Bonaire Middle School – Chris Arnold

Hard work, determination and never giving up, is what has led Chris Arnold to the professional success he has today. Arnold, a Houston County native, is this year’s Teacher of the Year for Bonaire Middle School. His family first came to Houston County in the 1920s. His parents, siblings and himself as well as his children have all graduated from Perry High School. Arnold said right after he graduated high school he went to college for a year and then worked as a mechanic for 20 years, but all through those years he always wanted to be a teacher. Just before his 40th birthday in 2006 he received his first teaching job at Bonaire Middle School and is currently in his 12th year at the same school.

Why teaching? What brought you into this field?

“I started out working in the family business and I loved working with my family, but I hated working on cars. And from an early age I knew I wanted to be a teacher. So one day I realized that the only thing stopping me from being a teacher was me. Luckily things fell into place, I had family and friends who supported me and I went back to school to earn my degree. I am the happiest I have been these past 12 years. I am teaching my favorite subject, language arts and I get to coach soccer, football and track.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“I have had some very positive and strong influential teachers in my life. Coach Dave Crockett my high school baseball coach, my high school English teacher Faye Hartmen who taught me my love for writing and Coach Crockett’s wife Mrs. Becky who was my eighth grade teacher who really taught me to read. Before Mrs. Becky’s class I only read if I had to. She didn’t really teach me the love of reading, but more so the need. And I bring that with me now, I tell my kids my job is not to make you love reading, I try, but at least when you leave me you should be able to read better than you did before. Since I have come to Bonaire Middle School I also have had some great teachers who inspire and encourage me like Coach Ron Wilson.”

What do you like most about teaching? What is the best part?

“The relationship with the kids. It really is neat having students come back from college and telling you that they remember all the stories that I read or had a lot of fun writing stories in my class. In language arts it is an art and everyone can do it it’s just how well you can. So a student is not going to give you their best effort and is not going to produce anything worthwhile if they do not trust you. So again it’s really cool to see that impact of the relationship I had with them while they were in my class and for them to come back years later.”

What is the most challenging part of teaching?

“The bureaucratic part and all the paperwork that comes with it. If I have a struggling student, I know the things that I can do to help them improve, but with our profession today they want specific things done and you have to track it. I understand the need for it, but it’s very frustrating because I feel like some times it takes away from more I could be doing because I have to make sure I have to get certain things done.

Advice to students

“Be honest with yourself and no matter what you do, do something that you love. There are going to be times in your life when you have to work to pay the bills and that’s fine, but always keep the end goal in mind. What ever that is you should not wake up every day dreading what you’re doing. Look at it as a step to get to where you’re going. A lot of people in my profession and parents don’t agree with me, but not all students need to go to college. I have son who works for the railroad, and makes more money than I do. He works hard for it, but has never step into a college classroom. You cannot look at him and say he’s not successful. He is doing what he wants to do and that is what is most important.”

Advice to parents

“Communicate with the teachers. I can’t tell you how many conferences I have had where the parent says they don’t know what’s going on with their child in school. We as teachers are not just here to give out grades. The grades are truly assessments of are they able to do what were asking them to do. If the grades are going down, we are trying to figure out how we can help them, but it also takes support and communication from the parents. Send us an email. You don’t have to wait for the parent teacher conferences. I teach 92 students and have over 40 students who I coach throughout the year. I don’t have time to email all parents everyday, but I am here if the parents reach out to me. Communication is key.”

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