Well-known teacher and musician Dawn Barham of Columbus was among four K-12 educators honored for their service Dec. 5 at the annual Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers ceremony held at Mississippi University for Women. This year’s inductees also include Holly M. Bailey and Erin Hall, both of Tupelo, and Kristy Cornelius of Amory.
The recipients were judged on the basis of their educational leadership, contributions to curriculum and course development, professional activities, teaching philosophy and influence on students and other teachers and their involvement in extracurricular activities.
Barham teaches music at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. She has been teaching for 24 years and is a National Board Certified teacher. The educator has earned several awards and was recently named a 2013 National Grammy Music Educator Quarterfinalist.
Barham said, “This is an incredible honor.” The nomination process “really digs into your teaching, your pedagogy, your philosophy and your professional development activities, so it’s an honor that really resonates with me as a teacher,” she continued.
Students fuel Barham’s continued commitment to working with young people.
“I never wake up in the morning and dread coming to work,” she said. “I love to see students morphing into better-prepared citizens; I love to see the lightbulb going on.”
About inductees
Bailey has been a science teacher at Tupelo Middle School for 21 years and is a National Board certified teacher specializing in Early Adolescent Science. She was the recipient of the 2001 Teacher of Distinction Award in the Tupelo School District. She was also the national recipient of the Ciba Foundation Exemplary Middle Level and High School Science Teaching Award. Most recently, Bailey was the 2013 Mentor Teacher of the Year at The W.
Cornelius is in her 17th year of teaching. She is a third grade teacher at East Amory Elementary School.
“My desire is to help my students meet their fullest potential by providing a classroom environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas.
Now in her 22nd year of teaching, Hall is a third grade special education at Pierce Street Elementary in Tupelo.
Her philosophy of education is best described by a quote from Peter F. Druker; “Learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. The most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” Teaching is not what I do; it is who I am.
The Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers, which now includes 129 members, was established in 1991 to recognize educators for their excellence to teaching. To be eligible, teachers must have at least 15 years of teaching experience, including at least seven years of teaching in Mississippi schools.
(Editor’s note: This story contains information from the Mississippi University for Women Office of University Relations.)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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