(Editor’s note: The Augusta Press will feature each of the five finalists for Richmond County’s Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced at a Sept. 28 banquet.)
Teaching second and third-grade students in an Early Intervention Program (EIP) at Barton Chapel Elementary School, Tawanda Marbury is enjoying her semi-recently acquired position as an augmented teacher.
While working with smaller groups of students in order to meet different educational needs, Marbury has recently been selected by Richmond County as a finalist for the Teacher of the Year award.
Employed with the county for six years, Marbury holds an associate degree in childhood development from Southern Union State Community College, a Bachelor of Science in early childhood development from Kaplan University, as well as a Master of Education in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.
First working as a licensed family daycare provider and later receiving her education specialist degree in early childhood education from Walden University, Marbury said a career in teaching first appealed to her as a result of her desire to improve the lives of children.
While pursuing a career in education, Marbury said she was inspired by a teacher at Barton Chapel and her ability to make a positive impact on her students’ education.
“I was just so inspired. That was when my true calling became apparent to me,” she said. “Teaching is a hard career, but when you have a passion for working with children it is almost as if it comes naturally. You focus not only on the academic, but also on the whole child.”
Additionally influenced by a sixth grade teacher from Tuskegee, Ala., Marbury said she also wanted to present a similar personality that depicted her as more friendly and welcoming to students.
“She had a well balanced firmness and patience,” she said.
After instructing large classes of students for a few years, Marbury said transitioning her teaching to much smaller groups of students presented a few challenges.
“I must admit there was an adjustment period, however, my prior experience definitely helped me along the way,” she said.
By gathering learning data, Marbury said she enjoyed her position in the EIP because it allows administration and herself to identify students’ various areas of educational weakness, which need more allotted time to correct and teach.
“It’s an opportunity for more personalized support and targeted attention to my students who have demonstrated that they require more instruction to master certain skills,” she said. “My goal, our goal, is to always ensure that I am providing the kind of instruction that assists my students with reaching their potential goals.”
Encouraging students to set achievable and realistic goals in order to build up their self-confidence and comprehension abilities, Marbury said she aims for each student to gain adaptation skills and learn how to set personal systems in place to account for their individual learning times, strengths and weaknesses.
“They need to know that it’s okay if they are not learning a certain way or at a certain pace that the others are learning,” she said.
Wanting to also instill self-confidence and a love of learning in all her students, Marbury said she especially hopes her impact on students teaches them to persevere through tough challenges.
“If students have confidence, it will of course encourage them to try different methods of learning, and when they lack confidence, most of the time, they will shut down prior to even beginning,” she said. “Not all students are going to have that confidence, and as educators we have to help build that by establishing trusting relationships.”
For Marbury, winning Teacher of the Year at Barton Chapel Elementary meant recognition of an entire team’s efforts, and she believes it showcases the collective desire of her community to make a lasting difference.
“Being elected Teacher of the Year at the same school where I was inspired to teach while observing was both shocking and significant,” she said. “This has been a remarkable blessing and an achievement. I am feeling so blessed and, to be honest with you, I have no words to express my gratitude.”
Wanting to make a difference in every student’s life at Barton Chapel Elementary School, if chosen as the county’s next Teacher of the Year, Marbury said she hopes to focus on how teachers can closely partner with families to further improve student education.
“I would emphasize the crucial role parents play in the education of their children, and the importance of teachers establishing positive relationships with our families,” she said. “When students realize they have both parents and their teacher on their team because all are caring about their education, their growth will be a result of it.”
The Richmond County Teacher of the Year will be announced at a banquet on Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center starting at 7 p.m.
