School names Teacher of the Year

Special education teacher Cindy Stanley had a nice surprise when she found out she was named the school’s Teacher of the Year.

“Mr. Shaw, Ms. Askew and the rest of the administration came in during my planning period with flowers and candy to surprise me with the news,” Stanley said.

Every school in Madison County nominates a teacher for the award with all nominees competing for the System’s teacher of the year. This is the first time that Stanley has been nominated.

“I feel humble, excited and overwhelmed to be recognized for doing something that I love,” Stanley said.

Stanley recently transitioned from the special education classroom to transition services, focusing on on getting students prepared for life after high school and the World of Work.

“While my position of transition is not new, it is undergoing a change. This allows me to really think outside the box and focus on being creative for the benefit for our students,” Stanley said. “ Seeing kids who might not be successful in the traditional academic setting become self-confident and really feel good about themselves.”

Principal Chris Shaw formed a committee to recognize a teacher that does the best for his/her students. He said that Stanley has a big heart for special needs students and she helps them learn life skills.

“Once a month she does a “one-dish dinner” and the kids help serve food to the community and she helps them prepare and serve the meals. Her kids learn different job skills that they can use in the real world,” Shaw said.

Shaw feels that Stanley is an asset to the school in many ways. She cares about the students and wants to give them their best shot at an education.

“Everything she does is in the best interest for her students. She prepares them for the real world and it’s something that you want from a teacher at Sparkman, and she possesses all those qualities,” Shaw said.