Jamison is Rotary's teacher of the year
By Amanda Compton-Ortiz/amanda@dctribune.com
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 3:28 PM CDT
Cheryl Jamison, a fifth-grade math teacher at Center Hill Elementary School, doesn’t just teach by the numbers.
“Teaching math is fun so I like to make learning it fun too,” said Jamison. “That’s why I like to make sure every student understands the basics before moving on to more difficult concepts. You can’t just throw numbers and formulas out there. You have to give students a lot of guided practice.”
Jamison said she was able to see the fruits of her labor in the classroom when she got a visit from one of her former students several years ago. The student had been enrolled in the school’s special education program but under Jamison’s instruction moved on to make As and Bs in regular pre-algebra. He now holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Mississippi.
Jamison said of the student, “He visited me one day at my school about four years ago. I remember he gave me some flowers and a letter, and he looked me in my eyes and said ‘Mrs. Jamison I couldn’t have done all of this without you.’ It was wonderful. It’s moments like those that make teaching so special.”
Jamison is a lifelong DeSoto County resident. She is an Olive Branch High School graduate and earned her teaching degree from Ole Miss. She formerly taught sixth grade at Olive Branch Middle School for 17 years.
She has recently been selected by members of the Olive Branch Rotary Club as the 2008 Olive Branch Teacher of the Year. The club convened last week at Center Hill Elementary to recognize Jamison and this year’s Olive Branch Teacher of the Year nominees: Lauren Barnet, Olive Branch High School; Barbara Bishop, Olive Branch Intermediate School; Jennifer Rogers, Chickasaw Elementary School; Gina Tindall, Olive Branch Elementary School; Bonnie Jones, Lewisburg Elementary School; Martha Liston, Pleasant Hill Elementary School, and Amber Robertson, Overpark Elementary School.
Each teacher was nominated for the honor by their school.
Rebecca Dearden, principal at Center Hill Elementary School and an Olive Branch Rotary Club member, said Jamison’s students consistently have the highest math scores in DeSoto County on achievement tests. She added, “Mrs. Jamison’s personal characteristics such as patience, consideration, emotional stability, and good judgement are great assets to our school.”
In Jamison’s nomination form, Ken Reid, assistant superintendent of education for DeSoto County Schools, said, “Cheryl enters the classroom every period of every day prepared, spends every second of every period on task, differentiates instruction so that learners of all levels are involved and understand the concepts. She protects her class time almost like a mother protecting her young, and woe unto he who disturbs her class.”
Milton Kuykendall, superintendent of DeSoto County Schools, recognized the nominees and told the group of business and industry leaders who attended the event that “our award-winning schools and highly dedicated teachers are a driving force in DeSoto County’s economic development.”
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