Trey Moss didn’t initially have the career ambition to be an educator, but a stint in student teaching revealed to him the joy of helping students achieve their potential.
Moss was nominated to be Poplar Bluff Junior High Teacher of the Year by numerous faculty, parents and students, all of whom made reference to his dedication to the students as being a driving force behind his approach in the classroom.
Moss has been the assistant band director for grades 7-12 since 2019, and attributes much of his success to his co-workers in the music department.
“The band department at Bluff is very special as well. I have great coworkers with a lot of experience teaching bands,” Moss stated. “We are currently experiencing record growth in the band program, thanks to our recruitment and retention program that the department has implemented and our administration has supported.”
His commitment to the band and students was one of the main things highlighted in his nomination.
“One of the best things about Mr. Moss is his encouraging attitude. He has been the first to congratulate me on accomplishments ranging from correctly finding my place on the marching field to making the junior high all-district band,” explained student Claire Funke. “I feel grateful that there is a teacher at school who will notice and commend my accomplishments.”
“When I was in high school, I had great experiences performing music and great teachers in my high school band,” Moss explained. “I continued playing in college as an engineering major with a music minor, but loved my music classes so much that I changed my major to music education. During student teaching, I fell in love with teaching and helping students reach their potential.”
According to Poplar Bluff High School Fine Arts Head Stephen Winters, Moss assumed many responsibilities for the band at the junior high — with retention being one of his goals; and Winters believes it is because of the focus provided by Moss that the retention rate has increased.
“One of Trey’s greatest strengths is his love for the students in his classroom. He is not only concerned about their musical abilities, but also how they are doing on a personal level,” Winters remarked. “I have noticed that he memorizes the students’ names very quickly and calls them by name in the classroom and in the hallway.”
Moss is quick to give similar accolades to his peers.
“We strive to help every student achieve their potential every hour of every day,” Moss noted. “I love working with students, parents and other teachers in this field. There is constant opportunity to grow both as a teacher and a person. There are no egos, we are all on the same team, we are all here to support each other, the students, the parents, and the community at large.”