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White

University of Georgia alumna Meredith White has wanted to be a teacher since she was a young child. Now, she’s being recognized for the excellent work she is doing in the classroom as she lives her lifelong dream.

White (B.S.Ed./B.A. ’08) was recently named a WTOC-TV “Top Teacher” for her work teaching Spanish I (grades 9-11) and English II (grade 10) at Benedictine Military School in Savannah.  (See the WTOC-TV video.)

White has been invited to make a presentation titled, “Skype in the Foreign Language Classroom,” at the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages conference in Denver in November 2011.  She made that presentation and another titled, “Easy and Effective Parent/Teacher Communication,” at the Foreign Language Association of Georgia conference, in Atlanta this past March.

White, who earned bachelor’s degrees in foreign language education and Spanish at UGA, will finish her master’s in foreign language education from UGA in May.

“Many teachers say teaching is thankless, but I think we get what we give, and I know I give my heart and soul to my students and my classroom and the daily grind, and I find myself constantly receiving positive words, compliments and great energy from my students,” said White.

White is in her first year at Benedictine Military School. Previously, she taught at Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, and at Grayson High School in Loganville. She was selected as a S.T.A.R. Teacher at Windsor, an honor in which the student with the highest SAT score in the school chooses their most influential teacher.

“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very young, as I grew up around teachers and coaches, and therefore always in and around schools,” said White. “I did well in school, loved it, and have always known that teaching is the career for me—I’m living my dream every day, and can quite literally hardly believe it!”

White said her interest in teaching Spanish first arose when she took it in high school, citing the influence of her teachers, MariSol Padilla and Edwin Braun, at New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas.

“They are the reason that I love what I do somuch because they introduced me to that which became my passion; I owe them everything,” she said.

What is the hardest part of being a teacher? “Maintaining a high energy level and not taking anything too personally. I really have to have thick skin when teaching teenagers all day every day, and it’s important to realize that it’s not personal,” said White. “The two go hand in hand; it can be hard to maintain that energy when feeling defeated, or feeling that they aren’t listening, but they always are. They are watching, listening, and though they probably won’t remember what we say, they’ll remember who we are.  I overcome these difficult parts by always staying positive, and making sure to see the good in every single day and every single student, and I truly mean that.”

And what are the most rewarding parts of being a teacher? “Hearing positive words from the students and the parents alike,” said White. “Many teachers say teaching is thankless, but I think we get what we give, and I know I give my heart and soul to my students and my classroom and the daily grind, and I find myself constantly receiving positive words, compliments, and great energy from my students. I therefore don’t think it’s thankless, and I am, pun intended, very thankful to have such a wonderful career.”

White, who entered the M.Ed. program in fall 2009, praised the College of Education’s faculty in the department of language and literacy education for fostering her development as a teacher in both her undergraduate and graduate studies.

“As an undergraduate, I was given an extremely fortunate student teaching placement, as well as classes that forced me to create detailed lesson plans and really break down what it was I planned on teaching, and to then later reflect on how it went,” said White. “This honest approach really began to show me what teaching is all about, and how you help students to understand a foreign language.

“As a graduate student, I was then able to take classes with other teachers, network a lot, and get really applicable instruction from knowledgeable professors.  I never at any point have felt that I couldn’t be honest with my professors or classmates, that we could reflect candidly, or that I was being taught in a way that didn’t mesh with my educational philosophies; rather, it was a perfect fit!”

White said that earning her master’s has made her feel more knowledgeable, proud to have been working on her qualifications, and excited about using all of the new ideas and theory she has learned about here at UGA in her own classroom which she tries to do each week.

In addition, there’s the love she feels for this campus and this place.

“I love UGA to the core.  Athens is a fantastic town, and even if I’m just walking on North Campus, or down a side street, I feel an immense sense of pride and historical awareness,” said White.  “Many people have come to UGA before me and gone on to do great things, and many, many others have tried their hardest but weren’t accepted into the university; I have done both of these groups a disservice if I don’t use what I’ve learned at UGA to become the best teacher and person I can possibly be in order to represent UGA well.”