Clifton Ridge Middle School teacher Charm Mapp recently received the Mentor Teacher Award for the Middle Georgia P-20 Collaborative. This award was initiated by the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and is co-sponsored by the Georgia Association of Educators, Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators to honor those outstanding educators who, in addition to fulfilling their first obligation as educators, also serve as mentors to the upcoming generation of Georgia teachers by modeling, coaching, instructing, and investing in their development at the highest possible levels.
This award was given as a token of appreciation for her willingness to exercise her exceptional capacity as a mentor.
The ceremony was held Nov. 14, in conjunction with the GACTE Fall Conference at the Embassy Suites Buckhead in Atlanta. Mapp and eight other mentor teachers across the state were celebrated by P-20 education colleagues for their efforts, as well as honored for the enduring impression they have made on those preparing to serve as Georgia teachers and school leaders.
Educators in attendance to support Mapp were Jones County Superintendent, Charles Lundy, Georgia College and State University College of Education Interim Dean, Dr. Joanne Previts, and Georgia College and State University Department Chair of Teacher Education, Dr. Stacie Pettit.
During the ceremony, words of support were shared from Clifton Ridge’s principal, Dr. Stacy Carr.
“Mrs. Mapp’s innovative teaching methods, coupled with her ability to inspire and engage students, set a remarkable example for her colleagues and entire school community. It is clear that she has a profound impact on the lives of her students, and her work has significantly contributed to the high standards we uphold at our school,” Carr said.
Clifton Ridge’s instructional coach, Dr. Stephanie Leggett echoed those sentiments. “Mentees are increasingly motivated as a result of being with her. Mentees often remain in contact with Mrs. Mapp due to her positive impact upon their lives and career.”
Before the ceremony, Mapp helped to support the work of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in their initiative to identify and remedy issues with teacher recruitment in the state of Georgia. She served as a facilitator during a Teacher Pipeline Recruiting Roundtable session entitled “Generating Lift… Identifying Necessary Angles.”
Mapp also shared her thoughts and advice about mentorship in an inspirational video that will be shared with College of Education administrators to recruit future mentor teachers. “Never lose sight of your own teaching and learning journey. You continue to grow and learn so you can instill that mindset in your own students that we never stop growing,” the teacher said. Mapp is a 22-year veteran teacher who has taught math at Clifton Ridge for her entire career. She now teaches eighth-grade math and enhanced algebra while also serving as the school’s gifted lead teacher. In addition to mentoring 18 student teachers during her career, she also teaches a pre-education course at Georgia College & State University.
