Teacher Feature: Elizabeth Davis
“I always knew that I wanted to teach. I remember as a little girl setting up ‘class’ with my dolls and stuffed animals. I guess it is in my genes because three of my four grandparents were teachers as well,” says Elizabeth Davis, history teacher at Piedmont Academy.
Ms. Davis said her father moved the family back to Monticello after he completed his residency in South Carolina, and opened his private practice in 1976.
“He is still devoted to medicine as he now works at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville,” she said. “My mother was a very involved stay at home mom raising me and my three brothers. She helped out some at my daddy’s office. In 1991, she and I became business partners and she currently owns The Silver Rabbit Gift Shop on the square.”
Ms. Davis’ hobbies include reading, bargain shopping, and traveling. Her passion is traveling.
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“As a teacher of history, I love to immerse myself in other cultures and see new places. Since 1999, I have been fortunate enough to do lots of traveling because Mrs. Judy Nelson and I coordinate and plan school trips to various places. Thus far, we have led many of our students and members of our community to France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
“We are scheduled to carry a group of about 45 on an exciting tour of Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, and Hoover Dam/Las Vegas this summer. Judy will have a ‘full spread’ article ready for the paper when we return.”
Ms. Davis has two children. Ben, a freshman at Piedmont who enjoys football, soccer, and riding his dirt bike. Her daughter, Sydney, is in the sixth grade and shares her mom’s passion for shopping and animals.
We are all members of Monticello First United Methodist Church.
“I am happy relaxing anywhere it is warm and sunny. In quoting one of my favorite Kenny Chesney songs, “I love to feel the sand beneath my toes.
“As far as food goes, I am not a big fan of sweet. Seafood—any type is my favorite. I could eat it everyday if it weren’t so expensive. I also love all the yummy gourmet foods and dips at The Silver Rabbit.”
Ms. Davis says her family has quite a collection of pets. There’s three dogs, including a full-grown whopping two pound Chihuahua, two rabbits, two turtles, and a fish.
“Animals are an easy way to teach children compassion and responsibility,” she said. “I am also an avid collector of frog and monkey memorabilia.
Ms. Davis says she is definitely a “right brain” learner now and always has been. Luckily, I get to share that with my students as I teach English, Language Arts, and History, she said. “As a teacher, I try to emphasize each day that learning can be fun. If I know a trick or easy tip to help them learn a new concept, I share it with them. I try to make history come alive through stories and little known facts.
“Respect is a two-way street in my classroom and organization is a must. We have revised our middle school reading program in such a positive way this year.
“The classics are still covered in class, but students now have personal choice in multiple genres of pre-approved novels. My heart swells with pride and I am seeing students read more than ever before and non-readers realizing the fact that reading does not have to be a chore.
“For example, our current eighth grade students have all read a minimum of 14 novels thus far in the year. They are pulling out novels to read constantly, and I must admit that it seems a bit contradictory when they are so involved in a new book that I have to tell them to put it away while I lecture.
“In middle school, teamwork and consistency are critical. My team of teachers and I work together to try to make learning relevant to our students. For instance, they were taught about Lewis and Clark in American history, read a novel about the expedition in language arts, wrote a discussion paper about them in English, calculated math problems related to the journey, connected our Wordly Wise words with obstacles associated with the trip, and designed keel boats in science.
“I have a personal philosophy in my classroom that I share with my students. I firmly believe that in order for them to care how much I know, they must know how much I care. I am entering my 21st year of teaching and I honestly cannot imagine what else I would rather do.
“Furthermore, I tell them that when they decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives, it makes it much easier to get up and do something that they enjoy. Money is certainly nice, but school teachers are definitely not in the profession because that is what drives them.
“I love my job. I work with amazing people and it thrills me to have been able to experience it all as a former student, graduate, teacher, and now as a parent.”
