Former Teacher’s Assistant Wins MEA Golden Apple Award In Just Second Year Of Teaching

A teacher who says she gets great results in the classroom thanks to divine intervention is this week’s Golden Apple Award recipient. Gwendolyn Miller was a paraprofessional for over 25 years but was encouraged to go back to school and get her degree at the age of 43. Miller graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Education from Troy University.

Now this Oliver Elementary school teacher is in her second year at the head of the class. Miller teaches Sixth grade English, Reading and Spelling. She says going from 25 years working with kindergarten-age children to sixth grade was a challenge, but one she met head-on through prayer.
“I had no intentions of working with 6th graders. That was my last choice here but you know that is where the Lord put me and once He put me here He worked through me to help those students and they were successful, very successful my first year.“ Miller’s students had the highest test scores in Reading and English among sixth graders in Russell County.

Some of Miller’s kindergarten students during her para pro days have found themselves in her sixth grade class.