Woodland Educator Named Bartow Teacher Of The Year

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- The Bartow County School System has named Leslie Nix, a math teacher at Woodland High School, as its 2017-18 teacher of the year. The announcement was made Nov. 8 at the Bartow County College and Career Academy.

Leslie Nix, a veteran math teacher at Woodland High School, is an overwhelming student favorite, the school system previously told Patch. She builds authentic, lasting relationships with her students, often attending their extracurricular activities just because they asked her to. Nix does not ignore those additional, unwritten duties that come along with being an exceptional educator.

"We are mentors to those children who need guidance, protection and advice," Nix stated. "We are role models for those who do not have anyone to look up to. We are a sense of security for students after they make mistakes. We are encouragers to those giving into the frustration after repeated failure, and we are cheerleaders in those moments of success, no matter how small."

Nix's selflessness can be summed up with a quote from her husband, Kevin.

"After 9 p.m. she looks like a little bird in a nest of papers, notebooks, computers, scissors, glue sticks, construction paper, calculators, pencils, and pens," he said. "I don't just mean every once in a while. I do mean every single night of her life. Rarely does she go to bed before midnight."

Nix, along with Debra Prendergast of Pine Log Elementary and Heather Carter of Woodland Middle School, were all named finalists for the title.

Nix has been teaching for 23 year. She began her career at Coosa High School where she taught math from 1995 to 1996. She moved to the Cass Freshman Complex from 1996-97 where she also taught math. She also taught at Woodland High School from 1997 to 2007, served as a hospital home-bound teacher from 2007 to 2009 and returned to the traditional classroom setting to teach math at Woodland in 2009.

Images via Bartow County School System