Teaching a family tradition for Golden Apple winner

    West Lauderdale Elementary School kindergarten teacher Amy Ethridge's mother and father were teachers and her grandfather was a school principal.

    Although she comes from a family of educators Ethridge, the September Golden Apple Award Teacher of the Month, almost chose another career path.

    "Actually, I was going to be an interior designer," Ethridge said.

    After Ethridge's father, Andy Armstrong, a former history teacher at Newton, told his daughter he felt she would be an excellent teacher, she changed her mind and began working towards an education degree right out of high school. Going on her 22nd year as a teacher, Ethridge said she made the right choice.

    "I have no regrets at all," Ethridge said. "I think this is what God put me here to do. This is a calling and I've answered that calling."

    Tuesday morning, some students and staff gathered in the gymnasium at West Lauderdale Elementary School for what Ethridge thought was a school announcement. She suspected something was up as the visiting group of Golden Apple Award sponsors began to file into the gym, accompanied by a cameraman with The Meridian Family of Stations and a photographer from The Meridian Star.

    When members of Ethridge's family entered the gym, her suspicions were confirmed.

     "I was totally shocked," Ethridge said of learning that she had been selected for the award. "I was wondering who nominated me. I was wondering how long my co-teachers knew about it and didn't tell me and kept it a secret."

    Ethridge was presented with a Golden Apple Award trophy, a cash gift of $300 from Golden Apple partners in education, and $1,000 in school supplies from Avery Products and Golden Apple partners in education. She is also in the running for teacher of the year, which will be announced on May 28 and comes with a $2,500 prize and a $2,500 scholarship for a graduating senior of the winning teacher's choice.

    West Lauderdale Elementary School Principal Rosemary Harris said Ethridge is well deserving of the award.

     "She gives and gives and gives," Harris said. "She's here late at night. She's here on Saturdays. She leaves at 5 or 6 and goes home. And she comes back the next day and she says, 'Look what I found last night on the Internet. This would be wonderful for our teachers.' She truly gives all of herself."

    Ethridge, whose mother was an art teacher, spent the last three summers painting murals on the school walls. Four walls in the school's foyer feature Ethridge's art, as does another outside the library. One mural depicts scenes of Mississippi; another features silhouettes of children at play.

    "One of the first grade rooms did not have windows, so I painted an outside scene on their wall so they would not feel closed in," Ethridge said.

    While Ethridge describes her artwork as therapeutic, it is her students she is most passionate about. Many of her students have never been to pre-K or preschool and Ethridge is their first teacher. Many view her as a surrogate mother.

    "Not only do you have to teach them the ABCs and how to read and write, you have to wipe their noses and clean up the accidents," Ethridge said. "You have to love them when they are crying and missing momma. You have to always be there for them.

    "You have to come in here no matter what you are feeling like. No matter what happened at home that morning, you have to be your best for those children."

    Golden Apple Award Teachers of the Month are selected by a panel whose members review nomination letters. The names of the nominated teachers and the schools they teach at are blacked out so panel members do not know whom they are voting for.

    A parent of one of Ethridge's former students wrote in a nomination letter, "My memory box of his first year in school has a book that started on the first day of school and tracked his progress until the end with his various activities and writings throughout the year, including photos of his first and last day in her class. She created special awards for the children to teach them and make them want to excel, like the 'Flower box' that they got to nap in for excellent behavior. She would take the time to send me emails with photos of him in various activities so that I could know about his adventures and achievements in her classroom. As a working mother that was absolutely priceless to know that she cared for my sweet baby like her own."

    When asked about her teaching philosophy, Ethridge said she believes every child can learn and that the key is figuring out how to best teach that child.

    "I think it is very important for a teacher to get to know the child and to get to know their likes and dislikes and the things that make them learn the best," Ethridge said.

    She learned a lot about teaching from her parents, not only because they brought their work home but because she was a student in both their classes.

    "That's how I learned to teach the way I do," Ethridge said. "They always made it exciting for me. They always did extra things instead of just lecture. We always had projects we got to do. That was very inspiring to me."

    Armstrong said he is proud of his daughter and her accomplishments.

    "She is an an outstanding person, an outstanding teacher and a wonderful daughter," Armstrong said. "She comes from a long line of educators. Her granddad, Charlie Armstrong, my dad, was a principal at Meridian High School for many, many years."

    Harris described Ethridge as passionate, adding that, "You don't see passion a lot these days."

    The most rewarding part of her job, Ethridge said, is watching a child's face light up when he or she realizes they have learned something new. The most difficult comes at the end of the year as her students graduate out of her class.

    "It's very sad and emotional for me because I do grow so close to them," Ethridge said. "Last year I took some of my kids to my parents' farm in Newton and we had a campout one weekend. I had a few parents come and it was just wonderful. We were family."

     The Golden Apple Award is open to any educator, grades K through 12 who works in the following seven county area: Lauderdale, Neshoba, Kemper, Clark, Newton, Choctaw and Sumter.

    More details and an entry form are on meridianstar.com and wgbctv.com. Those interested in nominating a teacher should go to either of the websites, and click on the Golden Apple logo.