Editor’s note: The following is the fifth in a series of profiles about Athens City Schools teachers who were named teacher of the year at their respective school. The teachers will be honored at an inaugural banquet set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the ballroom of the Sandridge Student Center on the campus of Athens State University. Adult tickets are $25, and children 10 and under tickets are $15. Proceeds benefit the teachers and students of Athens City Schools. To purchase a ticket, contact Dr. Chris Hamilton at chris.hamilton@acs-k12.org or Ginger Hickman at ginger.hickman@acs-k12.org.

While there are those who may consider teaching a thankless profession, Michelle Smith isn’t in it for the money or the praise.

Smith, who is in her eighth year at Athens Intermediate School, said teaching is a calling. She may not be getting rich off her chosen career, but she doesn’t regret the decision.

“It’s rewarding when you get those notes from kids that say, ‘You’re my hero,’” she said. “Just seeing the growth of the kids from when they come here to when they leave, it’s worth it.”

That dedication is part of the reason why Smith’s colleagues at Athens Intermediate named her the school’s teacher of the year. She and other teachers of the year in the city schools system will be honored at an inaugural banquet next month.

“The school staff is very supportive and they have high expectations,” she said of the honor. “We have the same high expectations of the kids.”

A native of Lagrange, Georgia, Smith graduated from Auburn University with a degree in elementary education. When asked why she chose to be a teacher, she explained her mom and sister were both teachers.

“I always envisioned myself being a teacher and never considered anything else,” Smith said.

After graduating from Auburn, Smith taught in Georgia for a year, followed by a five-year stint in Raleigh, N.C. She then took a break from teaching for 13 years to be a stay-at-home mom to her three children — Jake, 21, Hannah, 18, and Mary Beth, 16. Still, there was a desire to return to an elementary school classroom.

“The nice part about elementary school kids is they love to learn and still love school,” Smith said. “They’re still excited about learning and they still love teachers.”

She’s currently teaching science and social studies at the intermediate school, and science is her favorite subject. She enjoys using hands-on methods to help teach problem-solving skills. A big part of helping a child develop his or her problem-solving skills, she said, is not providing the whole answer and making them work to figure it out.

Much has changed in the classroom since Smith began her career in the early 1990s, including an intensified focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education principles. She keeps current on the latest teaching methods through continued professional development programs and through her own independent research. When Smith develops her lesson plans, she said she focuses on interactive exercises that will engage her students.

Smith said the dedication to the job simply goes with the territory. When she’s not working, however, she enjoys reading, boating and spending time with her family.

Hannah, who is a freshman in college, told her mom she’s thinking about becoming a teacher. Smith told her daughter that if she felt called to do it, she should consider it.

“She’s not sure because she sees how hard I work,” Smith said. “But to know I’m helping to make a long-term difference in someone’s life … that makes it worth it.”