Dayson Pasión, teacher advisor to Gov. Cooper, spoke to teacher candidates about the power of a story, how to build their narrative and how to frame their teaching within their own identities and identities of their students.
Dayson Pasión, teacher advisor to N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, recently spoke with the early childhood and elementary education seniors in EDU 4010, taught by Erin Hone, senior lecturer in education, and Marna Winter, senior lecturer in education and department chair of the department of education and wellness.
During his presentation, Pasión challenged teacher candidates to think about the power of a story. He shared his personal narrative and journey through a variety of leadership positions. Pasión began his career teaching at Graham Middle School. Since then, he has served as a STEM teacher, academic coach, and an equity specialist in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools prior to being asked to serve in Raleigh as teacher advisor to the governor.
He encouraged candidates to frame their teaching within their identities and their students’ identities; to create classrooms and learning spaces that students own, developing aspects of the class in partnership with students. Pasión also spoke to the importance of knowing their colleagues’ stories. He charged candidates to tell their own story in a powerful way. He stated, “the narrative that you build, is what people would like to see once you step into those leadership roles later on.”
About Dayson Pasión
Pasión graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 with a degree in biology. During his undergraduate tenure, Pasión enrolled in the UNC Baccalaureate Education In Science and Teaching (BEST) program, completing all requirements to teach secondary science in North Carolina. During his time with ABSS, Pasión served the community as a science teacher, STEM educator and coordinator, instructional technology facilitator, and academic coach. Pasión currently serves as an equity specialist in the Office of Equity and Inclusion for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS).
He also serves on the board of Immersion for Spanish Acquisition (ISLA), is a member of Elon University’s School of Education Advisory Board for Middle Grades, is a co-founder of Alamance4Ed, and is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Alamance Teacher Leadership Academy. Dayson also remains an active alumnus of the Kenan Fellows Program for Educational Leadership, and is a current member of educational organizations including the North Carolina First in Teaching (FIT) Leaders, North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), Teaching in Color, EduColor, and several additional professional organizations. He currently serves as a Teacher Advisor in the Office of Governor Roy Cooper and is the head of the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee.