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UGA Griffin student, graduate named Teachers of Year Writer: Genevieve di Leonardo, 706/542-5889, gedileon@uga.edu Contact: Andrea Knapp, 770/229-3260, akknapp@uga.edu
A graduate student and a recent graduate in mathematics education at the University of Georgia at Griffin were recently named Teachers of the Year at their respective schools.
Vetrece Jefferson was named Teacher of the Year at Atkinson Elementary School in Griffin where she has taught 5th grade mathematics for the past two years. She previously taught fourth and fifth grades in all academic subjects at Anne Street Elementary in Griffin.
Jefferson is working toward her specialist’s degree in early childhood mathematics, which she expects to receive from UGA Griffin in summer 2010. “I appreciate that UGA is close to home, if it were not I would not have sought another degree,” she said.
Carrie Davis was named Teacher of the Year at Beaverbrook Elementary School in Griffin, where she has taught for eight years. She currently teaches third grade mathematics, reading, writing, language arts, science and social studies. She previously taught kindergarten, first grade, and in the Early Intervention Program for second, fourth and fifth grade, and third grade students that were at risk of failing or had failed the Criterion Referenced Competency Test.
Davis, who received her specialist degree from UGA Griffin last May, echoed Jefferson’s sentiment regarding the Griffin campus. “I thought it was great to be able to get a degree from UGA here at Griffin. The commute was awesome and I learned a lot. It was definitely a valuable investment of my time and money,” she said.
The mathematics education graduate programs were developed in response to area school superintendents who indicated the need to provide elementary school teachers with enhanced mathematics content and pedagogical knowledge. The programs were first offered at UGA Griffin in fall 2006.
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