Basic HTML Version
Campus Review
July 7, 2014
Page 20
"Most teachers do not go into the profes-
sion because of the tangible rewards of
money or fame. We love teaching and we
love watching our students grow and
achieve. A thank you note from a parent or
an email from a former student has
worked the magic of keeping many good
teachers going for years,” says Dr. Ruth
Caillouet, chair of the Clayton State
Department of Teacher Education and
professor of English Education. “But, we
are very thankful to be able to be a part of
this amazing opportunity. The Teacher
Excellence Recognition Initiative will
reward Clayton County Public School
high school teachers for the truly excel-
lent work they do in the classroom every
day."
The selection criteria for the TERI awards
speaks volumes towards the excellence of
the winners, “Nominees should demon-
strate best practices in teaching and will
have made a significant contribution to
their school and their profession above
and beyond the fulfillment of their normal
academic responsibilities. The contribu-
tion may be in the areas of teaching, serv-
ice, academic leadership, creative activity
and/or scholarly attainment. In addition to
possessing an exemplary record of
accomplishment and recognition at the
institutional or national level, the nominee
is expected to have demonstrated the
highest standards of good character, aca-
demic integrity and institutional leader-
ship. Each nominated teacher should also
exhibit strong leadership skills or provide
outstanding community service.”
Cox, a Latin teacher and chair of the
World Language Department at Jonesboro
High School, is no stranger to Clayton
State. After earning her English degree at
the University of Georgia, she became
Clayton State’s very first masters gradu-
ate, earning her Masters of Arts in Liberal
Studies (MALS) on Dec. 11, 2008.
While earning a MALS degree and the
TERI award from Clayton State are sig-
nificant honors, they do not represent
Cox’ only notable achievements. Along
with her husband and fellow Jonesboro
High School teacher Andrew Cox, she is
also the most accomplished Mock Trial
coach in the state of Georgia, leading the
Jonesboro Mock Trial Team to four State
Championships and two National
Championships over the years. She is also
a former (2007) Clayton County Teacher
of the Year.
In her Latin classrooms, Cox is known for
not just teaching the language, but also the
culture of the ancient world from an his-
torical perspective. Her teaching uses
Total Physical Response Story method
wherein students learn words and phrases
and class is never about book work but
empowering students by creating knowl-
edge.
Henley, who teaches 10th, 11th and 12th
grade Social Studies at Morrow High
School, bases her teaching methods and
philosophies around the ideas of Howard
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, mean-
ing that she believes that people learn in
various ways. She was introduced to the
idea of Multiple Intelligences while earn-
ing her Master of Education at Georgia
State University in 1997 and, almost 20
years later, it is still the basis for her
teaching, since she feels it results in more
student engagement.
Henley’s teaching methods have served
her well; her students have had some of
the highest Advanced Placement scores in
Clayton County, including her favorites,
United States History and Government
and Politics: United States.
The coordinator of the Governor’s Honors
Program (GHP) at Morrow High School,
wherein 14 Morrow students have attended
GHP over the past nine years, Henley was
also chosen earlier this year as the
Daughters of theAmerican Revolution U.S.
History Teacher of the Year for Georgia.
TERI donor Jack Hancock has more than
30 years of experience in governmental
and corporate liability. He is a successful
and accomplished trial and appellate
lawyer who received his B.B.A. and his
J.D. from the University of Georgia. He
has also served as a member of the Board
of Directors of the Clayton County
Chamber of Commerce, serving as legal
counsel and chair, and served on the
Board of Directors of the Regional
Business Coalition.
Nominations for the TERI awards may
come from the teachers themselves, a
peer, a principal, or a Clayton State
University faculty member. The award
application includes a letter of nomination
with a detailed description of outstanding,
innovative, and engaging classroom or
school-wide practices that positively
influence student performance, submitted
to the school principal where the teacher
is employed. Each high school principal
reviews the nominations from his/her
school and submits no more than one
nomination to the Clayton State
University Office of the Provost. A
Clayton State selection committee chosen
by the Provost evaluates all nominations
and then selects two teachers from the 10
nominations for the award.
TERI, cont’d., from p. 1