Russell, Valerie - Math
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Some might ask why I became a teacher. I became a teacher because of the impact I saw I had on students and their education, my need to serve my family and the community, and my desire to fulfill my purpose.
I realized I had an impact on students and their education in 1987. I lived in Marietta, Georgia at the time, raising three children with a husband attending Chiropractic College. There was a private school a few blocks away from our apartment. I desperately wanted my children to attend Cobb County Christian School (CCCS) but could not afford the tuition. After speaking with the principal, I was offered a janitorial position to offset the tuition. I was very excited about cleaning the classrooms after school and became the room mother during the day for my son’s kindergarten class. A few months later, I was called into the principal's office. The principal saw that I had a background in computer science and offered me a temporary teaching position in math to fill in for the teacher who resigned. He gave me the materials to study and prepare. I studied Pre-Algebra, Algebra I & II, and Geometry. Monday morning I was ready to teach. The students were very attentive as I reviewed and taught new concepts. As I read faces and looked into the eyes of students hungry for knowledge, I knew I was connecting and making an impact. After each class, the students thanked me. They did not know how thankful I was for them making me feel like I made a difference.
A math teacher was not found that year, so I was able to continue teaching. I still served as room mother, which led to fundraising, and the senior prom coordinator. After the first year, I received the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People volunteer award. I also began working at the Lemon Street Library after school, tutoring students in the community. I remained at CCCS for four years and then moved to DeKalb County, where I went back to school at Georgia Perimeter College. I could only take one class per semester during the school year and two to three courses in the summer. I worked in the math lab helping students who struggled in class.
I began to open my home to other children in the neighborhood who struggled with math. It was good for my children as well, because they enjoyed having friends over. Other parents were willing to get involved and students were getting tutored in math, science, and English. By the time I started teaching high school, having kids over on Saturdays was a normal occurrence. Math was not just a job, but a lifestyle, a passion, and something I loved.
Before my children went to school, I was a homemaker. I taught them how to read by age four. I taught fractions in the kitchen as they helped me cook, and geometry (lines and angles) as each one took turns sitting on my lap as I sewed. I prayed to God that He would show me what my purpose was, and I believe the desire to teach was always in me.
Awards and recognition are not received because you chase it, it is received because someone is recognizing something that you are passionate about. Throughout my years of teaching, my challenges have been finding ways to teach students who struggle with mathematics. My unorthodox way of teaching using cooking, sewing, construction, and quilting has led me to receive the 1990 Teacher of the Year award, the student engagement award, and a written article in the Odyssey Newspaper. Since then, I have also received Teacher of the Year at South Atlanta High School 2016-2017 and Henry County Teacher of the Year High School Finalist 2022-2023. I thank God for what I have been able to accomplish through great leadership, parental support, and amazing students.