Mrs. Meg Smith has been selected as the Region V Teacher of the Year. Interim Superintendent Dr. Massie made the announcement during a surprise assembly in mid September. Mrs. Smith was presented with a letter of recognition from Governor Robert F. McDonnell as well as a congratulatory letter and certificate from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Patricia Wright.
Region V consists of 20 school divisions. Each division selected a teacher to represent them in the regional competition. Mrs. Smith will now compete on the state level against 7 other Regional Teachers of the Year. "I'm looking forward to letting people know what an absolute gem we have in this school system. I love these kids, these are hard working, wonderful kids," said Smith as she accepted her award. The 2012 Virginia Teacher of the Year will be named at a banquet to be held at the Holiday Inn Kroger Center, Richmond, Virginia, on Friday, October 14. “These educators exemplify what is best in Virginia’s public school teachers,” said Wright. “Each day they motivate, challenge and encourage their students to excel, and, in doing so effect academic success in the classroom. It was in May that Mrs. Smith learned she was the Lynchburg City Schools Teacher of the Year.
Mrs. Smith uses a variety of teaching styles to ensure that she reaches every student. In his recommendation letter, Dunbar Principal Brian Wray said Mrs. Smith “establishes a warm classroom climate and yet is able to be firm when appropriate. She is an excellent example of the ‘warm demander’ standard we have at Dunbar.”
Mrs. Smith says her key to success is simple - create active learners, keep parents engaged and continue to improve as a professional. She says she leads by example and, as a result, “the specific knowledge and skills the students have learned are often equaled by the student’s growing commitment to success, a commitment we hope will continue throughout their lives.”