CES Fourth Grade Teachers

Mrs. Kristy Buckler

Smith County has always been my home.  I attended school at Carthage Elementary and Smith County High.  After graduating high school, I attended Cumberland University and received my Bachelor’s degree. I have been teaching in the Smith County School System  since 1999.  I am currently teaching 4th grade at Carthage Elementary School.  I live on a farm near South Carthage with my husband and two children.

          Teaching is a career that is very rewarding.  I did not grow up thinking I would be a teacher.  It was something I was drawn to after I had been in college awhile.  I enjoy the learning process, and it is my hope to encourage my students to always want to learn about new things.

Mrs. Jessica Russell

 Hello, my name is Jessica Russell. I am a 2004 graduate of Macon County High School. I graduated from Tennessee Technological University in December of 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with cum laude honors. I am currently working on my Masters degree in Instructional Leadership at TTU and plan to have this degree
completed in December of 2010. I began my teaching career in 2008 at Defeated Elementary, where I taught 5th grade. I am excited to be teaching 4th grade at Carthage Elementary.

   I am married to Dustin and we live in Macon County. In my spare time, I enjoy shopping, planting flowers, baking desserts, and spending time with family and friends.

   In my classroom, I enjoy using a variety of strategies that help promote learning for every child. I love being around children and want each child to succeed in my classroom. I am looking forward to a wonderful career at CES.

 

   

 

 

Mrs. Tammy Harper

Hello, my name is Tammy Harper.  I am a graduate of Smith County High School and Tennessee Technological University.  I have been teaching in the Smith County school system since 1983.  I have taught 2 years at Forks River Elementary before coming to Carthage Elementary.

I am married to Steve, and we live in the Riddleton community.  Steve and I have 2 daughters: Candice Harper and Mia Harper Whitaker.  Candice is pursuing her Master's Degree at Tennessee Technological University.  Mia is an accountant for Maggart and Associates.  Mia is married to Dusty Whitaker.  Dusty coaches and teaches at Smith County Middle School.  He is also the assistant men's basketball coach at SCHS.

My hobbies are scrapbooking, reading, and spending time with my dogs.
   

Kaye Shores

Hello, my name is Kaye Shores.  I started my teaching career in 1979.  I graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, l983 with my Masters of Arts-Early Childhood, and in 1992 Career Ladder III. In 1995, I was awarded a 21st Century classroom, and in l999, I was awarded Teacher of the Year for Smith County.

From the time I was a junior in high school, I dreamed of 2 goals for my life: to become a teacher and to have a Christian family.  I have been fortunate to obtain these goals.   In 1977, I married Kirk and we have two wonderful children, Kristen and Justin.

My desire for your child this year is to develop a love and understanding of good children's literature and a passion for reading.  These are my goals that I will work hard all year long to instill in your child.  Please continue to provide your child with opportunities and access to good literature.  Reading is a habit that will last a lifetime.

Along with verbs, multiplication, and spelling, I want to share with your child the joy of living.  I want our class to be kind to one another, to help those who need it, to be respectful of themselves and others, to be trustworthy, to act responsible, to be compassionate, and encourage them to be a good citizen for our country.


Apple 4 the Teacher 2004


Michelle Stafford

My name is Michelle Stafford. I'm a 2001 graduate of Jackson County High School and a 2006 graduate of Tennessee Technological University. I received a Bachelor of Science degree for grades K-8 with magna cum laude honors.  I also obtained a Masters Degree in 2008. I began teaching at Carthage Elementary in 2006. I have taught first, second, third, and fourth grade during my time here.

I have always wanted to be a teacher! I love being around children. I believe that every child can succeed. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a child's "light bulb" come on! I'm positive that every child who enters my room will be given the confidence that he or she can accomplish anything! I plan to have lots of hands-on learning activities, graphics, and technology in the classroom. I want my students to have fun while learning. I'm dedicated to using a variety of skills to accommodate the needs of every student! I'm looking forward to having a great school year.