2011 Teachers of the Year
3/18/2011
Hamilton County Schools Names 2011 Teachers of the Year
Three educators to be honored at luncheon
CHATTANOOGA, TN – Three Hamilton County teachers reigned as royalty on March 18, as they were honored as the 2011 Hamilton County Teachers of the Year. The teachers and their principals were recognized at a special lunch at the Chattanoogan Hotel.
Diane Stacy from Daisy Elementary, Amy Burton from Barger Academy of Fine Arts and Christina Monroe from Hamilton County High School were named 2011 HCDE Teachers of the Year. Christina Monroe and Amy Burton have also been selected at regional teachers of the year and have advanced to the statewide competition.
To celebrate their accomplishments, the honorees rode in a limousine to the Chattanoogan Hotel for a special recognition luncheon. The luxury ride and lunch were hosted by Ray Barr, president and owner of United Service Associates in Athens.
“It is very special when we honor outstanding teachers for their dedication to our students. The greatest asset any school system can have is outstanding teachers. We know from research that teacher effectiveness is directly related to improving student achievement,” said Stacey Roddy, Director of Elementary Math and Science who coordinates the competition. “These three teachers have dedicated themselves to the success of their students and they deserve this recognition and so much more.”
The following are highlights of the 2011 Hamilton County Schools Teachers of the Year:
Diane Stacy, Health and Physical Education PreK-5th Grade, Daisy Elementary, Grades K-4 Division
- 33 years teaching experience
- 31 years teaching experience in Tennessee public schools
- Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
- Tennessee Association of Health, Physical Education Recreation and Dance member 1999-present
- Member of Delta Kappa Gama Society 2004-2007
- Hamilton County President’s Award recipient 2010
- American Cancer Society Team Captain and Committee Member for Relay for Life 2005-present and Director of mini Relay for Life at Daisy Elementary 2008-present
- American Heart Association Jump Rope For Heart coordinator 2001-present
- "I was very involved in my community recreation center from an early age,” Ms. Stacy said. “While playing with the other children and assisting the leaders at this center, I developed a love of sports, games and other activities that have helped develop my physical and social skills.”
- “I consider my greatest contributions and accomplishments in education to be that the students at my school seem to love physical education class,” Ms. Stacy said. “Studies have shown that students perform better academically when they are physically fit.”
- “I personally feel that teaching is a gift,” Ms. Stacy said. “An effective teacher must have a plan for using national standards. An effective teacher also makes every student feel welcome and important.”
- “I believe it is extremely important to have a non-threatening environment where basic physical skills are taught to everyone regardless of their ability,” Ms. Stacy said. “I realize that most students will not become great athletes therefore, my goal is for each child to become life-long lovers of personal health and movement in addition to developing into people of good character.”
- "What sets Diane apart as an educator is her ability to serve as a role model of health and physical activity for our staff and students and her impact on our academic program,” Daisy Elementary Principal Kirk Shrum said in his letter of recommendation. “To make a difference at our school, Diane implemented a daily fitness program in the classrooms which combines movement with academic skills. This allows teachers to get kids moving while reviewing academic material.”
- “Perhaps the quality that most defines Diane is her belief in living by The Golden Rule and having the same expectations for her students,” Nancy Reed, Coordinator of Special Programs said. “Her competitiveness through sportsmanship does not stand in the way of doing what is right in the face of difficulty.”
- “I have never worked with anybody who is so actively involved in improving the lives of her students, peers, and community members. Diane is a physical education teacher who teaches by example,” colleague Kim Heard said.
Amy Burton, Theater Arts, Grades K-5th, Barger Academy of Fine Arts, Grades 5-8 Division
- 17 years in education
- 11 years at Barger Academy of Fine Arts
- Texas Teaching Certificate for K-12 Theater Arts, Southwest Texas State University
- Masters of Fine Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Creative Drama and Theatre for Youth,
- Delta Kappa Gamma member 2003-present
- Magnet Schools of American Convention Presenter 2008
- S.E. Theatre Conference Presenter 2008
- Tennessee state K-5 Theatre Curriculum Standards Revision Team member 2006
- Barger Academy of Fine Arts Fine Arts Department Chair 2003-2005
- Paideia Socratic Seminar Coach 1999-2006
- Barger Academy Building Level Teacher of the Year 2010-2011
- Junior League and Allied Arts Grant recipient 2009-2011
- Voted Most Influential Elementary Teacher by the top 10 percent of the senior class at Center For Creative Arts 2008
- “I became a teacher at the age of six when my sister was born. She was my first student and my first audience,” Ms. Burton said. “Every year, for my sister’s birthday, I would direct the neighborhood kids in a play or puppet show to present for her party. I made up stories for her using dolls and stuffed animals as characters.”
- “I do everything I can to meet my students where they are and help them reach their greatest potential,” Ms. Burton said. “Since fifth graders take the T-CAP writing assessment, I use a puppetry project with an Allied Arts artist-in-residence as a springboard for teaching writing skills in my drama class.”
- “As a drama teacher, I am passionately committed to using the healing power of play to bring together the magic of theatre and the poetry that is in all children,” Ms. Burton said.
- “I believe in teaching students how to think, not what to think, so that students can approach and solve unanticipated problems in our rapidly changing world,” Ms. Burton said. “I believe all children can learn and have a right to this kind of liberating education.”
- “I work to engage students’ imaginations visually, aurally and kinesthetically to help each person discover his or her own special talents and strengthen weaknesses,” Ms. Burton said. “While I am patient with students who struggle, I also set high expectations and hold students accountable for doing their best work.”
- “While working with Ms. Burton, I have been continually impressed with her driving commitment to excellence,” Juana Wilson-Roberts, Fine Arts Curriculum Facilitator, said. “She is uncompromising in her quest for quality educational opportunities for all her students, and she never loses sight of their needs.”
- “She is an excellent educator, not only of the easy-going or smart kids, but also of students who are difficult or who cannot learn the traditional way,” Maria Hurt, Parent Volunteer Coordinator at Barger Academy of Fine Arts, said. “Working in a school of primarily under-privileged families, she gives students a foundation that helps them recognize the artistic, literary and imaginative in a world that tends to offer them only the mundane and uninspiring.”
Christina Monroe, Economics, Government, US History, Hamilton County High School, Grades 9-12
- 35 years in Hamilton County schools
- 3 years at Hamilton County High School
- Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- Center for Civic Education Member
- Council for Economic Educators member
- Kappa Gamma Alpha Pi Chapter member
- National Council for Social Studies Teachers member
- Tennessee Association for Social Studies Teachers member
- Tennessee Geographic Alliance member
- Tennessee Department of Education Career Ladder III certification recipient
- 1st inductee into the Tuner High School Hall of Fame 2008
- Mayor Ron Littlefield – Great Ideas Competition: Proclamation Chris Monroe Day 2006
- 1st Place Lesson Plan Award, UTC Council of Economic Education 1999, 2001 and 2006
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Excellence in Teaching Award recipient 2001
- “My greatest contribution and accomplishment was being recognized by Tyner High School students for three consecutive years, first place winner as the teacher ‘who taught me the most, who most made me want to learn, who made me proud of myself, who made me excited about what I can do and what I can be,’” Ms. Monroe said. “The third time I received this recognition, I had the honor of meeting President Ronald Reagan and Secretary of Education William Bennett.”
- “Student and class diversity is what is exciting about teaching high school students. I believe that each student is unique and has the ability to learn,” Ms. Monroe said. “Regardless of all the baggage and problems students bring to school, for seven and a half hours they need to be encouraged to forget their personal issued and concentrate on learning.”
- “I listen to my students as they share their family issues, dating concerns, and child-rearing problems. It is important that teachers work with their students and do not do their work. The process is as important as the learning,” Ms. Monroe said.
- “As a social studies teacher, Mrs. Monroe opens the eyes of her students to a world constantly changing,” Gary Kuehn, Hamilton County High School principal, said. “Her command of the subject matter has liberated her from constant use of a text book, allowing her the freedom and the use of many other resources to enrich learning within the course.”
- “To give you an example of her effectiveness as a teacher, all 30 of her U.S. history students scored advanced on the state end-of-course test with the exception of two students, who were proficient. These were students who had all but given up ever graduating high school,” Gloria Moore, Hamilton County Department of Education Humanities Supervisor, said.
- “Chris was not a teacher to operate using traditional instructional methods within ordinary classroom settings,” William Kennedy, Director of Secondary School Reform Initiatives for the Public Education Foundation said. “I recall watching kids involved in rich discussions while in a seminar circle responding to well-crafted questions that required them to talk to each other, rather than direct their words to the teacher.”