Educator Named Central Learning Community Teacher Of The Year

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Second-grade teacher Jessica Foster was thrilled to learned she had been chosen as Dunwoody Springs Elementary School's 2017 Teacher of the Year.

So imagine the surprise when Foster, who wanted to become a teacher since she was five years old, was told she was named Fulton County School's Central Learning Community Teacher of the Year.

Foster was among 19 nominees in the running for the Central Learning Community Teacher of the Year award. Those contenders were named teachers of the year at their respective institutions.

The honor wasn't a surprise to Dunwoody Springs Principal Ivy Goggins, Foster's fellow teachers and parents at the school where she also serves as a model teacher and member of its Governance Council.

“She is awesome,” Goggins said. “I don’t think she knows and truly believes what a rock star she is. After our school-wide assembly when we surprised Jessica with the announcement, her husband shared with me ‘that maybe now she’ll believe she’s as great as you think she is'."

Richard Miller, a parent who serves as vice chair on the school's Governance Council, added Foster's humility is another reason why she is so well liked and respected. He also said his son notes Foster is "so nice and among his all-time favorite teachers."

“I’ve had the experience of having really great teachers, but my favorite - my kindergarten teacher - made me love teaching and from that moment on, I wanted to be a teacher,” Foster said. “I thought I wanted to be a high school math teacher because I love math, but after observing a high school class, I realized that’s not what I wanted to do; the younger kids grabbed on my heart. I wanted a more personal relationship with the same small group of children all day long.”

So, while in college, she changed her major to pursue a degree in early childhood education at Georgia State University. Her interview with Goggins was her first and she admits to crying with happiness when she received a call two hours later from the principal offering her a job. Foster has spent her entire career at Dunwoody Springs, teaching third grade for the first four years and eventually moving to the second grade level.

She is both certified in gifted and English Speakers of Other Language education, and has had “the whole spectrum” of students in her classroom, from children with special needs to advanced math students.

According to Foster, the most important part of her day is the morning meeting.

“It’s so crucial," she said. "Everyone greets each other every morning. We make eye contact and shake hands- sometimes we have a secret handshake. The children share how they are feeling. The whole meeting takes 20 minutes but it is so valuable (that) the kids know we are a family.”

While Dunwoody Springs works on developing students' academic skills, its teachers and staff are also focused on the "emotional component of our students’ lives," Foster added.

She also said her career has allowed her to learn a lot about herself and her students. All students are unique and for educators to be successful, they have to be open to change and learning, she added.

Foster was "hitting it out of the park" everyday, which propelled Goggins to implement the Model Teacher program at the school, the principal said. Educators on the Model Teacher Committee visit classrooms and encourage their peers when they are doing something well or help out when things could be done differently.

“As teachers we’ve become much more collaborative,” Foster said. "In the end, you understand it’s not about you. It's about the kids."

Photo: Jessica Foster (center), Dunwoody Springs Elementary School's 2017 Teacher of the Year, stands with parent Richard Miller (left), and Principal Ivy Goggins. Credit: Dunwoody Springs Elementary School