Teacher of the Week: Erik Matticola from Swansboro High School

ONSLOW COUNTY, NC (WITN) - This week’s Teacher of the Week for September 22 is Erik Matticola from Swansboro High School.

Matticola has been a high school social studies teacher in North Carolina for 20 years. Before that, he graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 2000 with a B.A. in Government and earned teacher certification through Millersville University, which are both in Pennsylvania.

Since moving to North Carolina, Matticola has taught in Granville and Harnett counties and currently, in Onslow County. Over the course of his career, he has taught AP US History, AP US Government & Politics and almost every other social studies course offered in North Carolina.

Additionally, Matticola is the advisor to the Student-2-Student Program, which won the 2020 National Team of the Year, the Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honors Society and the Presidents Club. He is also a teacher mentor, coach for teachers and students with the National Math & Science Initiative, the Instructional Framework Leader, the social studies curriculum support team leader and a member of the Onslow County Schools Advanced Learning Team.

Matticola says he loves teaching teachers just as much as students. He has won a Jones Onslow EMC Bright Ideas grant and a DPI Personal Financial Literacy Grant. He has an Advanced Placement certification through the College Board for AP US History and AP US Government & Politics and is an active AP Reader and Table Leader.

On top of those accolades, Matticola was named both Swansboro High School and Onslow County’s Teacher of the Year in 2015-16. He also completed a fellowship with the Hope Street Group’s NC Teacher Voice Network and published three articles on education and educational improvement.

The person who nominated Mr. Matticola wrote, “I would like to nominate Erik Matticola from Swansboro High School as a WITN Teacher of the Week.

Mr. Matticola is a social studies teacher at Swansboro High School. He is such an important part of our faculty and school community. He serves in a teacher leadership position here at Swansboro High School, but also in Onslow County Schools and throughout the state of North Carolina.

In addition to teaching Civics, Turning Points and AP US History, he is also our Student 2 Student sponsor. Our Student 2 Student club received national recognition this year from the Military Child Coalition as we were designated as the National High School of the Year under Mr. Matticola’s leadership. Mr. Matticola trains these students each summer during an intensive week-long leadership camp to prepare them for their roles as ambassadors at our school. They are assigned 1-1 to new students to be a guide, friend and mentor as they transition to our school community.

In addition to all these wonderful things that Mr. Matticola does, he also grades AP exams nationally, provides professional development for our staff throughout the year and actively serves on our strategic leadership team. Mr. Matticola is a wonderful teacher and mentor and is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Congratulations Mr. Matticola!

Every week during the school year WITN will recognize a Teacher of the Week on WITN News at Sunrise. The winner receives a plaque and $100 gift card for school supplies.

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