County Teachers of Year

2012
Daphne Todd
(M.A.T., Special Education, 2009)
Daphne Todd was selected as the Wilkinson County Teacher of the Year for 2001-2012. She is in the Science Department at Wikinson Country Middle School.

Clint Raburn
(B.M.E., Music Education, 1995)
Clint Raburn earned the Teacher of the Year Award for 2011-2012 for Baldwin County. He is the band director at Baldwin High School.

Vicki Ann Tarleton
(M.Ed., Business Education, 1992)
Vicki Tarleton was chosen as the Teacher of the Year from Columbia County. She is a math teacher at Grovetown High School.

Steve Mote
(B.S., Middle Grades Mathematics, 2006)
Steve Mote was selected as Teacher of the Year for Monroe County. He is an 8th Grade Math and Georgia History Teacher at Banks Stephens Middle School

2011

Stephen Johnson
(B.S., Middle Grades, 2007)
Mr. Johnson was selected as the Crawford County teacher of the year. He is an 8th grade Math teacher at Crawford County Middle School.

Cori Duffy
(M.A.T., Special Education, 2010)
Cori Duffie was selected as the Bleckley County GLRS Special Education Teacher of the Year. He was a graduate of the MAT program under Drs. Lineberger and Childre and is a collaborative teacher for special education in Cochran.

Amy Benfield
(M.A.T., Special Education, 2009)
Ms. Benfield was selected as the Walker County Teacher of the year. She was a graduate in the undergraduate special education program and was in Ms. Meade's cohort.

Kwameika Postell
(M.A.T., Special Education, 2008)
Ms. Postell was one of our sped MAT trainees 2006-2008, won Jefferson County Teacher of the Year!!! She was a member of the MRGSEN grant cohort.

Jennifer Smith
(B.S., Special Education, 2006)
Ms. Smith, who teaches at Blandy Hills Elementary School, was named Baldwin Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011.

Whitney Geiger
(B.S., Early Childhood, 2006)
Eastanollee Elementary first grade teacher Whitney Geiger has been selected as the Stephens County School System’s Teacher of the Year.

2010
Robin Swetman
(M.Ed., Special Education, 2004; Ed.S. Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood, 2010)
was voted Teacher of the Year at Woodland Elementary School in Henry County for the 2009/2010 year.

Gina Clark
(B.S., Middle Grades Education, 1992)
GinaClark
Picture by Grant Blakenship/Macon Telegraph

Ms. Clark was named Peach County Teacher of the Year. She has taught at the high school level as well as the fourth, sixth and seventh grades. Her AP Chemistry classes have solved fictional murder mysteries by using chemical analyses to determine causes of death. Students in her Chemistry I class tested three solutions to figure out which one Mrs. Claus would use in her cookie batter.

Vicki Thigpen & Supt. Mike Newton
(B.S., Early Childhood Education, 1997)

Mrs. Vicki Thigpen received the teacher of the year award for 2009/2010 Jones County. Currently she is a teacher at Clifton Ridge Middle School.

2009
Jack Steed Angela Heath Maj. Polly Peyer

Angela Heath, Perry High School English department chairperson, was named the Air Force Association (AFA) 2009 Teacher of the Year by the Carl Vinson Memorial Chapter. She was presented the award by Major General Polly Peyer and Jack Steed with the AFA at the annual awards luncheon held at Robins Air Force Base.

The AFA Teacher of the Year award recognizes classroom teachers for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting students about science and math and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow's technologies. This award recognizes teachers who are furthering excellence and making coming to class an adventure. Perry High's Col. Craig Lightfoot nominated Heath for her incorporation of technology into the classroom. Ms. Heath earned her Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Georgia College in 2009.

Chuck Claxton

(B.S., Middle Grades, 1994)
Mr. Claxton was named Baldwin County Teacher of the Year for 2008-2009. This is the second time he has been named systemwide teacher of the Year. He was named Teacher of the Year at Boddie Middle School and at Putnam County Middle School, and in 1997 was named Baldwin County Teacher of the Year.

Saundra Pope
Ms. Pope received Putnam County's Distinguished Educator of Exceptional Children Award for 2008-09. She currently teaches second grade inclusion at Putnam Elementary. Saundra earned her M.A.T. in Special Education from GC in 2008.

2008
Alan Bowers
Bowers

Mr. Bowers won the Houston County Teacher of the Year for 2008. Mr. Bowers was in Kevin Crabb's MAT cohort. He teaches U.S. history, American government and geography. According to Bowers, the most challenging thing about teaching is "combating student apathy when it comes to motivation and success. However, this is a good problem to have because it keeps the teachers sharp. If this were a challenge that was was easy to overcome, the art and science of education would not be a worthwhile pursuit."

Joan Martiny (Geza's wife) was honored with the 2008 Teacher of the Year Award from Baldwin County. She graduated from GC in 1978 and also received her M.Ed. from Georgia College in 1986. In addition to this award, Mrs. Martiny has received the Carver Elementary School Teacher of the Year (1984), the Davis Elementary Teacher of the Year (1989), the Baldwin County Teacher of the Year (1989), and the Baldwin County Cluster Teacher of the Year Award, (2007).

Patsy Crosby won the 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year Award from Wilkinson County. She earned her Ed.S. from GC. Currently Ms. Crosby teaches Consumer Science at Wilkinson Middle School

Patty Wells
PattyWells
Patty Wells (left) is congratulated by Jones Country Board of Education member Deloras Moon.
Ms. Wells was selected as the 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year from Jones County. She teaches at Clifton Ridge. Mrs. Wells earned a bachelor's, specialist, and a master's degree from GC. Wells' initial training was in biology, and she has taught science at various grade levels throughout her career.

2007
Karen Mitcham
mitchamtoy
Ms. Mitcham receives award from LeBrun
Ms. Mitcham was named Jones County Teacher of the Year, 2006-2007.

Dr. Rita Thomas

Dr. Thomas was selected Teacher of the Year for Putnam County 2006-2007. She earned her M.Ed. in Early Childhood at GC in 1999. Currently she is the Media Specialist at Putnam County Elementary School.
Rita Thomas Union Recorder Article

Amanda Tarpley Yarbrough received Laurens County's "Exceptional Children's Professional Excellence Award" for 2007. Out of the nine schools within the district, Amanda was voted the top SPED teacher. She was a graduate of the GC Early Childhood master's program in 2007 and earned her B.S. in Special Education from GC in 2003.

Nicole Chambers Brewer
brewer
Ms. Brewer (Middle Grades Alumna, Cohort 2002) was awarded the Houston County Teacher of the Year Award for 2006-2007. She teaches seventh grade at Thomson Middle School.

2006
Leslie Poythress received first Teacher of the Year Award from Jones County, 2005-2006.

Paige Barlow
picture by Alexander Cain / The Union-Recorder

Ms. Barlow was selected as Teacher of the Year from Putnam County for 2006. She earned a B.S. in Art Education at GC.
Article in October 14, 2006 Union Recorder

2004
Lianna Nix
,
Ms. Nix (Alumna, Cohort Class of 2001 & Early College teacher) was selected
Middle School Teacher of the Year for Jasper County.

Amie Renfroe Harrison (Alumna, Cohort Class of 2002) received the Program for
Exceptional Children Teacher of the Year for Wilkinson County for 2004.

Susan Hendley Stone (Alumna, Spring 2000 Special Education Cohort) has been named Special Education Teacher of the Year for 2004 in Jasper County Schools. Susan, who also completed her graduate study in Education Leadership at GC, is the daughter of Dr. Tish Seay.

Lynn Barfield West
(M.Ed. in Special Education, 1996)
Ms. West was selected the Teacher of the Year for Baldwin County. She taught at Davis Elementary School.

2003
Stacy Sanders (Alumna Spring 2000 and GC Valedictorian ) was named Special Education Teacher of the Year in Laurens County, 2003. She is a teacher at East Laurens Middle School.

Cindy Hall Crew (Alumna Spring 1988) was named Teacher of the Year for Cherokee County Schools in January 2003. She is a teacher at Bacomb Elementary, Woodstock.

Regina Brookins (Alumna, Spring 1999) was named Teacher of the Year for Johnson County, 2002-03. She is a special education graduate who teaches students with mild intellectual disabilities.

Nicole Madison Stephens
(B.S. Early Childhood Education, 1996; M.Ed Early Childhood Education 2002; Educational Leadership 2006)
Nicole Stephens was selected as the Baldwin County Teacher of the Year. She is a teacher at Blandy Elementary School.

2000
Terry Wayne Bragg
(B.M.E. Music Education, 1995)
Terry Bragg was chosen as the Baldwin County Teacher of the Year. He taught at Baldwin Middle School.

1999
Jay Jones
(M.Ed. Educational Leadership, 2000)

1998
Chuck Claxton
(B.S. Middle Grades, 1994)
Mr. Claxton was named Baldwin County Teacher of the Year. He taught at Boddie MIddle School.

1997
Lydia Grimes
(M.Ed. Educational Leadership, 2004)
Lydia Grimes was selected as Baldwin County Teacher of the Year. She taught at Baldwin High School.

1993
James W. Cavender
(M.Ed. Educational Leadership, 1998)
Mr. Cavender received the Baldwin County Teacher of the Year Award. He taught at Boddie Middle School.

1984
Sara Simcox
(M.Ed. Early Childhood Education, 1987)
Ms. Simcox was given the Baldwin County Teacher of the Year Award. She taught at West End.