Whitlock, Parker named Teachers of the Year

A committee of teachers, administrators, and community members selected Faith Whitlock as Homewood’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and Marta Parker as Homewood’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. Teachers of the Year were first named for each school in the Homewood system.

Hall-Kent Elementary School: Faith Whitlock

Whitlock has been teaching for nine years and has been teaching second grade at Hall-Kent since 2011. She has participated in the Project CRISS Training, served as a supervising teacher for a student teacher and traveled to the state ASCD Conference. She has shared her expertise with teachers at district-level professional development and constantly works collaboratively with other teachers.

 “Faith works diligently to use data to meet individual needs of students and designs innovate lessons centered on best practice and research,” Principal Abbie Freeman said. “She sets high expectations for her students and supports and encourages her students to reach lofty goals. She is wonderful with children and has earned the respect of her students with her fair, firm and friendly attitude. She continuously looks for ways to make learning exciting and meaningful for her students in order to enrich their second grade year and their life.”

Edgewood Elementary School: Kesha Bowens

Bowens has been with Homewood City Schools for seven years. She taught second grade at Edgewood for six years, and she is currently serving as the reading specialist. She has served as a host for the Reading Coach Round Table for Jefferson County Over the Mountain Area Reading Specialists, spoke on “What Teachers Do” at Huntingdon College’s “Yes! You Can Teach!” Conference and is a member of the University of Montevallo Regional In-Service Governing Board.

 “Kesha creates a learning environment that encourages students to read, wonder, collaborate, self-direct and make learning connections,” Principal Patricia Simpson said. “She is capable of addressing spirited students with a calming glance while maintaining an engaging instructional experience for students.”

Shades Cahaba Elementary School: Betsy Crimi

Crimi has been teaching first grade at Shades Cahaba for nine years and has 15 years of teaching experience. She was selected by her peers to be on the school’s Visionary Team, a leadership team charged with moving the school ever forward. She also serves on the Homewood City School System Common Core Implementation Team, and she presents not only to the Shades Cahaba faculty but also to the entire system on areas of technology assimilation and common core implementation.

“Mrs. Crimi is a natural-born teacher,” Principal John Lowry said. “Her knowledge of children and how they learn forms the foundation of how she teaches. Learning in her class is simple, direct, rigorous and fun – all at the same time. All students experience success according to their need under her direction.”

Homewood Middle School: Justin Hefner

Hefner He teaches eighth grade language arts and is a member of the Homewood City Schools Administrative Cohort. He is also a mentor for first-year language arts teachers, co-sponsor for the Student Government Association and the HMS baseball coach.

“Mr. Hefner has excellent rapport with his students,” Principal Jimmie Pearson said. “He shows a sincere interest in them as individuals and is consistently fair in dealing with them. He constantly searches for ways to make learning more interesting and informative. He also relates exceptionally well to his peers, as he is honest and outgoing, and exhibits a pleasant and friendly personality.”

Homewood High School: Marta Parker

Parker has taught Spanish at HHS for 13 year and has been recognized by the National Society of High School Scholars and the Shades Valley Rotary Club for Outstanding Achievement in Education. She serves as department chairperson for the world language department, and she serves in both a formal and informal capacity as a mentor to world language teachers and others throughout the school. 

“Mrs. Parker offers engaging instruction that empowers students to achieve beyond what they believe possible,” Principal Dr. Zack Barnes said. “She offers an ethic of care that is noticed by her students, their parents, her colleagues and her supervisors. It is frequently the case that students will comment on her passion for teaching and the manner in which she supports them. She also maintains leadership roles both within and outside the school setting. She represents the school on district level committees as well as committees outside the traditional school environment.”