LCES First Grade Mentor, Marchelle Russell, was recently awarded with the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE) Georgia Outstanding Mentor Teacher Award for Southeast Region P-20. She received the award in October 2023.
The annual GACTE awards banquet took place in Peachtree City, GA, with several awardees and personnel attending the occasion.
"When I got the email, I was truly outdone, because I just couldn't believe that they chose me for this honor," Russell said.
Russell was recommended for the "Outstanding Mentor Award" by Dr. Montana Smithey, who was the previous supervisor of the Georgia Southern Paid Residency Program and submitted both the LCES mentors for award consideration.
Ultimately, Russell won the award, and her winnings included a plaque, trophy, and a check received at the award ceremony.
The different colleges who are a part of the GACTE organization have the opportunity to submit candidates for the Georgia Outstanding Mentor Teacher Awards. There are also different divisions in the GACTE for the Outstanding Mentor Award (e.g. South, North, Southeast, etc.). Russell was required to submit her education philosophy and resume for award consideration prior to receiving the honor.
"I didn't realize how 'huge' winning the award was until I attended the awards ceremony in Peachtree City," she said. "I got to sit on a panel with the other mentor winners and we shared our teaching experiences with the different college professors and deans who were in attendance. At the banquet, my husband and I had the pleasure of eating dinner with deans such as Clark Atlanta, Kennesaw State, and Georgia Southern, retired educators, and many other accomplished officials from around Georgia."
Russell's Background as an Educator
Russell has been an educator for 10 years and has taught in three different school systems during her career. Within those school systems, she has taught grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8. She started teaching in Baconton, GA, for 2 years, then Augusta, GA, for 3 years, then came back home to Statesboro for her most recent 5 years. She recently taught at LCMS and has been at LCES for 2 years.
Langston Chapel Elementary has had the Paid Residency Program active at the school for two years, and Russell has been a Mentor Teacher for each of those two years.
She currently operates as the Lead Mentor for Langston Chapel Elementary School, and Langston Chapel Middle School previously. For this program, she supervises new teachers new to the system or the profession. She checks in with them regularly to ensure that everything is running smoothly in their classrooms, while operating as a liaison between the administrators and interns to facilitate communication and resolve issues.
Why Teacher Mentorship Matters
Georgia Southern currently has a partnership with LCES for its Paid Residency Program. The program takes education students out of their college classes for their senior year and gives them the opportunity to run a full-time classroom as a paid resident intern. Interns are compensated and have all of the regular responsibilities of a standard teacher. The teacher mentor is also in the classroom with the intern to ensure they are doing the right thing in regards to teaching and running a classroom. Mentor teachers also assist the interns with teaching strategies, writing lesson plans, giving performance feedback, and navigating through being a teacher.
"In your first year of teaching, you would think that you would be fully prepared for the job; however, you cannot fully grasp the scope of a teacher's responsibilities until you get into the classroom and experience it first-hand," Russell shared.
The standard process for residents is that they come into the school in July for pre-planning and operate as a regular teacher. Then upon graduating in May, they gain the opportunity to receive a contract by the school system for employment as a teacher upon successful performance as an intern.
"Mentoring is not all about teaching. You have to ensure that these interns are okay mentally, emotionally, sociably, etc. Many of these interns are away from home, and some days you have to operate as a motherly figure instead of supervisor. We are not only mentoring them through their educational process, but also supporting their health and happiness as a developing teacher," Russell said.
Russell's Thanks and Acknowledgments
Russell has several thanks to give for her success as an educator thus far.
"I would like to thank our LCES Prinpical, Dr. Nate Pennington, for being so supportive of my journey and the journey of this mentorship program. I would like to thank Georgia Southern as well, because without them there would be no mentor program at our school."
"I would like to thank Dr. Karen Davis who was my mentor in Baconton, GA. She loved me like a mother, especially when I had a hard time adjusting to becoming an adult. During that time, Dr. Davis helped me write my lesson plans while also helping me navigate my personal life. Through her mentorship, I realized that I could be a great teacher and could make it in this profession. From her mentorship, I further realized that I would like to become a mentor myself. Everyday we are having teachers leave the profession because teachers are not feeling supported. And I feel like I could help do my part in trying to alleviate that issue. Mentorship is not solely about the teaching, but it’s more about the sentiment of 'you’re there for me.' That's why I love teaching and I feel like I am making a positive impact in my community."
Russell finally gives a heartfelt thanks and acknowledgment to her past and present mentees, in addition to her family.
"I would like to acknowledge my past and present mentees who have trusted me throughout this process, and finally, my family who continues to be a listening ear and supportive of all of my wild ideas and activities," she said.
About GACTE
The Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's mission statement is to promote the learning of all PK-12 students through high-quality, evidence-based preparation and continuing education for all school personnel.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.
For more information on GACTE, visit https://gacte.net/.