1 of 10
Brady Akin, Forest Oaks Elementary School.
2 of 10
Hannah Burton, Chelsea Park Elementary.
3 of 10
Caroline Trewhella, Mt Laurel Elementary School.
4 of 10
Shelley Williams, Chelsea Middle School.
5 of 10
Noemi Blair, Chelsea High School.
6 of 10
Kristen Sanders, Inverness Elementary School.
7 of 10
Carol Popwell, Oak Mountain Elementary.
8 of 10
Kyle Henderson, Oak Mountain Intermediate School.
9 of 10
Gaye McKinnon, Oak Mountain Middle School.
10 of 10
Dr. Travis Bender, Oak Mountain High School.
In October, ten teachers from Chelsea and Oak Mountain Schools were named Teacher of the Year for their respective schools after being selected by their peers.
A Teacher of the Year reception and celebration will be held on Dec. 9 at Oak Mountain High School. Every teacher honoree from all 31 Shelby County Schools and their family members, along with school and district leaders will be in attendance.
“We choose the overall Teachers of the Year, one from each grade span (elementary, middle and high),” said Cindy Warner, Public Relations and Community Education Supervisor for Shelby County Schools. “Of those, a committee usually decides on which of the three will be our district’s nomination to represent at the state level, as the state will only let us send one nominee.”
CHELSEA SCHOOLS
► Hannah Burton, Chelsea Park Elementary: Burton teaches Special Education Inclusion for grades 4 and 5. She is in her 12th year teaching and has been at Chelsea Park her entire career.
“I love the interaction with my students, colleagues, and community. I love the time I spend with my students. I learn just as much from them as they do from me. Being a teacher challenges me to be a better person. I enjoy being able to support my fellow teachers, the camaraderie and collaboration that occurs to give our students the very best.”
Burton has been nominated several times and was previously voted teacher of the year during the 2014-2015 school year.
“The biggest thing that I want my kids to remember about me as their teacher is that I love them very much. I want them to know that I believe in them and that they can absolutely do whatever they want in life if they just believe it themselves. Teaching is not just about academics and test scores, it’s about building relationships and trust with my students and their parents to ensure they know I am on their side and want the best for them.”
► Brady Akin, Forest Oaks Elementary School: Akin teaches special education at FOES. She is in her fifth year teaching and has been at Mt Laurel for four years.
“What I love most about teaching is the kids. They keep me on my toes and keep me laughing.”
Akin has been nominated for teacher of the year before.
“I want my students to remember that I cared for them and loved them and always had a smile on my face."
► Caroline Trewhella, Mt Laurel Elementary School: Trewhella teaches art at MLES. She is in her 20th year of teaching and her fourth at Mt Laurel.
“I love the enthusiasm that children have for art. They are so excited about making art and learning about art history.”
Trewhella was awarded teacher of the year, years ago, when she taught in Jefferson County.
“When my kids look back on their elementary years with me as their art teacher, I hope they remember how much I cared about them. Some may go into the fine arts field and some may not, but I hope that all of them remember art class with fondness, as a time they were allowed to express their creativity and have fun in the process.”
► Shelley Williams, Chelsea Middle School: Williams teaches 7th grade special education and is in her 19th year of teaching, including 12 years in public school and seven years in private school. This is her fourth year at Chelsea Middle School.
“The thing I love most about teaching is the relationship I develop with each of my students. Being a special education teacher is such a rewarding job. I love helping my students succeed and reach their goals. I get as much pride and accomplishment out of their success as they do.”
“I hope my students remember that I loved and respected them, and that I was always (and will always be) here when they needed me.”
► Noemi Blair, Chelsea High School: Blair teaches ESL, English as a Second Language at CHS. This is her 14th year of teaching and her third year at CHS.
“What I love most about teaching is seeing students grow academically and helping students achieve goals they didn’t realize they could reach.”
She has been nominated for Teacher of the Year before.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to teach every student that spends time in my classroom.”
OAK MOUNTAIN SCHOOLS
► Kristen Sanders, Inverness Elementary School: Sanders teaches 2nd grade at IES. She is in her 9th year of teaching and has been at IES for four years.
“The thing I love most about teaching is the students. Each student I have shines a new light on my life and brings new, exciting challenges. As a teacher, I am blessed with the opportunity to work with different students every year because each of them is special and unique in their own wonderful way. This keeps me growing and striving to be the best I can be each and every day. I feel so grateful to have found a career that not only allows me to impact the world, but makes me a better person in the process.”
“I want my students to remember how they felt in my classroom, and I hope those feelings bring back positive, happy memories. We all have a teacher that touched our lives at some point, and my goal is to be that teacher for my students. The best part about all of it is that these relationships provide students with a safe, caring environment where they want to learn, grow, and perform to the best of their ability.”
► Carol Popwell, Oak Mountain Elementary: Popwell teaches art at OMES. She is in her 31st year of teaching and has been at OMES for 25 years.
“I love seeing the excitement and wonder on students’ faces when they create something beautiful and are proud of their accomplishments! It makes my job fun and rewarding.”
Popwell has been nominated for Teacher of the Year before.
“It is not about remembering me per se, it is more about wanting them to leave this school and me as their art teacher with a love for art and creating and remembering the lessons I taught. If they remember me as a fun and loving teacher, that is a bonus.”
► Kyle Henderson, Oak Mountain Intermediate School: Henderson teaches 5th grade reading and science at OMIS. He is in his 21st year of teaching, and 9th at OMIS (and was previously at OMMS for 12 years).
“The best compliments I receive are parents telling me when their children bring up the day’s lesson at the dinner table. Getting kids excited about learning new things is why I became a teacher.”
“I want students to leave my room eager to know more about the world around them. Hopefully my classroom has the right atmosphere to create lifelong learners. They better remember all my spontaneous songs and dad jokes!”
► Gaye McKinnon, Oak Mountain Middle School: McKinnon teaches Algebra 1 and is in her 39th year of teaching. She is in her 22nd year at OMMS.
“I love seeing the student’s faces light up when they finally understand a new concept. I want my students to remember that I cared about them as a person, and I encouraged them to be successful in my class.”
► Dr. Travis Bender, Oak Mountain High School: Dr. Bender is the associate director for the OMHS band. He is in his 12th year teaching and his eighth at Oak Mountain.
“I love helping students explore their creative interests and seeing the passion they exhibit in each performance. I think it’s important to find something you are passionate about and pursue that intensely.”
This is Bender’s second time receiving this honor, as he was selected as Teacher of the Year at Liberty Park Middle School in 2012.
“I hope my students will remember me as being compassionate, caring, and for pushing them to excel beyond their own perceived abilities. Making music is one of my favorite activities, and I try to spread this passion to my students every single day.”