Vines named teacher of year

Published 9:39 am Monday, March 31, 2008

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Sixth-graders at North Jefferson Middle School probably do not realize how fortunate they are to be sitting under the instruction of Cynthia (Cindy) Vines.

Vines, a veteran teacher of 29 years, was recently named the Jefferson County Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Kathy Casaday, a first-grade teacher at Gardendale Elementary, was one of five finalists for the honor. The five finalists are chosen from 2,500 teachers county-wide.

There were also five finalists and a final winner for the Jefferson County High School Teacher of the Year.

Vines learned that she had been named teacher of the year at a banquet held for the occasion.

“I was quite surprised,” she said. “It was a great honor to receive that after teaching this long.”

Vines has taught sixth-grade language arts at North Jefferson Middle School since the school opened in 2004. Prior to that, she taught sixth-grade language arts at Warrior Elementary School for 25 years.

It was at Warrior that Vines discovered her passion for teaching.

“It came clear when I was at Warrior,” she said. “I began to see education as my life’s mission. It’s my real calling in life.”

Vines said her favorite thing about teaching is helping students learn.

“Student learning is what teaching is all about,” she said.

Vines believes in pushing her students to do their their best.

“I’ve always loved to work for excellence. I want my students to learn. I take it very seriously,” she said. “After they’re in my class, I want them to be prepared for the next grade.”

Vines said she also likes working closely with her fellow teachers.

“I like the aspect of collaborating with my co-workers,” she said. “When we work and collaborate together to achieve goals we set, nothing is more fulfilling.”

In her almost three decades of teaching, Vines has seen some changes.

“The greatest change I’ve seen is in professional development assistance given to teachers,” she said. “We have more professional development and help within Jefferson County schools than I’ve ever seen.”

She sees this as a direct result of teachers having more accountability requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Vines herself provides some of that help to other teachers. She serves as the lead mentor at North Jefferson Middle School, where her experience and leadership benefits teachers in their first, second and third years of teaching.

“It helps them get what they need in those first few years,” said Vines. “It gives you an opportunity to use that experience you’ve gained all those years to help somebody who really desires to be helped.”

That program is through the Alabama Mentoring Program, which Vines said is a state requirement for all school systems.

North Jefferson Middle School principal Pam Horton asked Vines to serve as the school’s lead mentor because of Vines’ many years of experience and her work ethic.

“Whatever you give her to do, it will be done in an exemplary manner,” said Horton “She always steps up to the challenge and goes above and beyond. She is a lady of good character, a role model who is kind and energetic.”

In addition to mentoring other teachers, Vines has improved her own classroom skills by earning her National Board Certification in 2003.

Vines lives in Morris, where she was raised, with her husband Bill.