Honor Your Favorite Teacher Memories of Engaging, Visual Lessons Remain Vivid By Dr. Michele Williams Taylor, superintendent of Calhoun City Schools and PAGE Foundation trustee
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ngaged students are attentive, persistent and committed. When engaged in learning, students value and find meaning in the work and learn to their full potential. Throughout my school career, I was fortunate to have my share of great teachers, but it was Mrs. Sherry Campbell who engaged me and made the most impact on who I am today. Mrs. Campbell was my eighth-grade social studies teacher. By connecting on a personal level, she demonstrated that she cared about me. She believed in me more than I believed in myself. Her classroom had rituals and routines. We knew what to expect and we knew that she wanted us to be successful. We also knew that we had to listen and be prepared to share what we had learned. Those who were a part of Mrs. Campbell’s class loved the “Wiggle” and learned how to compete for the top seat.
Sherry Campbell
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This competitive challenge created a fun learning environment in which being engaged was the norm. Mrs. Campbell was an extraordinary teacher who brought history to life with every lesson. Entering her classroom was like stepping into a time machine. The learning was relevant and the lessons were engaging. Decades later, after teacher education courses and reflections about my own educational experiences, I see how much time, effort and planning went into Mrs. Campbell’s teaching. She never did anything halfway; it was always a full-fledged production. Lights, camera, action—the classroom was a stage. Mrs. Campbell always said she wanted to be an actress, so she pretended that we were the audience. She got to perform to a new group every class period. I will never forget the story of the Alamo. To this day, I can visualize the reenactment in class. I was a somewhat timid eighth grader who lacked self-confidence. Mrs. Campbell knew that I loved to sing, and she encouraged me to enter the eighth-grade talent show. Actually, I don’t think I had a say so in the matter. She said, “Michele, you can sing so you’re going to participate in the upcoming talent showcase.” Her encouragement empowered me to share my love of music. I began singing solos at church and later tried out for a part in the senior play. After high school graduation, I attended Shorter College to pursue a degree in education. I’ll never forget calling Mrs. Campbell to see if I could complete my student teaching experience in her classroom. She was an excellent supervising teacher! She gave me great feedback and support throughout the practicum experience. I couldn’t wait to go to school every day so that I could learn something new from her. Upon graduation, I was ecstatic to know that I would be teaching down the hall from her. Naturally, she served as my mentor, and when I became a peer administrator, I turned to Mrs. Campbell for advice. Mrs. Campbell was there for me as a student, a teacher and administrator, and I will be forever grateful for her support. She continues to be a strong supporter of Calhoun City Schools and an advocate for the CalhounDr. Michele Taylor n Gordon County community.
Lights, camera, action—the classroom was a stage. Mrs. Campbell always said she wanted to be an actress, so she pretended that we were the audience.
May/June 2014
