2007-2008
Mrs. Annette Craig
Hello. I am Annette Craig. I
am truly honored to be chosen the 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year for Woodruff
Primary School. Working with the wonderful, talented, and caring people of the
Woodruff area is a blessing. The teachers, staff, administration, parents, and
students make up an All-Star championship team. As with any team, the more we
work together, the better we can be.
I was born in Key West,
Florida. After living in Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia, my family of six came
to live in Woodruff when my father got a job at the “Greenville-Spartanburg
Jetport” and bought a farm. The little tin-roofed farmhouse was over 100 years
old and did not have an indoor bathroom. The wood was so hard that it bent the
nails we used to renovate the house. The house stood on huge rocks under the
corners which made for cold uneven floors. We nicknamed it “Green Acres.” We
lived in it until we built another house. It has been the source of so many of
our family stories. We raised a few cows, chickens, goats, pigs, and rabbits. We
fed the first calves with bottles. They would run up to us, put their heads over
the fence, and wait for us to pet them as they grew. We planted gardens and
harvested fields and terraces of corn and potatoes. It was a treat for us to
ride in the back of the truck to the “In and Out” to get a Dr. Pepper and a
pack of crackers while covered with the red dirt after digging up a field of
potatoes. My free time was spent exploring the woods and creeks on our farm and
riding my bike through the country roads. As Bucky Covington’s song says,
“It was a different world.”
I began attending
Woodruff’s schools at Northside Elementary in the 4th grade. I
continued until I graduated from Woodruff High. I took piano and baton lessons,
and I loved to dance. During high school, I was a majorette and the sports
editor and business editor of the yearbook. I worked at Patton Pharmacy during
high school and college until I got my first teaching job.
I earned a Bachelor’s
degree from the then USCS and a Master’s degree from Converse College. I
furthered my education when I earned a Master’s plus 30 certificate by taking
courses through USCS, Converse, Furman, and the Citadel. My latest achievement
was obtaining my National Board Certification in 2006.
My greatest accomplishment
is my family. I taught for one year at Ford Elementary in Laurens. Then I
married Kim Craig and began teaching at Woodruff Primary. We have a son, Nathan,
who is a sophomore at Clemson studying to become a high school math teacher and
coach. We also have a daughter, Courtney, who is a junior and a colorguard at
Woodruff High. In addition to school and studies, they both have part time jobs
to fit into their busy schedules. For the past 23 years, my family has had a
tremendous impact on my teaching. They have supported and challenged me. Our
interactions in dealing with the ups and downs that life has given us has
greatly influenced how I look at and work with situations and personalities at
school and in the community.
There are four factors that
influenced me to become a teacher and still influence me as I teach today. They
are:
1.
Former teachers who provided positive and negative experiences;
2.
My family and faith which have instilled in me the ability to empathize
with others and the desire to help others become responsible and successful;
3.
My friends who would come to me for help with homework and tell me that I
made it easy for them to see how to do it; and
4.
My own feelings in reaction to all the different experiences life has
given me.
When I first began teaching, my answer to the question-“Why do you want to be a teacher?” was, “I love children and want to help them learn and be successful.” After 24 years of teaching, my answer has changed. I teach because I love children and want to help them learn to keep learning so they can adapt to change and be successful which in turn makes our community successful. The children we teach and take care of today will become the leaders and workers of the community tomorrow and take care of us. So, it’s not just about the children anymore; it’s about all of us working together to better everyone’s future. I gave you all of this information about me because I hoped it would help you to see I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, teacher, learner, and friend with a lot on my plate just like you. I have set goal after goal in my life; but, this last goal is a team goal. It will take everyone. Each of us will: have to bring our talents to our position, practice and put in overtime, pick up the slack when another member makes an error instead of criticize, take on another position, sit on the bench, or take a time-out if needed, and huddle up. As I stated at the beginning, the more we work together, the better, we’ll be. Welcome to the team! You have a life time membership.