Hailey Pruitt was named Teacher of the Year at Jane Macon Middle School. She has taught sixth-grade science and ELA at JMMS since she began her teaching career in 2019. Here are some awesome things you should know.
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Family: I have been married to my husband, Trevor Pruitt, for almost two years. Together, we have the best four-legged children, Molly, Champ, and Nala. We are also blessed with a big, loving and supportive family.
Who is your role model? I am blessed to have so many amazing people to look up to, but I will say that my dad is definitely one of the biggest role models I have. He has taught me to persevere through life’s greatest challenges with dignity and grace, lead a life that serves others, and always give 110% in whatever I do.
What book has most influenced you? So many books have marked me in some way or another, but most recently, “We Are Not from Here” by Jenny Torres Sanchez has truly helped to confirm the professional path that I’d like to follow. The fictional story follows young teens as they flee Guatemala and risk their young lives in pursuit of refuge in the United States. This story made me reflect on how many students I’ve taught that may have similar stories to the characters in that book. My ultimate goal as an educator in the Glynn County School System is to help to strengthen and develop our programs for culturally and linguistically diverse students so that they can grow up to achieve all of their wildest dreams despite any obstacles they may have had to endure to get there.
What is your greatest teaching memory? My first year of teaching held so many challenges, as it does for any new teacher. However, that year was exceptionally hard as I navigated loving and teaching students that came from unbelievably hard places. Sometimes you have a student that makes you feel like you cannot do anything right - everyday is a battle. Nothing you do is working. They aren’t learning. They can’t get through a class period. But then one day, that one student hands you a folded piece of paper with an acrostic poem they made using your name and the end says “I love you, Ms. Johnston (Pruitt). Love, ya girl (name).” That note has been hanging above my desk every day since as a constant reminder of why I do what I do!
What is your favorite quote or personal motto? “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14
What is a fact about you that most people don't know? My “knack” in high school was chorus. I was also a member of the show choir.
Any hidden talents or hobbies? I have amateur guitar playing skills, I love to go thrifting, and I am a hardcore Swiftie!