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The district wide teacher of the year will be chosen from the six candidates at the March 31 school board meeting.
The White County School System will announce its 2021-2022 systemwide teacher of the year at its meeting on Thursday, March 31.
Candidates for the honor were named teachers of the year for their respective schools: Jennifer Johnson (Mt. Yonah Elementary School), Anne Kukurugya (Tesnatee Gap Elementary School), Deticia Oosthuizen (Mossy Creek Elementary School), Elizabeth Davison (White County Middle School), Jessica Scroggs (Jack P. Nix Elementary School) and Darrell Dorsey (White County High School).
The White County News recently spoke to these teachers for the following profiles.
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Jennifer Johnson – Mt. Yonah Elementary School
Jennifer Johnson always knew she wanted to be a teacher.
“I always loved learning and helping others learn. Most importantly, I wanted the children that entered my classroom to know that their place in this world matters.” she said. “I wanted all children to feel safe to make mistakes and grow when learning the state standards. I became a teacher because I wanted to use my voice to ensure children know that they are seen, they are heard and that they are valued. When children feel these things, they come to school ready to learn and face any academic challenge.”
Johnson is currently a fourth-grade teacher and has taught at MYES for nine of her 15 years of experience. Johnson is a special education and general education certified teacher.
When Johnson found out she was selected for the school’s teacher of the year, she felt deeply honored. “[White County School System] has some of the most amazing teachers on the planet and for them to believe that I represent what they value in teaching is an incredible experience,” she said.
Johnson finds that getting her students involved and incorporating their personal interests keeps them motivated to learn.
“ Students love to be involved with what they are learning. Finding ways to teach the state standards in a manner that engages the unique interests of my students has shown to be a great way to keep them motivated in their learning. The students love room transformations and project based learning,” she said.
This year, when teaching “Reading for Information” standards, she transformed the classroom into DisneyWorld. This got the students engaged during the unit.
Johnson says her favorite part of teaching is, “seeing the light in a child when they exceed at something that was difficult for them. Watching the class learn, grow and love one another like a classroom family is a daily reward.”
Johnson is originally from South Florida, but she moved up to Georgia when she was 12. She graduated from Stockbridge County High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Georgia State University and is perusing her master’s degree in special education general curriculum with the University of West Georgia.
Anne Kukurugya – Tesnatee Gap Elementary School
Tesnatee Gap Elementary School media specialist Anne Kukurugya has wanted to be a teacher since childhood.
“I used to play school all the time even before I started school myself so it’s always been a dream of mine” she said.
Kukurugya has been teaching for 25 years, including three and a half years are her current school. She is a media specialist now, but she has had experience in the classroom and also was an elementary school counselor.
Kukurugya says she was extremely surprised and honored to be chosen as teacher of the year by her co-workers. She says to keep her students motivated she makes the media center a welcoming place. “Greeting them with a smile every time they come into the media center as well as creating an inviting and comfortable environment for them to be in,” said Kukurugya.
Kukurugya said her favorite thing about teaching is, “being creative, making learning fun and watching the students grow academically.”
She also said the biggest challenge she has faced is keeping a normal school environment during the pandemic.
Kukurugya was born in Binghamton, New York. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education as well as her masters’s degree in school counseling from Wilmington University in New Castle, Delaware.
Deticia Oosthuizen – Mossy Creek Elementary School
Deticia Oosthuizen is a second-grade teacher at Mossy Creek Elementary School. She says she became a teacher to make a difference in the lives of children. Oosthuizen has been teaching for 16 years, with 13 of those at MCES.
Oosthuizen couldn’t believe she was selected to be teacher of the year. She said she felt “shock and then honor.”
“Everyone I work with is amazing. I honestly am still speechless. It is such an honor to have your peers see you as this title.”
Oosthuizen tries to engage her students with real-world examples in her teaching to keep them motivated.
“I believe students must have ownership in their education. If they don’t believe in what they are learning, my mission is lost. I want them to feel ownership in everything: their classroom, their lessons, and their future,” she said. “I try to relate as many lessons as possible to real-world examples. I want them to think outside the box.”
Oosthuizen said the hardest challenge she has faced in the past year is meeting the needs of all of her students.
“Teachers don’t only teach standards. We teach life skills, such as teamwork and communications skills, compassion, empathy, kindness, honesty and the list goes on,” she said. “During the past few years, students have faced many obstacles, as have teachers. Many of these needs have been almost impossible to meet, but we have learned to adapt to situations and go with the flow. My motto is to make the best out of what you have. That isn’t always easy. Some days it is the students reminding me of our mission and other days it is me reminding them. It is all about perspective. I am a firm believer in positive thinking.”
Oosthuizen says that her favorite part of teaching is the students, and she thanks her family for supporting her.
“I am able to go to work each day and do my very best because I have a wonderful support system at home also. My husband, Hannes, and my children, McCall and Jackson, support me and encourage me. They help me to be the very best I can be,” she said.
Oosthuizen is from White County. She attended Bauder College and obtained a fashion merchandising degree. She then attended University of North Georgia and obtained a BBA in management and later a master’s degree in early childhood education. She also obtained a specialist degree in curriculum and instruction and leadership degree from Piedmont College.
Elizabeth Davison – White County Middle School
Elizabeth Davison is an English Language Arts teacher at White County Middle School. She focuses on students with learning disabilities in small groups and in the classroom with another teacher.
Davison comes from a family full of teachers and decided to follow in their footsteps.
“I am from a family of teachers and staff who worked in schools,” she said. “My dad was an art teacher at a Quaker school, and my mother taught in many public elementary schools, including the Zuni Reservation. My grandmother was the head of school nutrition at North Penn High School. My aunt and my cousin were also both teachers. Many amazing teachers at my high school supported my goals and encouraged me to pursue my goals, with many warnings about the challenges that I may encounter.”
Davison said when she found out she was teacher of the year, “I was pleased, surprised, and eager to get an opportunity to brag about my students.” Davison has been teaching for 22 years, sharing five of those years at WCMS.
Davison explained that keeping students motivated can be difficult, but she stays positive and uses communication.
“Motivation is an ongoing challenge, because the academic expectations are rigorous. We complete a variety of activities to continually practice skills and reinforce previously learned concepts. Sometimes, we celebrate incremental gains, instead of struggling to reach a currently unattainable standard,” she said. “My students and I have an amazing relationship, even though the content is challenging. My students support each other, whether someone is struggling with academics or are dealing with anxiety. We also communicate a lot of good news to their parents and guardians. I love having the students share the news themselves.
“There is a lot of paperwork in special education, but I do my best to say organized, complete tasks well before my deadlines and help others with their responsibilities,” Davison said. “My job is a lot easier because I work with an amazing team of teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators.”
Davison says the part she enjoys most about being a teacher is working with young people.
“They challenge me to bring my very best to the classroom, and I am constantly learning something new,” she said.
Davison moved to Georgia from Pennsylvania in 2008. She spent nine years teaching in Gwinnett County, and she is now happy to be a White County resident. She earned her bachelor of science in education from Kutztown University. She also completed courses at Wilkes University to earn her master of science in education. Davison’s first class of students is graduating this year, and she wishes them luck on their journey.
Jessica Scroggs – Jack P. Nix Elementary School
Jessica Scroggs is an interventionist at Jack P. Nix Elementary School, where she teaches response to intervention (RIT) classes to students in grades k-5. Scroggs says she wanted to become a teacher to make a positive impact in the lives of students. “
I am thankful for so many teachers that have mentored me throughout the years, and I hope to be a positive influence for the students I teach,” she said.
When Scroggs found out she was a candidate for teacher of the year she said, “I was very shocked and humbled. It is an honor to be chosen teacher of the year to represent JPN.”
Scroggs has been at the school for all six years in her teaching career. She said she wants to be relatable to keep her students motivated.
“I feel like things need to be relatable. It is also important that they know my classroom is a safe space for them to learn,” she said.
Scroggs changed roles recently, from teaching third grade to becoming an interventionist.
“It has been challenging learning new programs and figuring out how to implement them into an intervention class versus a homeroom class,” she said.
Scroggs said forming connections with her students and seeing them reach their goals is her favorite part of teaching. She also wanted to thank everyone who supports her to make her work possible.
“I could not do what I do without their support. My parents, Rebecca and Lloyd Grizzle, have always believed in me and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I have been with my wonderful husband, Jake Scroggs, for the past 10 years. He has been my personal cheerleader through college and my education career. He always believes in me and helps push me to my potential,” she said.
Scroggs is from Gainesville, but she moved to White County in 2000. She graduated from White County High School in 2012. She graduated from the University of North Georgia in 2016, with a bachelor’s in early childhood and special education, along with a reading endorsement.
Darrel Dorsey – White County High School
Darrel Dorsey is a physical education and health teacher at White County High School. He says he became a teacher to change the lives of his students.
Dorsey was born and raised in White County and graduated from WCHS in 1982. He went on to earn an undergraduate degree in education from the University of Georgia in 1994 and he gained his master’s in instructional leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2010.
Dorsey said when he found out he was nominated for teacher of the year, he felt disbelief. He has been teaching for 25 years, and he has spent 22 of those years at WCHS.
Dorsey says his favorite thing about being a teacher is seeing his students excel and become productive citizens. He tries to keep his curriculum interesting and relevant to keep his students motivated to learn.