One of the things Heather Dooley appreciates about being named Teacher of the Year for the Social Circle City Schools district this year is the chance to emphasize how great middle school is.

“Middle school get a bad rap,” the seventh-grade English and language arts teacher said. “It’s great to be able to highlight what we’re doing here. Our kids are really great.”

Dooley, a Social Circle native who is in her sixth year of teaching at Social Circle Middle School, said she was not expecting to earn the Teacher of the Year title in the slightest.

“It was very overwhelming,” Dooley said. “There were a lot of great teachers in the running, so I was very honored to be chosen. I’m so blessed.”

Dooley especially appreciates the title as validation she took the right direction when she chose to go into the teaching field.

“Education was not my first choice,” Dooley said. “I went pre-med at first. But I was working at a nursing home nights during college and I felt so sad all the time.”

Looking for a career path that wouldn’t leave her so down in the dumps, Dooley thought about teaching, inspired by her work as a student herself helping her brother.

“I always found school came naturally for me, but that wasn’t true for my brother,” Dooley said. “Helping my brother through school was eye-opening. So when I thought about what else I could do, I remembered education was always something I’ve loved.”

She was also excited to come back to her old school to teach after graduating from Augusta University with her education degree.

“I grew up here,” Dooley said. “My husband also went here. The classroom I teach in now is one of my classrooms I once sat in as a kid.”

Dooley said going into English was a no-brainer for her, too.

“I was always reading when I was younger,” Dooley said. “There’s so much room for fun in language arts.”She said sharing that love with students is one of her favorite parts of the job.

“Some kids think they don’t like to read or struggle to find something they want to read,” Dooley said. “Helping them find a book they love is rewarding.”

Dooley said her primary objective each day is connecting with her pupils and helping them find a spark in the classroom.

“I really want them to understand learning can be fun,” Dooley said. “I want it to be engaging. I want them to know their teachers are there for them.”

It seems to be working, as she said her class was quite thrilled when Ms. Dooley was announced as Teacher of the Year for the Social Circle system.

“They kind of exploded,” Dooley said. “They were very excited. They started screaming and clapping. The entire seventh grade cheered for me.”

Overall, Dooley said she was just happy to have earned the title of Teacher of the Year as a way to show what she’s up to in the classroom is making a positive impact on her students, and Social Circle.

“It’s a big honor,” Dooley said. “It demonstrates that what I do actually matters.”