Lofty Honor

Kennesaw Boasts 2 School-Level Teachers of Year

SUBMITTED BY COBB SCHOOLS

For three Cobb teachers, their first day back to prepare for the new school year might be their best one yet. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale surprised them with the news that they’d been selected the 2022 Cobb Schools Teachers of the Year (TOTY) for the three school levels.

Two of the teachers work at schools in Kennesaw: Derrick Tucker from Awtrey Middle and Jordan Motsinger from Harrison High. The elementary TOTY is Jenifer Mitacek from Argyle Elementary in Smyrna.

“This is one of my favorite days of the school year,” Ragsdale said. “I look forward to welcoming our teachers back on the first day and recognizing our outstanding educators who make Cobb Schools the best place to teach, lead and learn.”

Tucker, the Middle School Level Teacher of the Year, pointed to the students as the reason he returns to the classroom year after year.

“I love teaching because it is an opportunity to be able to meet different kids,” he said. “There is just something about being able to talk to students, to see how they can grow, how you can help them and be a part of their life.”

The social studies teacher’s passion for teaching was as clear as the smile on his face when Ragsdale congratulated him. Teaching is his calling.

“It was something that I’ve always wanted to do from the time that I was in high school, having that opportunity to be able to make a difference,” Tucker said. “I know that a lot of times, you hear people say, ‘I want to really make a difference,’ but that’s something I’ve seen. I’ve seen what [teachers] can do. That’s one of the reasons why I love being in this profession.”

Tucker has been living out his dream as a teacher, serving Cobb students since 2015, and he has some advice for future teachers.

“I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to apply for the Cobb County School District to come and work with us,” the 12-year educator said. “Cobb has been great just from the people that I've worked with and the relationships. I feel there is no place like it.”

Motsinger, Cobb’s High School Level Teacher of the Year, praised the relationships she has built at Harrison as one reason she loves her job.

“I love teaching in Cobb and working at Harrison because it’s a big family,” she said. “We support each other. We have incredible collaborative teams, and we have a lot of fun together. It’s a great environment, and I’m so grateful to have spent my career here so far. I’ve learned so much from my mentors and our administration.”

Derrick Tucker from Awtrey Middle School was named Cobb’s Middle School Level Teacher of the Year last month. Photo courtesy of Cobb Schools. Cobb’s High School Level Teacher of the Year Jordan Motsinger from Harrison High School celebrates her win with her husband, Kiel, and their sons, Merritt, 18 months, and Holden, 5. Photo courtesy of Cobb Schools.

SUBMITTED BY COBB SCHOOLS

Cobb’s High School Level Teacher of the Year Jordan Motsinger from Harrison High School celebrates her win with her husband, Kiel, and their sons, Merritt, 18 months, and Holden, 5. Photo courtesy of Cobb Schools.

The competition cheer head coach has taught English at Harrison her entire eight-year teaching career and loves sharing her passion for literature. She hopes her students are inspired by her class in the same way her high school teacher inspired her.

“I teach because I was raised by an educator who instilled in me at a very young age a love for literature and writing,” she said. “My mom taught me to see how wonderful teenagers can be and how much they have to bring to the table in terms of their creativity and their ideas. So my mom really inspired me to teach, and now I do it because I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Motsinger has a new inspiration for the new school year as she carries the title of the high school level TOTY.

“I’m very honored, and I look at it as a responsibility to continue working hard for our students and continuing to help make Cobb the best place to teach, lead and learn,” she said after the announcement.

At press time, the school district planned to announce the system winner, who will represent Cobb County in the state competition, in late August.

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