When Teresa Adams attended kindergarten at Eastside Elementary School in Cabot, she fell in love with learning, she said, as every teacher made a difference in her life by their commitment and rigor.
“Those teachers shaped who I was,” Adams said. “They went above and beyond, and because of those amazing teachers, they made me believe I could do anything. My teachers at Cabot gave me a strong foundation, and when I went to McRae, the nurturing continued.
“Debbie Polston took me home after I missed the school bus, and my first-grade teacher, Jean Davenport, took the time when I was out sick to bring me my reading materials so I wouldn’t regress in the content and skill.
“It is just the little things that you don’t realize of teachers going above and beyond, being more than just your teacher. I worked with Mrs. Davenport later and got to tell her what she meant to me.”
Adams, who just completed her 29th year of teaching, teaches fifth-grade literacy, which includes reading and writing, at Cabot Middle School South. She has been at the middle school since 1995, when it opened. Adams was announced as the Cabot Public Schools Teacher of the Year on May 29.
“It has been my pleasure to know Mrs. Adams for more than 20 years,” said Tony Thurman, superintendent for the Cabot Public Schools. “She has left a lasting impression, not only on her students and fellow educators, but on me as an administrator and parent.
“Mrs. Adams actually taught both of my children, who are now in college. She truly has a heart for teaching; she has touched so many lives. We are blessed to have Mrs. Adams as part of our Cabot Panther family. She has been with our district for nearly three decades now, and we are honored to have her represent Cabot Public Schools.”
Adams graduated from McRae High School in 1986 and attended Arkansas State University-Beebe for two years before earning a bachelor’s degree in science and education at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 1990.
“It is humbling. I’m still quite emotional about it,” Adams said of the honor. “Our professional team is collaborative, and to be singled out is humbling.
“I’m grateful that somebody took the time to nominate me. It means they see my heart and appreciate it. It means everything to me.”
Adams said students must feel safe in the classroom to share their voices.
“Creating an environment of mutual respect, community and safety is imperative to helping them thrive,” she said. “Middle level is tough enough, as they are growing and changing. They must have a place of security for making mistakes — lots of them — so they can finally soar after falling out of the nest.”
Cynnamon Brown, a fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Cabot Middle School South, said she has known Adams for about five years.
“She is one of the most selfless and kind people that I have ever met,” Brown said. “She is a difference maker in a world that can be crazy. She writes sweet notes and gives thoughtful gifts with encouraging and wise words.
“She is just meant to be a teacher. She is incredibly deserving, and I couldn’t imagine any other person better suited for [the award] than her. … Everything she does is done with a purpose. She is dedicated to making the world better, and I know I am a better teacher because of her.”
Adams said she grew up with her grandmother, and one important saying she had was, “It is nice to be important, but more important to be nice.”
“That has served me well, and it keeps me in check,” Adams said. “I try my best to make connections with kids because whatever I say to them is going to make a positive impact — it is such a responsibility.
“So why did someone nominate me? It is such a hard question. You are never out of this role. You are always somebody’s teacher, and with that comes a lot of grace. It is just a humbling position.”
Heather Singleton, a fifth-grade math teacher at Cabot Middle School South, said Adams is all about building relationships with her students, faculty and parents.
“She really gets people, and she really gets relationships,” Singleton said. “She pushes students, and they respond to it. She pushes them to work harder and do better than what they are capable of.
“She is a definite rock and a support. She knows my love language and affirmations when I need them. My first year at the middle school, I was overwhelmed, and I cried on her shoulder, and she assured me that it was going to be all right.”
Singleton said Adams would always write little notes to one of her students, who was an English-language learner. Singleton said Adams was always pushing him and wanting him to perform at his best.
Singleton said one of the most memorable moments she has had with Adams was when a former student, now a parent, was gifted with the same coloring pages she had done as a student years prior.
“[Adams] went and found those pages in her room and gave them back to her, and the mom started crying,” Singleton said. “Everything is important.”
“I love my kids,” Adams said. “Every day is a new slate when you are a teacher and when you are looking through the lens of possibility. They put these kids in your classroom, and you have a year to make an impact.
“Watching those kids build confidence and skill until they can do it on their own — it is still amazing for you and them.”
She said the biggest challenge with being a teacher during the current pandemic has been the barrier of a screen and how impersonal virtual learning can be. She said there is a lack of physical content and reassurance because teachers can’t have the same type of connection or commitment.
“It grieves my heart because it is hard to create a learning environment,” she said. “We have been advocating more for parents and families. That’s been the challenge — being available with the right resources at the right time.”
Adams was also named Mid-Level Teacher of the Year and is now eligible to compete for Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Also honored were LeeAnn Reed, who was named Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Cindy Bunch, who was recognized as Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.