QUITMAN– Brooks County Schools has a team of committed, personable and caring teachers. For 12 years, Brooks County Middle Schools recently named Teacher of the Year, Kristie Calhoun truly loves her day to day experience with her “kids”. “I want my students to leave my classroom knowing that it wasn’t just about the year we were together; I want them to know that I pray for their continued success and they will still always be “my kid.”
Currently, Calhoun is a 7th grade Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher as well as the 702 Team Leader. She prides herself in always trying to become better than she was before for her students. “My belief is that there is always something I can work on to become better as a teacher to ensure I am helping my students be successful,” says Calhoun.
Calhoun has known for as long as she can remember that teaching was what she desired to do. However, she admits that her fear of public speaking became a stumbling block initially from pursuing her dream. Calhoun worked for 13 years in a business atmosphere and finally decided that her passion for teaching would not go away. Calhoun believes that to be a quality type of educator, a supportive and caring environment for students and the teacher is of upmost importance.
“I want my students to feel that their thoughts and feelings are appreciated and respected no matter what. I also believe, teachers should have a love for learning because if we expect our students to love learning, we should be willing to learn new things ourselves,” says Calhoun. Calhoun credits her mother in reminding her that she saw her daughter happiest in a school setting. “Teaching gives me the opportunity to continue my own learning by learning from students as well.”
Calhoun remains surprised and humbled by being chosen by her peers at BCMS as their Teacher of the Year. “When I found out I was chosen as Teacher of the year, I had a hard time believing it at first. I am still humbled by it; however, it is truly an honor to represent my school and the other teachers that work here,” says Calhoun.
To further exhibit the type of Teacher Calhoun is, BCMS Principal Dr. Djana Goss used the quote from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, “A goodteacher is like a candle, she consumes herself to light the way for others.”
