Stacey Pugh, Greenville Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, does small things with great love
Stacey Pugh, Greenville Elementary School’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, credits her mentors, positive school climate, and amazing students with her love of teaching. She has taught at Greenville for 16 years and takes great pride in utilizing her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction on school, district, and state testing and curriculum advisory boards.
“It’s so fun,” she said “I love getting to make a difference in how we teach.”
Beyond academic excellence, Pugh’s fifth-grade classroom is filled with love and kindness. These traits are on full display before school starts each morning. Many of her students wish her good morning as they enter the room and want to tell her about things they have seen, learned, or created since the day before. Students from past years also come into the room to greet and hug her. It is clear that her students feel the love she has for them.
“Even on the hard days, there’s something I always try to remember,” Pugh said. “I may be the best part of these children’s day. School may be all they have. And I don’t want to mess that up. If I can be the best part of their day, I’ll know I’ve done my job well.”
Greenville Principal Dee Downs praised Pugh. “Stacey is a role model,” he said. “She guides students to make positive choices and shows them the power of hard work. She collaborates closely with families and the school community, ensuring all her students feel supported and valued. I'm grateful for Stacey's dedication to our district and school.”
In her fifth-grade classroom, Pugh inspires her students using stories and quotes from historical figures. She wants her students to know that they are just as capable of making an impact as the people they study.
“I love using quotes with my fifth-graders,” she said. “My philosophy is based on Mother Teresa’s quote, ‘Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.’ I love that, and I really try to teach my students that they can be heroes in their attitude and in everything they do. I want to inspire them. I want them to want to win for life. I tell them that as long as they keep trying, they will see progress.”