Exceptional educators: Vestavia Hills City Schools honors teachers of the year

Nine Vestavia Hills City Schools teachers have been honored as representing the best at their respective campuses and named the 2022-23 “Teachers of the Year” throughout the district.

In addition, Amanda Jordan, a teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, was named the secondary teacher of the year, while Megan Humphries at Vestavia Hills Elementary West was named the elementary teacher of the year.

The other teachers of the year include:

Carmen Sullivan, Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights

Kellie Miller, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge

Meg Walker, Vestavia Hills Elementary East

Kalyn Randolph, Vestavia Hills Liberty Park

Amy Woodard, Liberty Park Middle School

Michaela Spence, Pizitz Middle School

Emily Hall, Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus

Amanda Jordan

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan noticed a creeping sense of burnout impacting her and her fellow teachers.

So, the Spanish teacher at VHHS decided to create ways for teachers to connect, both virtually and in-person, as the pandemic waned. Jordan began sending a simple email three days a week, one teaching a “word of the day,” another including a quote to improve morale and another with fun trivia.

It led to other opportunities, including book studies, shared lunch times, social gatherings and more.

Her concern and care for others is part of why Jordan was named not only the high school’s teacher of the year, but also the district’s secondary teacher of the year.

“It’s an honor,” Jordan said. “I am so blessed to teach at such an amazing school.”

Jordan grew up in Peru and in Spanish culture, and she knew she didn’t want to lose those Spanish skills. So, when she moved into education, she began teaching Spanish.

“I think it’s so valuable when you can communicate with somebody else in their own language,” Jordan said.

Students learn not just how to conjugate verbs but how to speak Spanish in real-life situations, listening to speeches and watching Spanish commercials.

Jordan said she’s glad to be in Vestavia, a school she called a “special place.”

“I love our spirit,” Jordan said. “I’m so proud of who we are.”

Megan Humphries

Working with “so many amazing teachers” at Vestavia Hills Elementary West, Humphries said she is “humbled” to be named the school’s teacher of the year, as well as the district’s elementary teacher of the year.

“I’m just completely honored,” Humphries said.

Humphries worked to create a co-taught classroom at West. She said it benefited students and teachers, allowing teachers to collaborate to improve their student’s education, bringing their skills together. It allowed students to receive much more individual instruction time, Humphries said.

“It’s really changed me as a teacher,” Humphries said.

After working as a student teacher at West, Humphries has now spent 10 years teaching at the school. Her favorite part of the job is her students, who she said are “funny, kind and thoughtful.”

“I try to create a classroom environment where students feel heard,” Humphries said.

Doing so creates a lot of engagement and makes her students excited to learn because “it matters to them.” Seeing her students overcome obstacles or a child expressing that he feels like part of a family make the job even sweeter, Humphries said.

Carmen Sullivan

Just before the winter break, district leaders popped into Sullivan’s room at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights and surprised her with flowers and balloons, congratulating her for being named the school’s teacher of the year.

“It feels wonderful to know that my peers think that of me,” Sullivan said. “With education, you give your heart and soul to something. You can’t shut it off when you care about these kids.”

Sullivan said as a high school student, she was an elementary assistant. Guided by great mentors, Sullivan eventually interned at her elementary school and then attended Auburn University.

Vestavia is the “best of the best,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said it means a lot to her to know she is making a difference in the lives of her students, and the Vestavia community has always helped her do that, meeting every need she has.

“It’s just exciting to see the support,” Sullivan said.

Kellie Miller

Miller is now in her 23rd year teaching and her fourth year at Dolly Ridge.

“I always knew I wanted to pursue something where children were involved,” Miller said.

Miller is a gifted specialist at the school and is the district’s lead gifted specialist. Being at Dolly Ridge has been the “best four years of my career,” Miller said.

“You see the love all the people have for our kids,” Miller said.

Gifted students often come with “quirky” tendencies and can struggle with anxiety, perfectionism and social isolation. Miller tries to help them think outside the box, to represent the community well and to grow emotionally and socially.

In an example of their abilities, Miller said her students made communication boards with push buttons for students with special needs.

“It was really heartfelt,” Miller said.

Miller said she plans to retire at some point from Dolly Ridge before moving to teach in another state.

“It’s just been a wonderful experience,” Miller said. “This has been the best blessing of my life.”

Kalyn Randolph

Randolph said while she may have been named teacher of the year at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, it is an award “we all take ownership of.”

“It is very surreal,” Randolph said. “It’s such an honor.”

Randolph transferred to UAB after she married, relocating to Birmingham in 2012. After interning at VHELP, she was hired in May 2015 and now teaches first grade across the hall from where she interned.

The school is a “phenomenal place” because of the people who encourage others, she said.

“Everyone is willing to listen and help you,” Randolph said.

Randolph said she focuses on having a relationship with her students.

“Without a relationship with my students, I’m never going to meet their educational needs,” Randolph said.

Connecting with her students outside of class allows her to further enrich both the students and herself, Randolph said.

“The connections … with families have been so meaningful to me,” Randolph said.

Meg Walker

Walker said it was “quite a shock” when she was named Vestavia

Hills Elementary East’s teacher of the year.

“Our school is just a super special place,” Walker said.

Vestavia is home for Walker, a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School. She always knew she wanted to come back and teach. She’s now in her 15th year at East.

She said she’s seen a lot of change over those years and learned it would take more than a love for children to grow a successful classroom.

“There’s more to the classroom than just the academics,” Walker said.

She’s spent time building relationships with families and still keeps up with students who have been in her class. She also became a mom during her time at East, with three children all coming through her school.

“It really softened my heart for all the ways children learn,” Walker said.

When the pandemic forced school to move to remote learning, Walker remembered crying for her students, mourning the loss of the school year.

“It taught me to not take the time we have for granted,” Walker said. “Walking into East is a gift I don’t take for granted at all.”

The Vestavia community is all about relationships, Walker said, always supporting the school,

which also sees many friendships formed.

“East is not a small place, but when you walk in it feels small because of the relationships that are formed there,” Walker said.

Michaela Spence

Spence has spent five of her six years in education at Pizitz Middle School. Being named the school’s teacher of the year is an “incredible honor,” she said.

Education is in Spence’s blood. Her mother made a career out of teaching, and Spence said she initially wanted to go in a different direction.

“I ran from education as hard as I could,” Spence said. “I wanted to be anything but [a teacher].”

But at Auburn, she found herself involved with student government leadership and teaching, and she felt the call to go into education. After spending one year at Auburn High School, her family moved to the Birmingham area and she landed at Pizitz.

She instantly felt at home.

“Pizitz does a really good job of empowering teachers to do things in their own classroom and have autonomy,” Spence said.

Being at Pizitz has allowed her to grow as a teacher and has allowed her to learn from her colleagues, Spence said.

Spence teaches science, including chemistry and some physics. She tries to ensure kids are having fun in class.

“If they aren’t enjoying it, they’re not going to learn,” Spence said.

Spence, who also serves as the head volleyball and girls’ basketball coach, said she wants to give her students “bumpers,” allowing them to make mistakes while still learning.

Amy Woodard

Being named teacher of the year at Liberty Park Middle School was a “big surprise” to Woodard, who is in her 15th year at LPMS.

“I teach with so many phenomenal teachers,” Woodard said.

Woodard teaches sixth grade English, born out of a love for literature.

“There are so many opportunities to talk about life and lessons, [and how to] apply them to their lives,” Woodard said.

Vestavia is a special place because of the students, she said.

“They genuinely want to learn,” Woodard said.

Woodard said she strives to give students choices, allowing them to shine and achieve the standards that are set.

She also said she makes sure her team of teachers knows each other and celebrates each other’s accomplishments.

“To be selected by people who are so great, who see similar things in me, is so humbling,” Woodard said.

Emily Hall

Hall said it has been a “huge honor” to be the freshman campus’s teacher of the year.

“No name that would’ve been called out would have surprised me except my own,” she said.

Hall served one year as a floater teacher at the high school before moving to the freshman campus three years ago

Hall said she knew she wanted to go into education when she helped a friend learn math. She loves the connection with students and being able to help them.

“I do anything and everything I can to make it fun,” Hall said.

Hall said she tries to teach students to be problem solvers and to work with others. While students might not remember geometry, they might remember how to problem solve, she said.

Working at the freshman campus has been a pleasure, she said.

“It is the best place that I’ve ever worked,” Hall said.

Hall praised the “culture of collaboration” at the school. She also said she enjoys helping freshmen find their “people” so they aren’t lost when they move to the main campus.