Shining Stars: Bottomley brings out smiles at Braelinn

Braelinn Elementary PE paraprofessional Scott Bottomley shows his students that positivity can catch on.

Bottomley graduated from college with a degree in justice studies and was an investigator for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies, working on both coasts. When it was time to start a family, he quit to be a stay-at-home-dad.

“It took a change from there for the better,” he said.

He loved the education aspect of helping his daughter grow, and he saw his own goals grow along with her.

“As a stay-at-home dad, you really get involved in teaching from infant age to toddler and going forward.”

That led to volunteering at his daughter’s Pre-K program several days a week, then they hired him to teach 4 and 5 years olds.

“I actually enjoyed myself, and everyone there at the school said ‘Hey, do you want to start subbing? Do you want to start teaching? So I fell into it that way.”

He found a passion for teaching elementary-age students and helping their young minds grow with new concepts.

“They think everything is amazing, and you see that sparkle in their eye when it clicks.”

Bottomley just finished his 6th year at Braelinn. He loves teaching PE with Angie McClanahan and getting to interact with every kid in the school.

“I get to play the PE games with them. I get to have fun. I get to be a big kid.”

He also loves that Braelinn, as a Leader in Me School, expects students to be excellent in more than just their grades. That includes things like the Kindness Kids Club where 4th and 5th graders volunteer in the community.

“We want a well-rounded, good person.”

Bottomley is also the JV boys soccer coach at Starr’s Mill. Whether in PE or on the high school soccer pitch, he hopes to impart lifelong lessons through sports. He loves reaching students who were too shy to try much and show them there is always a physical activity they can enjoy to be healthier the rest of their lives.

“That’s what I strive for, to get somebody to come out of their comfort zone and to try a little bit more.”

It’s also teaching them to be good teammates and lift each other up.

“What can you do, not just for yourself but for your teammates or someone on the other team,” he asks them. 

Bottomley is a big believer that positive and good things can be contagious. In the same way that his own family, past teachers and coaches, and current colleagues inspire him, he tries to pay it forward.

“You help yourself more by helping someone else, just like so many did for me,” he said. “You learn to give back, to pay it forward, and I hope I can do the same thing for my students and my daughter.”

 

“The Honor Role,” an official podcast for Fayette County Public Schools, features employees, rotating through key stakeholders, including teachers, staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. Join us as we dive in and learn about their journeys, their inspirations, and their whys.

Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and promoted on the social media channels of Fayette County Public Schools.

Episodes will also be available here: https://www.buzzsp