Summit Hill Elementary 13855 Providence Road Milton, Georgia 30004 March 4, 2014 To Whom It May Concern,

As a colleague of Christine Terrell, I wholeheartedly support her nomination for Fulton County's Teacher of the Year.

Her strong commitment in creating a climate of caring and respect conducive to effective teaching and learning is evident through multiple sources. First and foremost, Ms. Terrell believes that it is not just the talented and gifted student who can make choices, innovatively solve problems, and complete multifaceted tasks. She has an expectation that her students will rise to the level of the performance expected of them and amazing thoughts can come from any student in her class. I speak not just as a peer but as a former parent of a non-TAG student in her classroom. She pushes all of her students to perform at their highest level.

Teachers are no longer information dispensers but facilitators in the learning and research process. She promotes student responsibility and differentiated instruction with an equal emphasis on collaborative learning and technology. She willingly accepts the challenge of an active classroom rather than passive students.

In this new age of STEM, Ms. Terrell has a passion for science, technology, and mathematics. Her enthusiasm is contagious which is a much needed quality to inspire students to pursue the opportunities available in these fields of study. One of the challenges the students will face in the future is that they will be competing for jobs on a global playing field. It is vitally important to help children understand at an early age that this is a rapidly changing world which creates a multitude of exciting challenges! She provides connections between the classroom and their future.

If molding these children weren't enough of a personal commitment for Ms. Terrell, she has also taken not one but a team of new teachers under wing. She serves as their mentor and as their representative on the leadership team. Her unselfishness to share units, materials, thoughts, and guidance works for the benefit of not only her team members but the students on her grade

level. The collaboration inspires every students success in learning and life skills to apply later in life. It is without reservation that I unequivocally endorse Ms. Terrell for Fulton Countys Teacher of the Year. I would be honored as a colleague and former parent for her to represent our school system in this capacity.

Respectfully,

Diane Beaty