Darrion Cockrell, who had a rough childhood and became a gang member before he turned 10 years old, turned his life around and has now been named as Missouri’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.
As a child, Cockrell said he took education for granted and joined a gang when he thought he had no other choice.
“We were just already in it because of our family,” he told Good Morning America. “I didn’t care about books. I had to go home and figure out what I was eating. I had to figure out if my lights were going to be on.”
He didn’t have a stable home then, and ended up transferring between a foster center and some relatives. When his grandmother lost custody of him, his counselor, principal, and teachers fought in court to let him stay at school.
Eventually, his 7th-grade football coach and his wife took him into their home, where he lived until graduating from high school. A few years later, he earned a degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2013
Cockrell went on to become a physical education teacher at Lindbergh Schools’ Crestwood Elementary (St. Louis) and this year was selected by a committee of his peers and education partners across the state as the 2021 Missouri Teacher of the Year. He becomes the 52nd Missouri Teacher of the Year since the program’s inception in 1957, and is the first male to capture the state’s top education award since 2015.
“As a physical educator, I have the unique opportunity to prepare my students both mentally and physically by teaching them the building blocks of fitness and health,” Cockrell said. “Combining a fun atmosphere with music, fitness and healthy life skills has truly become a recipe for success in my classroom.”
Affectionately known as “Mr. DC” to students, staff and families throughout the district, Cockrell has taught at Crestwood since 2015, where one of his many highlights has been the implementation of the “Crest-Fit” training program. “Crest-Fit,” a combination of CrossFit and Crestwood Elementary, is a health and fitness program that started with his students, progressed to a weekly after-school workout activity for teachers, and culminated weeks later with parental involvement. One particular workout, styled after a popular dance, spread to multiple schools throughout the community and tallied thousands of views on social media.
Like many educators, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Cockrell took his talents to the virtual realm by creating fun, instructional, high-energy videos from his basement to help students stay motivated and active during remote learning. In addition to providing 5- to 30-minute exercise sessions for his students, he shared inspiring messages, incorporated his family into his live sessions and provided opportunities for families to work out together.
In addition to creating the Crest-Fit program, Cockrell started the “Dads’ Club Open Gym,” a weekly event for local fathers to play basketball in the evening. He is also an active member of Crestwood’s diversity committee and the Lindbergh district’s strategic planning team.
“Mr. DC is loved by all,” said Dr. Jodi Oliver, Cockrell’s principal from August 2015 through June 2020. “Students look up to him and see him as a facilitator to their learning in physical education and as someone who will guide them to make the best possible personal decisions. He naturally builds relationships by showing his fun and silly demeanor, which makes him such a relatable person.”
“PE is just as important as social studies and science and math,” he told GMA. “As long as you understand those building blocks of fitness and health and taking care of yourself, then you can do anything you want in the world.”