By Devin Sherrill
Communications Director, Bryant School District
Jillian Martin, third Grade teacher at Collegeville Elementary, was selected from 11 of the Bryant[more] School District's most outstanding teachers to be 2013 District Teacher of the Year.
Martin is in her third year with Bryant Schools. Graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 2008, she continued her education by earning a Masters of Arts in Teaching the following year. Martin worked at Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville for one year, before moving to central Arkansas and joining the teaching staff at Collegeville Elementary.
“I believe it is my duty as an educator to provide children with the opportunity to learn the traditional disciplines as well as those disciplines needed to participate successfully in society,” she said. “More importantly, it is my role as a teacher to develop each student’s individuality.”
Martin comes from a family of educators, with both her mother and grandmother teaching. She said, “I chose elementary education as my field of study because I love working with young children. The passion and enthusiasm for learning displayed by young children is unparalleled. My desire as an elementary educator is to foster this love of learning, so that it continues to grow throughout their educational careers.”
The Bryant School District recognized the other Teacher of the Year nominees, selected from each individual school. They are:
Lisa Smith, Bryant Elementary School
Marla Smith, Davis Elementary School
Nancy Diane Robertson, Paron Elementary School
Kari Nichols, Hill Farm Elementary School
Denise Davis, Hurricane Creek Elementary School
Candice Richardson, Salem Elementary School
Tara Efird, Springhill Elementary School
Michelle Alverio, Bethel Middle School
Brenda Rodgers, Bryant Middle School
Lisa Stine, Bryant High School
