- February 7, 2025
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Each week the Port Orange Observer will highlight a teacher nominated for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year.
Atlantic High School staff nominated Media Specialist Kristine Smith for the honor. Smith is going into her fifth year at Atlantic.
Volusia County public school selected a Teacher of the Year in order to vie for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year. This year, 71 winners were chosen by their peers. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Jason Kester, who teaches culinary arts at Mainland High.
The 2019 district Teacher of the Year winner will be announced on Friday, Jan. 12, and will be nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: How do you feel to be nominated?
A: I am really honored that I was chosen by my staff. That's the biggest honor — the fact that the staff chose me, and it was a wonderful group for the selection, so it was a real privilege.
Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?
A: I have always felt a call to work with children and youth and every little thing that I have done, even through high school and graduation and college, has been doing something with teenagers and children and youth. It's always been something in that area, so just affecting children, being a part of their formation, seeing the difference that you make.
Q: What's the most rewarding part of teaching?
A: Working with students and teachers. I'm the school librarian so I have a little bit of a different situation. I support both my students and my teachers so I really get to affect the whole school and work with everybody on the school campus, and I love doing that.
Q: If you could tell students one thing, what would that be?
A: It is never too late to change what you're doing and to reach higher.
