2006 Georgia Teacher of the Year(May/June 2005) - Ciclt.net

(top) Joseph Jarrel’s wife Michelleand daughter, Joanna on theisland of Crete. (bottom left)Classroom of Georgia SouthernWriting Project, where Alisa Danielenjoys spending part of hersummer. (bottom right) Kim Perryand guide in Egypt (2004)discussing Greek style mummy atAlexandria’s Greek-Romanmuseum.and four teens from my son’schurch youth group). We will bevisiting remote churches anddoing whatever they need us todo—Bible school, repairs tostructures, witnessing and visiting.We will be gone almost twoweeks. The rest of the summerwill be a mix of working, restingand preparing for the nextschool year.”Trista Ross, a special educationteacher at Edwards MiddleSchool in Rockdale County, isheading in the opposite directionto do her missionary work.“The Lord has provided anopportunity for me to travelwith a group from Heritage HillsBaptist Church to Zimbabwe,Africa to work with internationalmissionaries Barry andMarleen Robinson. The missionis to help establish a church inNyakatora, a village on theZambezi Valley floor 50 milesnorth of Mt. Darwin. We will be workingwith pastor Median Chitsere to help establisha new congregation of believers in thisregion.“We will spend the first few days in doorto-doorevangelism, discipleship and conductingevening meetings. We will sharetestimonies, music and film. Sunday wewill have morning church with new believers.We will then travel to Antelope Park fora day of rest. After that we will go on toHwange National Park for a Game Drive.We will spend our final day in Victoria Fallsand then fly back to Atlanta. This will be anamazing opportunity to experience sharingthe gospel in the ‘real’ Africa.”While venturing no further thanMilledgeville, Ga., Suzanne Walshe andher husband, Michael, will reach out topeople closer to home. “My husband, alsoa teacher, and I will continue to providecare for foster children in our county thissummer.” She says. “We will enjoy spendingtime with seven children, ages four to14, at our house on Lake Sinclair.”A somewhat more traditional summertrip for many educators is helping chaperonehigh school students on trips overseas.Joseph Jarrell, world history teacherat McIntosh High School in FayetteCounty, has already made 10 internationaltrips, including five with students. Thisyear, in July, he and his family will travelwith several students from McIntosh HighSchool to Russia.“My student trips have been to Russia(summer 1993), Italy, Greece and theAegean Islands (summer 1994), Germany(summer 1995), Egypt (summer 1996),and China (summer 2002) and the forthcomingtrip to Russia,” Jarrell says. “All mystudent tours are in conjunction with EFEducational Tours which is headquarteredin Boston. My group is always combinedwith tour groups sponsored by otherteachers from around the country. I enjoythe student tours because it provides away for students to see historical sites wehave studied at school.”Rebekkah Roberts, teacher atLorraine Elementary School inRockdale County, is also helpingtake a group of high school studentsto Europe. And when shereturns, she plans to take a musicworkshop for a week, sponsoredby Gwinnett County and a localmusic teacher group (OrffAssociation).Pierce County High Schoolteacher Kathryn Tison never hadthe opportunity to go to Europewhen she was a student, so sheplans to make up for it this year.“My daughter and I plan to goto Europe for 18 days in Junewith my high school historyteacher, Starr Wheeler, retirededucator from Glynn Academyin Brunswick. She has takengroups of high school studentson trips of this sort since evenbefore I entered high school. Iwas not able to attend when Iwas a student, so my parentsoffered to send us for my 40thand my daughter’s 16th birthdays.”Vilissa Talcotta, a McDuffieCounty teacher, is also planninga mother-daughter trip. “Mymother and I are celebrating ourbirthdays (75 and 50) this Junewith an Alaskan cruise. We willtake the helicopter ride to a glacier, landon it and walk around on the glacier. Wewill take a smaller boat out to get closer tothe whales as they rise from the sea andland, using their tail to splash those of usin the boat.“Later in the month, my older brotherand his family will come from Ohio, andwe all intend to go to the OkeefeenokeeSwamp and spend a day or two there.Before June is over with, I will work withRESA on curriculum mapping. In July I willgo to Connecticut to see a friend who hasagoraphobia and has been in his apartmentfor over 10 years now. I usually spenda week with him. I have plans to stop inNew Jersey and spend a week on the beachwith my in-laws. And by the end of July,right before I return for pre-planning, I willfinish my Specialist in Leadership. I have afull summer, but I will enjoy it. When I amnot in class or on the road, I will be workingon my plans for the fall classes andcatching up on my reading.”8 PAGE ONE May/June 2005