The Columbia County School District is gearing up to announce the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year on October 3, and five educators have been nominated for the title.
Each school in the district was able to select a representative, who was then able to complete an application based on the Georgia State Teacher of the Year competition. A panel of educators judge these applications and select the top five finalists.
Columbia County’s Teacher of the Year will be in the running for Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Kynisha Okonkwo, Harlem Middle School
Kynisha Okonkwo is an eighth grade physical science teacher at Harlem Middle School, where her students affectionately call her “Ms. O.”
Okonkwo holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Albany State University, a master of education degree in science education from the University of Georgia and an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Albany State University.
Okonkwo said she tries to be responsive to students by asking them about their interests and catching up with them after weekends.
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“One thing that I pride myself on is making observations,” she said. “I like to sit there and listen to the things [my students] say…it’s a process…the reason why I do that is because I’m trying to build trust…that’s always my goal.”
Okonkwo believes that building relationships with students this way is one of the keys to academic success.
The middle school teacher keeps a wall of handwritten letters on her classroom wall, all given to her by past and present students.
“To me that’s all teaching is about,” she said.
Okonkwo said that if she were not a teacher, she’d like to be doing something to serve others.
“Maybe like a counselor, or like, a psychologist of some sort. That’s my love language, to serve.”
Tawana Odom, Harlem High School
Tawana Odom teaches ninth grade ELA, multicultural literature and creative writing. She is a certified teacher with a bachelor’s degree from Paine College in English and master’s degree in English education from the University of Georgia.
Odom, who is also currently Harlem High’s Teacher of the Year, said she is passionate about giving students the tools they need to communicate effectively across all mediums.
Odom said that she tries to make her lessons engaging because it can be hard for students to sit through seven periods a day absorbing a near constant stream of information.
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“I try to create lessons that I would enjoy as a student… I try to get them up, moving,” she said.
She is also a champion for facilitating critical thinking.
“A lot of times, students want to know what the right answer is, and I try to guide them toward trusting themselves, and trusting that they can think through things, and that there’s not always just one answer,” she said. “I try to give them the opportunity to figure things out and also to make some connections.”
Odom said that she finds inspiration in her seven grandchildren.
“I want to create a legacy for them, and to actually show them that they are capable of doing things, great things possibly.”
She added that she has always wanted to be a teacher, even in her childhood. However, she was often discouraged from pursuing the profession, which is infamously considered a low-paying job. This didn’t stop Odom.
“To be a teacher is a great honor…to me, there’s no better, and there’s no more honorable job than to help mold and guide the future generation,” she said.
Tabitha Purvis, Euchee Creek Elementary School
Fifth grade math and science teacher Tabitha Purvis is a four-time graduate of Augusta University where she obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood, a specialist degree in teaching and learning and a second specialist in educational leadership.
Purvis said she regularly learns something new while in the classroom.
“I just like learning…when I can get these kids to love learning, that’s what fuels me, because I want them to leave me wanting to just discover everything under the sun,” she said.
Purvis also believes in making the most out of each day at school.
“These kids are either going to come in and have an OK day or these kids are going to come in and have a great day,” she said. “My goal is to make sure that not only are they learning, but at the end of the day, they feel smarter, they are more confident with their own abilities,” she said.
Purvis said that being named teacher of the year would be exciting for her.
“It’s an honor to have any kind of recognition,” she said.
The elementary teacher is passionate about traveling, especially to places she’s going to teach her students about.
“I want to travel, I want to go to all these different places,” she said.
She noted that the most interesting place she’s visited so far is Williamsburg, Va., because of its rich history. The most beautiful place, she said, has been Glacier National Park in Montana.
Debra Hunter-Green, Martinez Elementary School
At Martinez Elementary School, second grade teacher Hunter-Green has a Bachelor of Arts in history from Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, a Master of Arts in teaching in elementary education and an education specialist degree in advanced educational studies from Augusta University.
Hunter-Green likes to focus on making sure every one of her students gets what they need from her instruction.
“It’s really important to push the ones that are ready to be pushed, and then provide support for the ones that still need a little more support,” she said.
She said the most rewarding part of her job is watching students thrive in the classroom: “I just love seeing how happy they are to be in school, how happy they are to learn and accomplish things.”
Hunter-Green said that one of her favorite activities while at home is playing video games with her children, calling herself “a big kid at heart.”
Her favorite video games, she said, are Mario Kart and Just Dance.
Rebecca Blumenthal, Martinez Elementary School
Blumenthal is the behavior specialist and Title I Coordinator at Martinez Elementary, but is serving as South Columbia Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching and learning from Georgia Southern University.
South Columbia Elementary, Blumenthal’s previous school, was closed in the Spring.
She said that being named Teacher of the Year for Martinez Elementary “would mean the world to our South Columbia Community.”
“I enjoy teaching because everyday you get to make a difference in students’ lives,” said Blumenthal. “I remember the past, those teachers that impacted my life, and I hope one day somebody can look back and say I was one of them.”
Outside of the classroom, Blumenthal spends much of her free time going to travel baseball games for her ten and twelve-year-old sons.
In the classroom, Blumenthal tries to foster a close-knit bond between her and her students.
“To form lasting connections with my students, I really get to know the students and their families,” she said. “Getting to know the students’ likes and dislikes, knowing when they’re having bad days or good days, [that] all helps foster the family environment in the classroom.”
