colleague said,. “If it has to do with students that want to excel, or be led to excel, Mr. Ratliff can be found. He is Mr. Henry Clay!”

Ratliff’s reaction to his nomination has been positive and grateful.

“I’m humbled,” Ratliff said. “It’s nice to be recognized for the things I didn’t do as part of my job.”

Ratliff has been a teacher at HC for 21 years, and HC is the one and only place he has ever taught. He has been a personality in the athletic department.

“I have worked with just about every athletic team we have in some capacity,” Ratliff said.

By participating so copiously in many after-school activities, Ratliff believes it has allowed him to have a deeper understanding of his students.

“It gives me a better understanding of the students individually and it gives them a better understanding of me and what we are trying to communicate,” Ratliff said.

With all of his work, his main focus is HC and the positive impact it has on the people within it.

“I saw the impact that [my activism] made,” Ratliff said, “I enjoy all of the activities that I have done, and I enjoy working with kids, so I think seeing the benefits of what it does for students in my classroom, but also what it does for Henry Clay.”