The votes are in and the 2023 Teacher of the Year is….Mrs.Shivers! Mrs. Shivers has been teaching at Gateway for sixteen years, and she has loved every moment of it. Of course, teaching middle school students has its ups and downs, but that just makes Mrs. Shivers love teaching even more. 

Over the years, Mrs. Shivers has learned many different techniques, one of which is how to bond with students effectively. 

According to Mrs. Shivers, she, “Tries to be more human and more approachable and makes conversation, being kinder and aware that not every student is the same.”  

Some people say that working with children is difficult – but the students are what makes Mrs. Shivers love her job so much.  When she was in college, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. Luckily, she loved Social Studies and she loved interacting with children. Which resulted in her deciding on her career path of education. 

“Working with children gives you a different experience each day,” she says, “Some days you will have a boring day of testing, other days you will be up and moving – hearing the differing opinions of young minds.”

When it comes to being voted Teacher of the Year, it’s an experience that she never expected. However, it is an experience she is so thankful for. When describing the experience of winning Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Shivers used terms like “heartwarming” and “humbling”. It’s a great experience, having her peers come up and congratulate her for this achievement is a feeling like no other. 

Sometimes, teachers get so worked up in their jobs that they forget to take a moment to remember how amazing of a teacher they are. Winning Teacher of the Year, just re-ensures that great feeling of pride and accomplishments. 

Mrs. Shivers is a kind soul and she’ll be teaching and impacting students for years to come. Students of all grade levels love her and many just talk to her because of her kindness. It’s truly not a surprise that she won Teacher of the Year!