Andrea Judge is no newcomer to teaching. Having spent 16 years in the profession—all of them in Moore County—she still loves working with the kids. An Academic and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) facilitator at both Carthage Elementary and Aberdeen Elementary School, Andrea wants the students she instructs to be proud of their talents.
“I want them to know it’s OK to be a nerd,” she said.
The AIG program for Moore County Schools is devoted to meeting the educational needs of students with special gifts and abilities. A resident of West End, Andrea has experience that gives her an edge when interacting with those she teaches.
“I was in AIG as a kid,” she said.
It was during childhood that her passion for teaching grew.
“I didn’t get my license until I was older,” Andrea said. “I have always wanted to teach.”
After attending community college in Florida, she earned her teaching degree from St. Andrew’s University in 2009. In 2015, she received her endorsement to teach academically gifted kids from UNC Pembroke.
Before she joined AIG, Andrea taught kindergarten and second grade in a traditional classroom. She now exclusively mentors gifted students at Carthage and Aberdeen.
“It’s a 50-50 split,” Andrea, who’s originally from Pennsylvania, said. “The children come to me. We do all kinds of things to enrich them.”
For those outside education, it may seem working with gifted kids wouldn’t be too hard. After all, the students are ahead of the pack in terms of intellect. Having a K-5 group, though, requires the use of different approaches.
“They just need help directing their intelligence,” Andrea said. “They’re at different levels, which are defined by cognitive testing. It’s a huge span. It’s a lot of fun for them and for me.”
Regardless of the particular level a student is at, Andrea is consistently impressed by their accomplishments.
“They’re amazing,” she said.
As far as her forte as a teacher, Andrea discussed reaching the kids.
“They miss me when they go off to middle school,” she said.
With summer around the corner, Andrea has a chance to spend time with family, both near and far. Her daughter, Anneliese Judge, stars in “Sweet Magnolias,” a Netflix TV series that premiered in 2020.
Andrea plans to visit Anneliese once classes end at Carthage and Aberdeen.
“She lives in Santa Monica,” Andrea said. “It’ll be exciting to be in LA.”
Along with California, Andrea intends to make stops in Utah and Las Vegas.
If you have a teacher you would like to nominate to be showcased in this series, please email [email protected].
Feature photo: Andrea Judge. Photo contributed.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Dave Lukow. Dave has been honored as both a lyricist and screenwriter. Among other publications he’s contributed to are the Buffalo News, JD Journal, Beckett Hockey, Seminole Player’s Life, Poker Pro, Walmart World, and All In.
