Academic accolades: Meet Shelby County’s 2023-24 Teachers of the Year

Shelby County Schools have over 1,100 teachers in the district, but each of its 31 schools can choose only one staff member annually as its Teacher of the Year. 

Each school’s honoree completes the Alabama Teacher of the Year application, and one elementary and one secondary teacher were chosen to represent Shelby County Schools at the state level.

The educator selected as the Alabama Teacher of the Year will serve as a full-time ambassador for the profession during the 2024-25 school year. Oak Mountain Middle School’s Jeff Norris is wrapping up his term as the 2023-24 Alabama Teacher of the Year, which will end in May.

280 Living reached out to the 10 Teachers of the Year at schools in our coverage area to find out more about them and what this honor means to them.

 Holly Browder - Inverness Elementary

Browder has been teaching for 20 years. Her first two years were in special education and the last 18 years have been as a kindergarten teacher. She is in her 13th year at Inverness Elementary and previously taught at Meadow View Elementary in Alabaster.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: Mrs. Cochrane was my favorite teacher. I was in her first grade class at Valley Elementary. She had a strong love for children! She made learning fun and exciting.

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I have several teachers in my family and have always loved working with children. I believed teaching was about making a difference in the lives of others. It truly is a gift to be a part of their learning journey.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: The best part of my job happens when a student meets a goal that they have been working so hard to reach. It is their pride and the determination that makes my job so worth it! I will forever be my students’ biggest cheerleader.  

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: This award is a humbling experience. It is truly an honor to know that your colleagues have respect and pride in what you strive to do every day. They see you through the good times and challenging times. Without their support, this job would not be possible. As they say, it takes a village!

Rebecca Newman - Mt Laurel Elementary 

Newman is in her 19th year in education and has taught at Mt Laurel Elementary for 10 years. Newman teaches , fifth grade math.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: My favorite teacher was my fifth grade teacher, Stephen Wiley, at Pinewood Elementary school in DeRidder, Louisiana.

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I love being with kids. They are always filled with fun, laughter and joy. Being a teacher is so much more than just teaching, it truly is a ministry.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: The kids! They bring me such joy every single day.  The very best part is when you discover those kids that think they aren’t good at math or they genuinely struggle in math, and then being a part of changing that. I love it when they discover that they really can do math and they have that “moment” when everything begins to make sense. Then from there, you get to witness their confidence growing right before your eyes. Once they find their confidence, they are unstoppable, and it is such an incredible thing to witness and be a part of.

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It is such a special honor, but I feel like I don’t stand out among the teachers at our school.  Our school is filled with the most amazing teachers in the world. Each and every one of us pour into our students every single day. We are not just invested in their education, we are invested in their lives — who they are, what they have been through and the great things they are going to do.

Jill Vaughan - Oak Mountain Elementary

Vaughan is in her 10th year of teaching. She said being named elementary Teacher of the Year was a “precious surprise.”

“We work among a great community and I’m surrounded by great educators, and it feels undeserving but it also feels like a win for all of us too,” Vaughan said. Vaughan teaches first grade.

Dana Furman - Oak Mountain Intermediate

Furman has been in education for 16 years and at  Oak Mountain Intermediate School for 12 years. She is in her third year as a gifted specialist for fourth and fifth graders, after previously teaching fifth grade math and science.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: My mother was my fourth grade teacher during her first year of teaching (at a small school where she was the only fourth grade option), so she will be hard to beat. Mr. Gleason, for sixth grade science, was fun and laid back but still got the information across.

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I had no interest in becoming a teacher growing up, but my dad made a comment about family when I was home from college that prompted me to change my major from biology (genetics) to education. He recently passed away, but I was so glad he knew I had been recognized in this way.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: It is sometimes a challenge to teach gifted students something they don’t think they already know, but it’s a thrill for everyone involved when they become deeply engaged in learning something new. My classes provide the school with a daily pre-recorded, student-led broadcast, and so I have the opportunity to see them work through from brainstorming ideas to planning, collaborating, scheduling, organizing, staging, recording, editing and then their feedback after watching the final product in the homeroom with the authentic audience of their peers.

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: Everyone here is above and beyond, so for them to hold me up is sincerely heartwarming. It is not lost on me that being recognized as a special area teacher is outside the norm, but I benefit from having the privilege of interacting with so many faculty members as a gifted specialist. They are truly my village, and I am so very fortunate to call Oak Mountain Intermediate School home.

Catherine Acton - Oak Mountain Middle

Acton is in her 14th year in education and 12th year at Oak Mountain Middle School. Acton teaches eighth grade English language arts

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: Trina Sularin, now Trina Waites, at Oak Mountain High School. She was one of my high school history teachers. Being a super shy kid, she made me feel seen. She did such a good job of building community in her class; we students genuinely enjoyed being in the room and learning together.

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I wanted to help young people feel understood. Through reading and writing, students learn about all kinds of people and places. They learn empathy, and they learn about themselves.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: It is hard to pick just one favorite! I love seeing the growth kids make from beginning to end of eighth grade. Right before heading to high school, they become a little nervous about what’s to come and more grateful for the time they’ve had together at middle school. I love when my students make me laugh — you never know what an eighth grader is going to say or do. Also, teachers make the best co-workers. 

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: I’m grateful to be recognized for my hard work and other contributions I’ve made to my school. As colleagues, we live a lot of life together, and I have a lot of love and respect for them. For them to think of me as worthy of the honor is very meaningful.

Taylor Korson - Oak Mountain High

Korson has been in education since January 2019 and in her current position as a self-contained special education teacher since August 2019. She teaches students on the alternate pathway.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: In elementary school, it was Mrs. Griffin, my secondgrade teacher. She always had such a warming room and made us all feel loved. In high school, it was Mrs. Hollis, one of the special education teachers at Hoover High School. She inspired me to follow my dream of becoming a special education teacher. 

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, from the time I was very young. When I was in high school I worked as a special needs aide in a self-contained classroom, and that is when I realized I wanted to teach special education. It was really when I realized my passion for helping people with disabilities. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: One hundred percent the kids! They are the reason I keep coming to work every day. My favorite thing to do with my students will always be a life skills or job skills activity. I love seeing them learn new things that can make their lives easier when they exit high school. 

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It was very special. Due to my job, I only teach nine kids a day. This job can be so hard and sometimes isolating at times, but it was so special that my coworkers saw me and my heart for the kiddos and nominated me. I will never forget. It was an honor of a lifetime.

Karen Pruitt - Chelsea Park Elementary

Pruitt has been in education for 33 years and at Chelsea Park Elementary for 19. Pruitt teaches first grade.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: Mrs Presley.  I remember her reading snippets about different states and us ‘traveling’ to those states by individually filling in maps. It was so fun!

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: Watching children develop as readers and   writers brings me immense joy. Creating a classroom family and watching students help and  love each other is so rewarding.

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It is an honor to have your peers consider you to be a good teacher. I feel there are so many others at our school that are more worthy but really appreciate the honor.  

Mary Maines - Forest Oaks Elementary

Maines is in her seventh year in education, all of which have been at Forest Oaks Elementary. She now teaches first grade, after teaching second grade for the previous six years.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: Mr. Fusco, my high school history teacher. Enthusiastic, relational and intentional. He also attended my wedding.

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: Coming from a family of educators, I grew up understanding the influence of a teacher. I am living the dream I always had to create a ripple effect each day. Getting to be a part of the lives of children that go beyond the classroom walls is something I do not take for granted. “Teacher” is a term that covers a multitude of roles. We are caregivers, cheerleaders, innovators, leaders, team players and lifelong learners. It is a joy to have this term as a part of my identity in this world, and I pray others will aspire to choose this profession of beauty, magic and wonder.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: My students. We become a family during the school year and stay a family forever. No other job multiplies love like this.

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It is truly an honor to receive this title. Teaching is not just a job but a very special calling. We do what we do because of the love we have for children and our communities, and a love for learning. It is humbling to represent my school in this capacity as I admire the strong, passionate and dedicated educators I am surrounded by daily. I will cherish this always.

Bisch is in her sixth year in education and third at Chelsea Middle School. Bisch teaches sixth grade math.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: My eighth grade geography teacher, Ms. Schenauer, from Saville Middle School when I lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the reason I am a teacher today. 

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I always loved school as a kid growing up because of the wonderful teachers I had. I chose to become a teacher in hopes of working toward being as great as those who taught me. I wanted to be the teacher that could give my students a fun, safe and memorable learning experience, just like I had. My hope and goal is for my students to love school and learning, just like I did. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: My students. I love getting to know each of them, celebrating them throughout the year and helping them learn math in a way that makes the most sense to them. 

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It means the absolute world to me. It is such an honor to represent Chelsea Middle School as the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year! Thank you to all of my Chelsea Middle School colleagues for this incredible recognition

Leslie Stephenson - Chelsea High

Stephenson is in her 27th year teaching and third at Chelsea High School. Stephenson teaches ninth grade english.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? 

A: I had a lot of teachers that I enjoyed. Probably my favorite was my 11th and 12th grade English teacher, Mr. Richardson. In his class, we were “people,” not just students. We grew as readers and thinkers and he valued our opinions. 

Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher? 

A: I think I’ve always known I wanted to be a “helper” of some kind. School wasn’t always my favorite place to be when I was a kid. I wanted to help make school a happy place for kids. Somewhere they could laugh, feel important, learn and grow. I also really like to read, and I wanted to help other people love books as well. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: I feel honored to be a part of the moment when kids finally figure it out, … whatever that “it” might be. Seeing students become more confident in themselves and their abilities is a pretty awesome thing.

Q: What does being named Teacher of the Year for your school mean to you? 

A: It’s such a great honor to be chosen by my fellow teachers. I am surrounded by a lot of excellent educators who care a lot about the kids we teach. To be chosen by people I admire and learn from daily is truly humbling.