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Appreciation at the Center

Posted Date: 11/14/25 (10:19 AM)
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A man with glasses and a beard holds a paper, looking to the side.

Behind every student success story, there’s a great teacher. And behind every great teacher, there’s a story of connection, hard work, and often another great teacher.

Jatain McLane — Albert Hill Middle School history teacher and, as of Friday night, RPS’ New Teacher of the Year — is one such teacher. A proud Church Hill native who attended Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School and Open High School, Mr. McLane started his career not at RPS, or even in teaching, but as a United States Postal Service letter carrier. He did the job with pride for seven years, but something felt missing. With his godsister's encouragement, he started to consider a career in the classroom. Although intrigued, he was nervous. A conversation with an incarcerated schoolfriend, though, changed his mind: “He told me that if he had a teacher like me, he probably wouldn't be in the situation he was in.” That was all the motivation he needed.


‘Every student grows and learns at their own pace, and my students show me the value of slowing down, meeting them where they are, and supporting them with consistency and care’

 

The support of his teachers from MLK guided his path to Albert Hill. From them, “I gained lessons that shaped not just my academic path, but the person I’ve become,” says McLane about a long list of educators who inspired him. “They gave me the confidence to become my own man, to take pride in my growth and individuality. Their guidance helped me understand the importance of integrity, compassion, and self-respect — values I now work to pass on to my own students.”

As a history teacher, he looks to the example of his former teachers at Open, Mr. Chad Ingold and Mr. Mike Hesenfus, to shape his craft. “Their love for the subject was contagious,” he says, and he works to bring history alive in the same way.