2024-25 May Teacher of the Month
The final Teacher for this school year is from Mrs. Penny Ballew, who comes from a long line of teachers in her family. She is from St. James Elementary School.
How long have you been a teacher? I have been a teacher for 34 years.
How long have you been at your current school and what grade do you teach? I have been at St. James Elementary for 19 years. I teach 3rd grade, my FAVORITE grade! I have taught second through 5th at St. James.
What led you into teaching and what continues to motivate you? I come from a long line of teachers. Both of my parents were teachers (elementary and college), my sister taught 3rd grade in the same school as I did, and my brother teaches college level students. I also have an uncle that was a teacher and a principal. So, I guess it’s in my blood.
The students are my motivation. I try to create a “family” within our classroom. I want my students to grow in both academics but also as 8-9 year olds. Learning life lessons. I have many students that stay in touch from my first year of teaching up through this year. I love my students and watching them grow.
What was your reaction to winning the award? I was EXTREMELY surprised and honored. I never expected anything like this. There are so many AMAZING teachers at my school!
What was the reaction of your class? My students literally were jumping up and down cheering, which I guess is fitting! They were getting dates to meet up at Sky Zone during the rest of the day.
Have you been to Sky Zone before? If so, what was your experience like? I have been to Sky Zone! I am not too old to enjoy jumping on the trampolines, although I can’t get very far on the rock wall. My grandkids enjoy watching me jumping into the green pit too!
What do you find most rewarding about being a teacher? I LOVE the connections I make with my students. I feel so proud of them when they learn everyone has some kind of struggles, either academically or personally, and persevere to overcome whatever comes their way. I can’t teach everything but I can teach them to believe in themselves.
Outside of the classroom, what are some of your interests? I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter and my 4 grandkids (all under the age of 8). I have a large family try to get together as often as possible. I enjoy the beach, going to the park, my dogs, and scrapbooking all of the memories I’ve made.