KDP honorees were (left to right): Sharon Wilson, Janet Walker, Tammy Johnson, Kim Fisher, Phyllis Norman, Tena Stone, and Sarah Brown. Not pictured were: Andrea Rowe, and Naomi Sharpe. Click to enlarge.
photo by Lee University
The local chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for educators, awarded nine local teachers in its “Honor an Educator” ceremony at Lee University. The ceremony salutes the impact many educators have on their students, improving their future successes and life achievements.
The society honored Sarah Brown, Kim Fisher, Tammy Johnson, Phyllis Norman, Andrea Rowe, Naomi Sharpe, Tena Stone, Janet Walker and Sharon Wilson for their excellence in teaching.
Sarah Brown is a teacher and co-developer of the Lee University Developmental Inclusion Classroom which began as an after school program for autistic children.
Brown has been involved with the program for over six years and has facilitated the inclusion of several of her students into regular education classrooms. She holds a master’s degree in special education from Lee University and was recognized in Who’s Who Among American Universities and Colleges.
Kim Fisher currently serves as Principal of Black Fox Elementary School where she has been honored as Black Fox Elementary Teacher of the Year, Rotary Principal of the Year and East Tennessee Distinguished Administrator for 2004. She has spent 18 years in the education profession during which she has taught second grade, English Composition for Lee University and has been a part-time instructor for the Program for the Academically Talented at Bradley Central High. She is currently working towards her doctorate from Trevecca University.
Tammy Johnson has been the director of the Lee University Developmental Inclusion Program since 2001. Prior to that, she has served as Program Coordinator for Children with Autism, Coordinator of Special Education Services and a special education resource teacher for Bradley Central High School and a special education teacher for Benton Elementary and JOY School at First Presbyterian Church. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Lee College and her Masters of Education in Special Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is currently working to complete her doctorate in education in Special Education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
Phyllis Norman currently teaches science at Walker Valley High School and previously taught biology at Trewhitt Junior High School. She was awarded Trewhitt Junior High School Teacher of the Year in 1994 and 1995 and Bradley County System Level Teacher of the Year in 1994. She has also been featured in Who’s Who in Junior High School Teachers.
Andrea Rowe has spent 42 years in the education profession and is currently the principal of Mayfield Elementary School. She has been a classroom teacher for all grades and an assistant principal and principal of Sevierville Primary School. She was honored with the Knoxville News-Sentinel Apple for Teacher award and was a charter board member and founder of the Boys and Girls Club in Sevierville.
Naomi Sharpe has been teaching elementary school for 30 years and is currently teaching second grade at Yates Primary School. She has been honored as Cleveland City Schools Teacher of the Year in 1993. She has directed yearly plays and musicals with her students and has given receptions for returning military personnel.
Tena Stone is the Special Education Coordinator for Bradley County Schools and has also served as a primary and secondary special education teacher and a consultant for teacher training at UTC. In 1997, she was honored with the Governor’s Master Teacher Award and has been a presenter at the State Conference of Council for Exceptional Children. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from Tennessee Technological Institute.
Janet Walker is currently acting as the Special Education Service Coordinator for Cleveland City Schools. She has taught in both regular education classrooms and special education classrooms for 24 years. She was a Building Level Teacher of the Year in 1993. She has worked in the area of inclusion, training teachers and administrators to comply with the federal laws to include all children into the regular education program to the greatest extent possible.
Sharon Wilson is currently serving as a third grade teacher at Blue Springs Elementary School. She has spent 32 years in the teaching profession and was honored in 2005 and in 1985 as the Bradley County System Level Teacher of the Year. In 2000-2005 she was a Reading Renaissance Master Educator, in 2000 a Blue Springs Distinguished Classroom Teacher and was featured in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. She has mentored several teachers and student teachers over the years and has worked on science curriculum mapping for Bradley County.