Montgomery, Ala. — And the winner is Dr. Gay F. Barnes, a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), who teaches first grade at Horizon Elementary School in the Madison City School System.
Near the end of the live broadcast event of the 2011 Alabama Stars in Education Awards, State Superintendent of Education Joseph B. Morton announced the coveted title of Alabama Teacher of the Year. With the title, Barnes assumes the role of official spokesperson and representative for teachers in Alabama for the next year. The awards ceremony, which honors all of the district finalists for Teacher of the Year, is held annually in celebration of these teachers’ dedication to education in Alabama public schools.
Marla R. Hines, who teaches 10th grade Physical Science at Vestavia Hills High School, was named 2011-2012 Alternate State Teacher of the Year at the 2011 Alabama Stars in Education Awards.
Morton congratulated all of the contestants with plaques to commemorate the honor of being shining examples of professionalism and dedication to Alabama’s most valued asset – its children. Of Barnes, Morton said, “She has a love for learning that she shares with her students and inspires others.”
Barnes, the 2011-2012 Alabama State Teacher of the Year, is a 20-year veteran of the teaching profession. She has taught first-graders for six years at Horizon Elementary. She earned a Ph.D. in Reading/Literacy Education from Alabama A&M University, Education Specialist and M.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), and a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH).
Since earning her first degree, Barnes has taught reading; multi-age classes; first, second, third and fourth grades; a college freshmen class for struggling readers; and a university class for pre-service teachers. Her passion for helping struggling readers hits close to home: three of her children are dyslexic and have specific learning disabilities.
“When a child who has been puzzling over a concept for days suddenly has the magical ‘Ah Ha!’ moment – and for that child in that instant, the learning is all her own – I am rewarded,” said Barnes.
Marla R. Hines, the 2011-2012 Alternate State Teacher of the Year, believes, “My greatest contribution to the teaching profession is my advocacy of education reform, as I promote the use of student-centered, inquiry-based methods of teaching and learning instead of more traditional lecture-based, teacher-centered methods.”
Hines earned a B.S. from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Science became a passion for Hines after a college freshman entomology class and she has loved it ever since. She is a member of the Kiwanis and Key Clubs and works actively with them to “serve the children of the world,” which is the Kiwanis Club mission statement. She feels that teachers should work together to improve their schools and communities.
Morton applauded both teachers as ones who truly personify the time, attention and patience that great educators show every day in the classroom. Morton said all of the candidates have such remarkable talent and are to be congratulated on the invaluable contributions they make in the classroom and in the lives of students.
The selection process for Alabama’s Teacher of the Year begins at the school system level. Each school system can nominate an elementary and secondary teacher at the district level. One elementary teacher and one secondary teacher are selected from each of the eight state Board of Education districts. A state selection committee selects four teachers from the 16 district finalists to be interviewed for the titles Alabama Teacher of the Year and Alternate Teacher of the Year.
Barnes and Hines will spend much of the 2011-2012 school year serving as ambassadors for public education and the teaching profession. Barnes automatically becomes Alabama’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
For more information about Alabama’s Teacher of the Year program, visit www.alsde.edu or contact Ann Starks, 334-242-9702 or astarks@alsde.edu.
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