Teachers of the year inspired by students, community

The Oglethorpe County School System teachers of the year were honored by the Board of Education at its meeting last week. The teachers shared their motivation and inspiration with The Oglethorpe Echo.

Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Shonda Cronic, OCPS kindergarten

Cronic grew up in Maxeys and graduated from Oglethorpe County High School. She enjoys riding motorcycles, camping and dancing with her family during her free time.

Q: What is your goal as a kindergarten teacher?

A: This is their beginning, and it's my goal to smile in the morning and make them love school. The expectations are really high nowadays, but we have to remember they're still kids, and so I still try to make it fun.

Q: What do you look forward to every school year?

A: Getting to know a new group of students and their personalities; learning how they learn, what they enjoy, how to reach them. I think it's just fun when they come in, and they're so shy and timid, and then it doesn't take very long for them to come out of their shell and you really get to know them. 

Q: How do you hope to impact your students?

A: For them to be loved here, and know that they're loved, and to love school.

Q: What has teaching taught you that you also want your students to learn?

A: You don't always get it right the first time. You might not get it right the first, second or the third time, but you keep trying. Don't give up. We always say, don't stop until you're proud.

Lindsay Gregory, OCES gifted third-fifth grade teacher

Gregory grew up in Marietta, Georgia and is a University of Georgia graduate. She enjoys playing tennis, coaching her son’s soccer team and spending time with her family. 

Q: How do you like teaching multiple grades of gifted students?

A: I think I have the best job in the whole school. Being able to continue different things and build on that from year to year is really cool, which most people don't get to do.

Q: What inspires you as a teacher?

A: Kids. They want to come to school, they want to learn something, they seek out that knowledge. And just the joy they have for life, whether it's the learning aspect or the silliness aspect.

Q: What do you want to be your impact at the school?

A: I want to help kids remember that school is a fun, safe place to come. And that the teachers also want to have a fun, safe place to come to. 

Q: What is one lesson you would like your students to have learned from you?

A: You haven’t truly failed until you’ve given up; learning how to deal with the struggle and how to learn from failure. So that if you fail, it's not an end of the world scenario.

Janet High, OCMS English teacher

High grew up in Cairo, Georgia, but feels like Oglethorpe County is just as much her home. She likes to use her free time for continuous learning through reading, podcasts and working with her team of teachers.

Q: Why is Oglethorpe County special to you?

A: I feel like this community takes pride in the success of teachers, and they really wanted me to become a member of the family. The school, the teachers, everybody, they just care so much about the students. It just makes you want to be the best teacher you can be.

Q: What inspires you as a teacher?

A: Seeing the look on my students' faces whenever they accomplish something that they didn't think they could accomplish inspires and energizes me, even on the toughest days. And also being able to work with such a dedicated, hard-working group of people that genuinely and truly care for every student.

Q: How do you motivate your students?

A: It's important to build true relationships with them. When they know that you care about them, then they want to do the work that it takes. One way that I try to do that is by sharing my love of reading with them, and I really try to pair my students up with books that I think they will love. 

Q: What is important for your students to learn from you?

A: One thing I want them to learn is just because we don't know everything doesn't mean that we can't figure out how to find the answers. I want them to not be afraid to ask questions and to know they have a safe space to get those answers that they need.

Lee Jones, OCHS band director

Jones grew up in Oglethorpe County schools from second grade through graduation from the high school where he now teaches. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, playing Dungeons & Dragons with fellow teachers and is a volunteer firefighter, along with his wife.

Q: What is the best life lesson that you apply to your teaching?

A: You don't always know what somebody's going through. I always try to extend a little bit of grace to the kids when they do something knuckleheaded or maybe lash out in a way that they don't normally do. 

Q: What kind of environment do you want to create in your classroom?

A: One where they hold the people around them accountable in a positive manner, where they're uplifting them. I just want them to have a safe environment where they can come and be themselves and not have to worry about making mistakes because you’re going to make mistakes.

Q: What’s your favorite part about working at Oglethorpe County High School?

A: The sense of community, just the camaraderie that the teachers have with one another. We look out for each other, and it's a good sense of community.

Q: What do you want to be your impact on the students?

A: I hope that by the time I do retire, I've got many classes of graduates that look back and say that being in this band is where they learned to be responsible, to plan out and organize their lives. My main goal is for them to learn how to be a better person, and I hope that's the legacy I leave.