2006-07 Fulton's Top Teachers of the Year |
| The Teacher of the Year program recognizes innovative, effective educators. When selecting a teacher for this honor, the school system seeks a person who will serve as an ambassador for public education and the Fulton County School System. Let’s salute these champion educators!
2006 Fulton County Teacher of the Year An English teacher, Nathifa Williams Carmichael has taught high school students her entire career. Her teaching strategy focuses on connecting with students and helping them find value in what they learn. She strives to find a balance between instructing students in proper English skills and with teaching them to use language effectively for personal expression and real-world communication. Mrs. Carmichael also says that "Real teaching is rarely easy. It is neither neat nor prescribed. It is an alchemy of passion, science, and art." She challenges her fellow Fulton teachers to reevaluate what they do every day and to refocus the lens so that they not only see their standards but the larger scope of how they affect their students' lives. Karen Jones Karen Jones' beliefs about teaching are simple: guide, facilitate, and participate in the classroom, but never dominate the environment. She leads her students to discovery and to develop their own ideas and viewpoints. Ms. Jones gets to know each child as an individual and as a students so she can assess their academic strengths and weaknesses, as well as their interests and motivators. In order to reach a wide range of learners - gifted, at-risk, ESOL, and special needs - all in the same classroom, she tailors her teaching style to the individual students and employs strategies that allow the students to work seamlessly together. Deborah Polk Ms. Polk was a graduate student with law school aspirations when discovered her true career interests were in education. She took a graduate teaching assistantship to offset her college tuition but the experience became much more - it ignited a desire to teach. For previous Teachers of the Year: Elementary, click here. For previous Teachers of the Year: Middle School, click here. |