Gwinnett County Schools Names Teacher of the Year

Dr. Sharon Smith of Brookwood Elementary School has been named the Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year, the school system announced.

Dr. Smith, who refers to herself as “a successful product of Gwinnett County Public Schools,” received the school’s system’s highest honor Tuesday night at an awards banquet at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

She was chosen from 131 local teachers of the year, and from a group of six finalists that also included Cindy Apley Rose of Couch Middle, Randi Hill of Gwinnett Online Campus, Dr. Kishina Woolfolk of Harbins Elementary, Lesley McClendon of Shiloh Middle, and Dr. Colette Grodzicki of North Gwinnett High.

She also was named the elementary school teacher of the year; Rose was the middle school teacher of the year, and Hill the high school teacher of the year.

As Gwinnett County’s 2015 Teacher of the Year, Dr. Smith will now compete for the Georgia title. She will receive an annual award of $1,000 and the other two level winners will each receive $750 each year, for as long as they are employed with GCPS.

The finalists will receive a one-time award of $500. The five finalists who did not win the county honor also will receive a $250 grocery store gift card. Each local school winner will receive a one-time award of $200.

Dr. Smith also will receive a crystal peach, a $500 grocery store gift card, a commemorative ring, a laptop computer, and the use of a new car for one year.

Teacher of the Year profiles (from GCPS)

GWINNETT COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Dr. Sharon Smith, a Gifted Language Arts (Grades 1-2) and Early Intervention Program Teacher and Literacy Coach at Brookwood Elementary.

Sharon Smith knows that we live in an age in which almost anything is possible and yet nothing is certain. That is why in her classroom at Brookwood Elementary she is committed to preparing her students to take their place in the world with deep academic backgrounds in which knowledge is not compartmentalized, but instead merged with practical application.

She explains, “I encourage my students to always ask ‘why,’ to evaluate ideas, to consider multiple perspectives, and to develop their own thinking in order to comprehend on a higher level.” However, to ensure this instructional approach is successful, she simultaneously nurtures students’ personal growth and development so that they can consider fundamental questions pertaining to who they are, why they are, and what they want to become. “My goal is for each student to be a lifelong learner and to make a conscious decision that they can and will make a positive difference in the world,” she says.

Dr. Smith’s teaching “formula” places an emphasis on what is “taught” and as a result, what is “caught.” She explains, saying, “The ‘taught’ part of the formula is only effective when students are engaged in explicit, active, creative, integrated, and meaningful teaching every day. However, it is not enough to just have ‘taught’ the students. Instead, intertwined in my teaching must be recursive threads that excite, motivate, and inspire students so that a passion for learning is ‘caught.’ In doing so, I am always challenging my students and myself to see beyond ‘what is’ toward ‘what could be.’”

This philosophy is evident in her classroom as she provides students with opportunities to use their creative nature to demonstrate their learning. In addition, she strives to help parents share in the learning process. Every Friday, she and her students participate in a “weekly recap” in order to discuss what they have learned throughout the week. The students then decide what of that information they want to share with their parents, writing them a letter in their Home/School Journal. In addition to the student letters, she added a student-generated video component depicting their weekly learning, with students serving as both videographers and commentators. The result… several parents expressed that the journals and videos made the academic standards “come to life through the children’s words and video,” allowing them to gain a better sense of their children as writers, readers, thinkers, and learners. As one parent stated, “Watching a video of my child’s education is the best reality show around!”

Dr. Smith joined GCPS in 1993 as a 2nd grade teacher at Simonton Elementary. She supervised student teachers at Mercer University (2001-2006) and at the University of Georgia (2006-2008) and joined the staff at Brookwood Elementary in 2008. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia, holds master’s and specialist’s degrees in Early Childhood Education from Mercer University, and completed her doctoral degree in Language and Literacy Education from the University of Georgia.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Cindy Apley Rose, a teacher of Accelerated Algebra and Algebra I at Couch Middle

Cindy Apley Rose says that while she has been recognized as a leader in her school, district, and state for her ability to develop curriculum, her greatest accomplishment as a teacher has been to be a role model for her students. She shares a story of a former student who came by to report that she had just finished her student teaching.

Apley Rose explains, “No trophies, plaques, or certificates can ever come close to the honor I felt when this former student told me that she became a teacher because she wanted to be just like me. To impact the paths of students and affect the course of young lives through nurturing and mathematics is the greatest accomplishment of all.”

One way that Mrs. Apley Rose impacts the lives of her students is through the use of mathematics labs. Using the flipped classroom model, her students watch videos at home that she created. This allows them to practice skills receiving guided, as well as individual, practice. During the school day, her students explore concepts through project-based learning. In one example, she set up a long-distance collaboration with a teacher from Virginia. Her students worked with teams in Virginia to find solutions to real-life situations that incorporated the AKS for linear functions.

The evidence that shows the impact of using flipped classroom videos and lab days is clear. On the End of Course tests, her 8th grade students exceeded the state and county averages for high school students who took the test. She adds, “I am proud to say not one student scored in the ‘does not meet’ category.”

The percentage of her students scoring in the “exceeds” category increased from 85% to 90% and her class average rose an additional 5%. Based on this evidence, she has extended the use of the flipped classroom model and, with eCLASS, has added discussion boards that allow for peer collaboration. In addition, accelerated students have begun to create their own solution videos for the lab tasks.

Mrs. Apley Rose says, “The teacher is no longer the only source of knowledge, and students are creating a community of trust and camaraderie as they persevere in applying mathematics in the real world.”

Cindy Apley Rose has been an educator for 18 years, teaching all of those years in Gwinnett County. She joined the school district at Shiloh Middle as a teacher of students with emotional behavior disorders (1997-2000). Later she taught social studies, mathematics, and algebra (2000-2009), before joining the inaugural staff of Couch Middle in 2009. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Science and master’s degree in Interrelated Studies for Special Education from Brenau University, and holds a specialist’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Georgia.

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Randi Hill, a Local School Technology Coordinator at Gwinnett Online Campus

As an LSTC, Randi Hill is a teacher, but her role involves instructing and supporting teachers and students in the use of technology on a daily basis. She explains, “I believe it is my job to dedicate myself as a lifelong learner, believe in others, and positively impact the school by building relationships. Forming relationships through laughter and fun creates an environment of trust and opens the way for collaboration and sharing.”

She firmly believes that without building relationships we are actually putting our organization and ourselves at a disadvantage. And, unless, we trust our own strengths and skills, we will never move forward. She adds, “If I had not been willingly open to sharing my ideas for our interactive learning labs, we may never have won the Blackboard Collaborate Catalyst Innovation Award. I had to be innovative and think beyond the traditional box; I was able to do that because of the relationships I have developed with vendors and my co-workers. Relying on each others’ strengths builds stronger bonds and allows us to reach our students better to create a stronger academic experience for all involved.”

An educator for 23 years, Randi Hill joined the school district as a Business Education teacher at Central Gwinnett High in 1991. She accepted the role of Local School Technology Coordinator at Archer High in 2009 and transferred her talents to Gwinnett Online Campus in 2012. Mrs. Hill earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Education from North Georgia College, and her master’s degree in Business Education and specialist’s degree in Occupational Studies from the University of Georgia.

(Photo: Dr. Sharon Smith, Gwinnett County Public Schools’ 2015 Teacher of the Year. Credit: GCPS Facebook)