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Published Saturday, April 11, 2009 in Local

Coweta Teacher of the Year nominees highlighted

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

The Times-Herald

Coweta County's Teacher of the Year will be named on April 21.

One nominee was elected from each of the county's public schools by his or her peers. The finalists are chosen by a panel of past winners and will be announced Wednesday. Teachers of the Year are selected by their peers for the quality of their teaching.

The ceremony and reception to honor the finalists and to announce the winner will be April 21 at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts.

Among the 2009 nominees from local schools are:

-- Diane McHughes, a first grade teacher at Welch Elementary, has taught for 22 years in schools across Georgia and still has a "hunka hunka burning love" for teaching, she says.

She has taught kindergarten, first, second and third grade in Grady, Lee, Dougherty and Coweta counties. She joined the Coweta school system in 2005, teaching second grade at Canongate Elementary before joining Welch's faculty in 2006.

"Mrs. McHughes and her first grade 'Buckaroos' are well-known for setting the standard in our school, both behaviorally and academically," said Principal Becky Darrah.

McHughes' Buckaroos stem from the "thematic habitats" she creates in her classrooms. Recently, it has evolved into a "western Round-Up Room," which includes a mascot named Bandana Bob and his horse Paisley. Sandry Buttry, whose daughter was in her class last year, said McHughes is "very inspiring to the children and taught them to keep an open mind and have a positive attitude."

McHughes earned an associate degree in general studies from Brewton Parker College, and bachelor's and master's degrees in early childhood education from Tift College of Mercer University and Valdosta State University, respectively.

-- Rachel Stedham, a fifth grade teacher at Western Elementary School, thought she wanted to be a nurse like her mother, but after a year of nursing school, she returned to her first love -- teaching.

Stedham started teaching at Western in 2006, after earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Jacksonville State University. Since then, she's impressed colleagues who have much more experience.

"During Rachel's first year of teaching, she always welcomed and even requested constructive criticism. Even now as Rachel is much more experienced, she still seeks to improve all skills and knowledge that will allow her to be a more effective teacher. Her drive and motivation is an encouragement to her peers, many of whom now look up to her for advice," said Jennifer Hanson, one of Western's fourth-grade teachers.

Assistant Principal Stan McMichael said Stedham supports students and teachers alike.

"Every morning she meets students at the door or even in the hallway before they get to her room until they have a better attitude. She doesn't let her students start the day off wrong," he said.

If selected to represent Coweta as Georgia Teacher of the Year, Stedham would urge teachers and others in a child's life to spend more time with them and learn how each child learns best.

-- Angela Hines Brown's inspiration to become a teacher starts with her mother, who was one of 11 children.

Her father needed the children to stay at home to work on the farm so they were only allowed to go to school on rainy days. "My mother knew that a good education was her only way out of poverty," so every day she would get up before anyone else and sneak out to catch the school bus, knowing she'd be reprimanded when she came home after school."

Brown, inspired by her mother's struggle, was the first in her family to graduate from high school as a valedictorian. She earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications from West Georgia College, a master's degree in early childhood education from the University of West Georgia and is on her way to earning a doctorate in educational leadership from Capella University.

The fifth-grade teacher at Ruth Hill Elementary spends two afternoons per week offering free tutoring to students after school.

"When I look at children, I see gifts. Yes, gifts. These human gifts come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Some enter our schools in fancy wrapping with big fluffy bows on top. Others come to us so plain that they seem to vanish amongst the crowd. Regardless of the exterior wrapping, I'm always excited to see what's inside of each gift."

-- Lisa Michelle Anander, a first-grade teacher at Willis Road Elementary, has known since childhood that she wanted to be a teacher, describing it as her "divine purpose in life."

For Katherine Bell Hampton, it was divine inspiration that her son got in Anander's class. Hampton said since her son barely got through kindergarten because of his behavioral disorders, she was skeptical about him making progress in first grade.

"Although she made me feel at ease from the very first time I met her, I had no idea just how my prayers were going to be answered, but they were and so much more," she said. "I'm not sure how she does it, but with 18 other first-graders in her class, she has made me feel as if my son was her only student ... I volunteer in her class every Friday so I get to see first-hand how the things ... are not just set aside for my child. She goes above and beyond for each and every child in her class."

Anander earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Mercer University and a master's degree in integrating technology in early childhood education from Walden University.

She's taught at Willis Road since 2004. If selected, Anander would communicate to others that each child has their own "individualized education plan," and it's up to teachers to explore and discover what makes each of their students succeed.