Each day leading up to our first "Stars of Public Education" banquet to be held Thursday, April 27, at the USC Aiken Convocation Center we will be featuring a different Honor Court member from among this year's Giving Even More (GEM), Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees.
TIFFANY MIDDLEBROOKS – RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
POSITION: HEALTH SCIENCE TEACHER
Tiffany Middlebrooks was already enjoying a successful career as a nurse when a few twists and turns in life led her to the teaching profession. The career change offered her the opportunity to grow and positively affect the lives of students, and she has thrived in the six years since.
When District and school representatives stopped by Ms. Middlebrooks’ classroom recently to congratulate her on being selected as an Aiken County Teacher of the Year finalist, the health science instructor and HOSA advisor could not have been more surprised. Her students were also thrilled, which is understandable once you hear Ms. Middlebrooks talk about them.
“I have always loved teaching,” Ms. Middlebrooks stated. “I do not teach health science, though. I teach students – teenagers who are trying to find their place in this big world. Every day I have the opportunity to mold the future of this great nation. I consider this a privilege and an honor that I do not take lightly.
“The greatest accomplishment I will ever make as a teacher is pointing students down the right path in their life. Although I teach health science, I also teach reading, math and history. However, the most important thing I teach is life itself. I find no greater joy than when a student is going down the wrong path, realizes it, and decides to make a change for the better because of something I did or said as their instructor.”
Ms. Middlebrooks says each young person in her classroom is unique and deserving of her best effort as an educator.
“A student who struggles and will never make straight A’s may have an insight into life that the straight-A student may never see,” Ms. Middlebrooks explains. “I know that each one of them has something wonderful to contribute to the class as long as he or she feels safe and comfortable. I try to make my class a safe place for my students to learn and grow. My students must know that they have an opinion that matters to me.
“I believe learning should also be fun and interesting. I try very hard to have fun with my students. My students tell me that when they have a say in the learning process, it makes the topic more interesting. Armed with that tidbit of knowledge, I try to let them have a say in requirements for class. I sometimes lay out a project idea, but let the students nail down the details. Often they will require more of themselves than I would have required.”
Part of her dedication reflects her own respect, not only for the profession, but also for the distinguished line of educators across the world who have preceded her.
“Teaching is one of the oldest professions in the world. As a teacher, I am part of the ranks of educators such as Confucius, Aristotle, John Locke, Henry David Thoreau, and Florence Nightingale,” Ms. Middlebrooks commented. “That is quite an impressive list. Each one of these educators somehow molded the process of education and the teaching profession of his or her time. I may not have the impact of these famous people, but I can still work to improve the teaching profession every day. Each day that my students embrace a new challenge and I share that knowledge with my peers, I am improving the teaching profession.”
Perhaps the highest form of praise of all for a teacher comes from the students whom they serve. Summer Cherry is a junior student at Ridge Spring-Monetta High who says Ms. Middlebrooks’ instruction and guidance have made all the difference in the world to her.
“Ms. Middlebrooks has done so much for me. I am a new student as a junior and kind of shy and I have never really had a teacher that cared so much for students that way she does,” Summer stated. “Ms. Middlebrooks helped me figure out who I want to become, and she has pushed me to limits that I didn’t even realize were possible for me to achieve.”