Golden Apple Award: Whitney Whitaker, Brown Middle School
HARRISON, TN (WDEF) – Sometimes a funny song can be just the thing put a child’s mind at ease and get them ready to learn. Boundless creativity is just one of the qualities that makes Whitney Whitaker a wonderful teacher. She also keeps the lines of communication open with parents, just a case a student needs little extra attention.
Karyn Cox is the Principal at Brown Middle School.
She says, “Ms. Whitaker is the kind of teacher that every principal hopes they hire. She can make connections with students that are not just for the moment but are lasting connections. And she can teach her subjects in a way that sparks an interest in students.
When asked to describe herself, Ms. Whitaker says, “Whitney Whitaker is a teacher at Brown middle school who pours love into her kids every single day. She comes in every day with a fresh start. She makes sure the kids can come in every day with a fresh start and encourages them to be their best. I did not start school to be a teacher, but sometimes God tells you to go a different direction, and you have to be obedient.”
Lincoln Marquardt is a 7th grader at Brown Middle.
He says, “Ms. Whitaker is just a amazing teacher overall. She is definitely one of my favorites I’ve ever had. It has been hard for me to make friends and like teachers, because I wasn’t here originally. She has just made it so easy for me to adjust and learn new things.”
7th grader Devaughn Barney agrees, “Her enthusiasm and very much determination to make us pass school is just like beautiful, in my eyes. So, that is really one reason, and another reason, is that she is just the best.
7th grader Lille Fowler chips in, “I really love Miss Whitaker because you can tell that you know she cares for you and a lot of teachers you don’t really tell that. And she checks up on you instead of just like teaching you things.”
Ms. Whitaker concludes, “I had a lot of really great teachers growing up that helped me navigate through school; you know the difficulties of growing up, anyways. I say this all the time, ‘I want to be the kids inner voice in a positive manner.’ I want them to hear me in their head saying, ‘Is that your smartest decision, is that really going to help you be your best self?’ I want to be that for them. It truly takes a village, and I have the best village here at Brown middle school. I want them to have anything that their hearts desire, and I want to show them the way to get that.”
