Jasper Teacher Gets Award
Jasper County High School teacher Bobbi Sauls joined an exclusive group of social studies educators last week when the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation named her as the 2022 Fellow from Georgia.
According to the foundation’s website, “James Madison Fellowships support the graduate study of American history by aspiring and experienced secondary school teachers of American history, American government, and civics.”
“Named in honor of the fourth president of the United States and acknowledged “Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” a James Madison Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each Fellow’s course of study towards a master’s degree. That program must include a concentration of courses on the history and principles of the United States Constitution.”
“This year’s 55 Fellows were selected in competition with applicants from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nation’s island and trust territories. The fellowships are funded by income from a trust fund in the Treasury of the United States and from additional private gifts, corporate contributions, and foundation grants.
“Recipients are required to teach American history or civics in a secondary school for at least one year for each year of fellowship support. The award is intended to recognize promising and distinguished teachers, to strengthen their knowledge of the origins and development of American constitutional government, and thus to expose the nation’s secondary school students to accurate knowledge of the nation’s constitutional heritage.”
Teachers who won the fellowship received a very special delivery via FedEx last Tuesday afternoon.
“When Mrs. Houston called me from the front office and told me that I had a package, several of my students ran to the office to get the box for me. I cried as I opened the box, and my students cheered as I pulled the Fellow’s Handbook from the box! I will remember that moment for a long time,” stated Ms. Sauls.
The application process is very involved requiring teachers to write about their work experience, education, teaching philosophy, pedagogical practices, and views on the importance of teaching the history and principles of the Constitution, among many things.
“The hardest part is that your answers are limited by the number of characters, not just words. This required me to plan and edit very carefully. I made a very long list of all the application’s components on the white board in my classroom and checked off tasks as I completed them at night. My students would check every day for progress and held me accountable as the deadline approached.”
“I really was not expecting to be selected as this was my first time applying for the Fellowship. Many current Fellows had to apply several times before being selected. I am shocked and humbled to be chosen at all, yet alone on my first attempt. I give credit to my colleagues and friends who encouraged me and helped me edit my work along the way.”
Supporting Ms. Sauls through written recommendations included JCHS principal Jim Strength, one of her professors in her master’s program, and her former boss and United States Senator Sam Nunn.
Ms. Sauls began her master’s degree studies last summer with in-person classes and has continued her courses with weekly video conferences with her professors and classmates from across the country. She will continue to pursue her Master’s in American History and Government through Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio.
“What I love about Ashland’s program is that each course focuses on the use of primary sources, not textbooks. We have a chance to read the original works, letters, and documents. We discuss them as a group and determine the meaning and impact on our country. We do not spend much time reading and memorizing someone else’s interpretation of history and government.”
“I also love that this program is that I am studying under some of the most amazing professors and other high school teachers from across the country, and I am a better teacher and citizen because of these experiences. I love sharing what I am learning with my students!”
As an added bonus, Ms. Sauls will conclude her studies next summer in Washington, D.C., with a strong focus on the Constitution. During her three weeks in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas, she will study under some of the nation’s leading Constitutional experts and will earn credits for three master’s level courses through Georgetown University. In the following fall, Ms. Sauls will take a comprehensive final exam to earn her master’s degree.
Ms. Sauls is in her seventh year of teaching U.S. history and government at Jasper County High School, having previously taught at Piedmont Academy for 17 years. She has been a past Teacher of the Year at both schools and has been named STAR teacher by several of her students.
According to the Foundation’s website, “Founded by an Act of Congress in 1986, the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Additional information about the Foundation may be found at www.jamesmadison.gov.”
