Mitchell, Gilbert nominated for award
Karen Mitchell and Karen Gilbert have been nominated as Franklin County Public School System’s Teachers of the Year.
The two winning applicants were chosen by a system-level committee consisting of the superintendent, a school board member, a parent organization representative, an elementary teacher and a secondary teacher.
Mitchell, a kindergarten teacher at Phil Campbell Elementary School, has been teaching for 25 years.
Like many teachers, she was influenced to become a teacher by her own teachers. Her third grade teacher asked the class to write a story and illustrate it, and Mitchell was asked to read her “book” on local television. She isn’t sure if she was the only student chosen or if everyone in the class read their books, but it didn’t matter to her. Mitchell’s teacher made her see herself as a writer. In adulthood, Mitchell has written and published two books for children.
“My philosophy for teaching is, ‘Never a Dull Moment’ because I want school to be fun and intriguing for my students,” Mitchell said. “I want them to begin their school years knowing that learning is a good thing and that knowledge is power.
“I believe that school activities should be interesting engaging. Planting real plants and digging up worms is so much more interesting than just talking about them. I love it when they cheer and squeal about an activity.”
Gilbert, a mathematics teacher at Phil Campbell High School, has been teaching for almost 19 years.
Her roots in the community run deep, so not only does she personally invest time and resources in her hometown, but she leads the school and it’s organizations to serve others.
She has led fundraisers to assist victims of natural disasters, made cards for local nursing home residents, shopped with students for angel tree gifts and sponsored a school-wide “Month of Kindness.”
She also generously archives the school year through her sponsorship of the school’s yearbook.
“I believe my philosophy for teaching is closely related to my view of the responsibilities of the parent – in loco parentis, or in place of the parent.
“I know the challenges that await my students after they move on past my algebra class, and I am helping their parents prepare them for the next step in their life’s journeys.
“I realize that the expectations of the people they encounter after me – whether it is another teacher or a boss on a job – will be great.
“I feel like it is my responsibility to help them be ready for whatever is next for them. I must provide the right balance of nurture and tough love to prepare them for their futures.”
Both Mitchell’s and Gilbert’s applications have been submitted to the Alabama Department of Education for the second phase of he competition.
The winners were told by administrators they would each represent Franklin County in the state Teacher of the Year program, which recognizes and honors the many contributions of classroom teachers.
Alabama’s Teacher of the Year program is one of the oldest and most prestigious award programs for teachers.
The program is affiliated with the National Teacher of the Year program, which is presented by the ING Foundation; sponsored by Scholastic, Inc.; and is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Each year, Alabama’s Teacher of the Year is a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award.
Other candidates considered for Franklin County’s Teacher of the Year awards included elementary school-level winners: Tara Oliver, fifth and sixth grade science teacher at Belgreen; and Susie Stockton, a reading coach at Tharptown Elementary School; and secondary-level winners Kay Hargett, a health science teacher at the Franklin County Career Tech Center; and Doris Holderby, a business education teacher at Tharptown High School.
