Georgia Colleges recently recognized nine teachers who are Exceptional Mentors to our Next Generation of Teachers

On Thursday, November 21, 2019, nine exceptional mentor teachers were recognized for their work in coaching future teachers. Each of Georgia’s nine P-20 Regional Collaboratives selected one mentor teacher who, in addition to fulfilling his/her primary obligation as an educator, has also served as a mentor to the upcoming generation of Georgia teachers. These mentor teachers model, instruct, encourage, and invest in the development of future teachers, and others have noticed their extraordinary work.  

During the biannual meeting of the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE), the selected individuals received the GACTE Mentor Award. The award is co-sponsored by the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL), and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). 

In addition to honoring these outstanding educators, the principals for each awardee was also recognized. The school-level principal is a key to successful partnerships with colleges of teacher education, and they, too, were recognized for their work. The contributions of the mentor teacher and the principal are truly noteworthy, as they play a critical role as collaborative partners in educator preparation.

The recipient of the GACTE Mentor Award for the Southwest P-20 Regional Collaborative was Mrs. Jenna Coffee, and her principal and assistant principal are respectively Mr. Clay Stanaland and Mr. Todd Creech. Mrs. Coffee was nominated for her work with Thomas University. 

Pictured below is Jenna Coffee and Susan Lynn, Chair of the Division of Education for Thomas University.