Cleveland Middle Business Teacher Tapped as Tops Honeycutt Named Teacher of the Year Joanne Honeycutt, a lateral entry teacher who left the corporate world to teach, was named the Johnston County Schools Teacher of the Year at the annual Flame for Learning recognition banquet and ceremony held last night. Honeycutt is a sixth through eighth grade business teacher at Cleveland Middle School, where Shelly Marsh is principal. The Flame for Learning event is hosted by the Johnston County Association of Chambers and sponsored by local businesses to honor and recognize outstanding educators for their creativity and innovation. This year's featured speaker was former Senator Howard Lee, who now serves as the Chairman of the State Board of Education. "I was floored," said Honeycutt, who expressed her appreciation to her colleagues and principal for the support she has received as a professional teacher. She succeeds Karen Parker, a kindergarten teacher at Micro-Pine Level Elementary School. Parker was a regional finalist in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition. Nominees for the Flame for Learning award are asked to submit best practices, which are then considered by a nomination committee. The semi-finalists are chosen based on those submissions, which are screened for creativity and innovation. The finalists are then chosen from that group. Honeycutt submitted a best practice entitled, "The Life Game." "The best way to help teachers is to share ideas, but also to provide mentoring and support. That's what has been so important to me. You're not floating in a raft by yourself, which is especially important to me as a lateral entry professional," said Honeycutt. Teachers who were recognized as semi-finalists are as follows: Joey Smith, a History teacher at West Johnston High School, who submitted a best practice entitled, "Preserving Johnston's Past." Sandra Perkinson, a 12th grade Honors English teacher at Smithfield-Selma High School, whose best practice was entitled, "11G". Christine Jernigan, a second grade teacher at West Clayton Elementary School, who submitted " Bone Chillin' Germy". The Johnston County Association of Chambers is comprised of the Chambers in Benson, Clayton, Cleveland, Four Oaks, Kenly, and Smithfield-Selma.
