Two BPC grads named TOTY in local schools

MOUNT VERNON—Brewton-Parker College graduates Amanda Waters (’04) and Donna Lively were each chosen Teacher of the Year at their respective schools. Waters represents Reidsville Elementary School (RES), and Lively was selected Teacher of the Year at Collins Elementary School, where she has been employed for 14 years.

Reidsville Elementary School Teacher of the Year, a 2004 BPC graduate, works with one of her students. (Photo courtesy of Glennville Sentinel)

Waters received her bachelor’s in Early Childhood from BPC in 2004. She was employed as a paraprofessional at Glennville Elementary while working on her degree. In her sixth year of certified teaching, Waters has taught Kindergarten and first grade.

“We appreciate her willingness and flexibility over the years (in working in different grades and departments),” said RES Principal Tina Debevec. “Her greatest asset is probably her patience. She is great to be around.”

Waters enjoys the opportunity to help a child learn in a way that they can understand.

“I believe teaching is going above and beyond to reach those students who learn in different ways,” she said. “Taking the time to sit with them and talk them through a lesson or project, or using a hands-on learning approach, is important to help them learn and practice. Providing the students with the resources they need to learn at school and at home is one thing that I believe in. I want to be the teacher who tries in every possible way to help a child learn, or as I was told by my previous administrator, exhaust all my resources. Every day is something new and an opportunity to start fresh and teach to each child’s learning style. This is why I love being a teacher!”

Waters is married to her husband of 11 years, Wesley Waters, and they have two daughters: Ashlyn, 8, and Addison, 4.

Donna Lively, a BPC graduate, is in her element when teaching. She’s the Collins Elementary Teacher of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Glennville Sentinel)

Lively holds her bachelor’s from BPC, a masters from the University of Southern Mississippi and Education Specialist degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Noted for her ability to work with struggling students, she has taught first grade for two years. Before that, she was in second grade for seven years; fourth and fifth grade math workshop for one year; and, reading intervention for Kindergarten through third for four years. Prior to working at Collins Elementary, she was employed at Glennville Elementary where she worked four years in ESOL and one year in third grade. She also helps with afterschool tutoring and has taught summer school in the past.

“The staff at Collins Elementary/Middle School is a wonderful group of people,” said Lively. “They all help and support one another. I have also been blessed with a wonderful group of students.”

Lively’s parents are Donald and Sylvia See. She is married to Robert Lively Jr., and they have two children: Mikaila, 15, and Trey, 12. They reside in Collins.

Waters and Lively join three other BPC students who were also named teachers of the year. Suzanne “Suzy” Douglas was selected Worth County Primary Schools 2011 Teacher of the Year. Doug Logan (’03) of Carl Junction was named a finalist in the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, and Pam Williams (’91) of Baxley was named Georgia’s Teacher of the Year.

Dr. David W. Moffett, chair of BPC’s Division of Education, is thrilled to hear of former students’ outstanding achievements.

“Brewton-Parker College Teacher Education students are in a nationally accredited (NCATE) program that reflects contemporary and innovative teaching and learning practices,” said Dr. Moffett. “Professors in the program model how they want the future teachers to teach, by having them actively engaged in the learning and building on what each student already knows. They help the students connect what needs to be learned to what they already know. The programs are a good blend of theory and practice. The students are carefully placed in schools during their college experience so they gain a big picture view of teaching and its demands. We are extremely proud of each and every one of our graduates.”

Brewton-Parker College is the only accredited four-year Christian college in South Georgia.

(Portions of this article were reprinted from The Glennville Sentinel, Dec. 16, 2010.)

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