- 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.
Creekside Middle School Teacher Brandy Gibson, who facilitates the Individualized Education Plans for all of the Exceptional Education students at Creekside, was nominated for the honor. Gibson has been at Creekside since 2010.
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?
It is extremely humbling to be nominated by my fellow teachers as Teacher of the Year. At Creekside, I work with amazing teachers and for them to select me it brought me to tears.
Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?
I decided to become a teacher because of my brother. He had a learning disability while in school and watching him work with my mother for hours at home at night changed me. I wanted to be a teacher who would help children like my brother learn.
Q: What is the most challenging part of being a teacher?
The most challenging part of teaching is meeting all of the individual needs of each and every student in your classroom. Also, it is having to overcome all of the extraneous events that occur in students’ lives outside of school. Each child has a unique situation that affects their performance in school.
Q: What's the most rewarding part of teaching?
The most rewarding experiences in teaching is where you can see that children are learning. The moment that their eyes light up and you know that they have understanding.
Q: If you could tell students one thing, what would that be?
If I could tell students one thing it would be just hold on. Life is made up of many, many mountains and valleys. If their life is not what they want at this moment, hold on and make it what you want in the future.
