September 12, 2023
Greensboro, Ga. — The Greene County School System has announced its 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year. First grade teacher Cameron Shuler is Greene County Primary School’s Teacher of the Year, sixth grade math teacher Ashley Bridges is Anita White Carson Middle School’s Teacher of the Year, and Greene College & Career Academy Early Childhood Education pathway instructor Laura Ringer is Teacher of the Year at Greene County High School.
Cameron Shuler is in her fourth year teaching in the Greene County School System. She has taught both first grade and kindergarten at GCPS and serves as a coach of the GCPS Dancing Tigers team, which she co-founded in 2021. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Georgia College and State University and a master’s in education from the University of Georgia. She is currently pursuing an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction at Piedmont University, and has received endorsements in both reading and personalized learning along the way.
Shuler said she dreamed of being a teacher since helping her little brother learn to read at the age of three and that she sees teaching as so much more than the day-to-day instruction that takes place within the four walls of her classroom.
“We can assist in the dreams envisioned of future careers, we can serve as role models for positive self-talk; we can be the smile that changes the trajectory of our students’ entire day,” she said. “Teaching is so much more than the curriculum we use, the pacing guides we plan, or even the test scores that we receive. It’s about the relationships we form, the differences we can make, and the lives we change day to day.”
Ashley Bridges is in her 16th year teaching in the Greene County School System, where she has taught grades third through eighth over the years. A native of Destrehan, Louisiana, she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Xavier University, a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Capella University, and an education specialist degree in educational technology from Walden University.
Bridges feels that Greene County has become her “home away from home” and states that she has had the privilege of witnessing several of her students graduate and live successful lives. She says it is often the students she is trying to inspire who end up in turn inspiring her.
“Educating is not just about teaching students what they need to learn, but giving students the tools they will need to be successful in life,” she said. “Teaching is allowing students to fully understand and discover themselves; it’s about students learning to think on their own and accepting and embracing their individuality. I strive daily to educate my students to learn and express themselves in a variety of ways so that they can gain the skills needed to compete globally.”
Laura Ringer is in her fourth year teaching in the Greene County School System. She began at the Greene College and Career Academy in 2020, teaching high school transition courses for 9th graders such as Introduction to Career Competencies and Tools for Success. She is now the instructor for the GCCA’s newest pathway: early childhood education, training Greene County’s next generation of educators. Ringer is a UGA Bulldog twice over, having attended for both her bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and her Master of Arts in Teaching in workforce education.
Ringer became interested in teaching at GCHS through volunteering in the GCCA Career Coaching program. She says that helping students find the spark that leads them to discover their passion is her favorite part of teaching.
“I am a firm believer that when a student finds what they are passionate about, that discovery will guide and increase their learning,” she said. “To me, helping a student find their passion includes creating positive relationships with students, introducing new ideas and options to them, and then preparing them with real-world skills. I believe all students can find joy in learning when their strengths and their interests collide.”
