Toney, AL - Mathematics
As a Presidential Awardee, I am humbled yet honored to be recognized as part of an elite group of educators. Not only is this award a great honor, but the process for applying was an avenue for me to explore my own educational growth while evaluating my effectiveness in the classroom. It is a great pleasure to know that my small contributions at the school where I teach have made such a positive difference in the lives of others.
In addition to her full classroom schedule, Mrs. James serves on the Madison County Mathematics Pacing Guide and Assessment Planning Team and helped developed guides for each grade level. She is also a member the Building Leadership Team, Technology Planning Committee, and Title I Planning Committee. In addition, she established a Math Resource Center and designed the school's Web site.
After one year at Madison Cross Roads Elementary School, Mrs. James enabled students to increase their scores on the SAT-10 by 23 percent. Both her ability to connect with students and her teaching talent are widely acknowledged. If students are struggling, she will find the best way to help them through their difficulties, model lessons that students need additional practice on, and enable them to solve their problems.
In 2006 Mrs. James was Alabama's teacher representative for the National Academies convocation "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" in Washington, DC. She was the 2007-2008 Madison County Teacher of the Year and the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year in 2002. Among the numerous grants she has won (totaling more than $30,000), she was the 2007 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recipient for Emerging Teacher Leaders in Elementary Mathematics.
Mrs. James has a B.S. and an M.A. in elementary education from the University of Alabama. She is certified in elementary education and as a teacher for AMSTI.
