Gina Suckow- Bonaire Elementary School

Gina Suckow is the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year for Bonaire Elementary School. Suckow was born and raised in Warner Robins and attended Miller Elementary and Rumble Junior High, and graduated from Warner Robins High School. She then graduated from the University of West Georgia with her bachelor’s degree and then Walden University with her master’s degree. She is in her 13th year of teaching. Suckow started out at Perdue Primary for eight years, and has been at Bonaire Elementary for the last five.

Why teaching/What brought you into this field?

“It’s kind of funny because my first experience with teaching was when I was at Rumble. I wanted to be an office assistant because it was what all the kids wanted to do. I tried but there were no openings. However, there was a student assistant position for special needs area instead. I got it and absolutely loved it. I was only supposed to do it one quarter, but the students really liked me so they kept me there for the whole year. After high school I didn’t become a teacher or go to college right away. I started with a couple of jobs with the last one being a bank teller. I was about 30 when one day a lady came in, and I was making conversation and asked about her career. She said she was a special education teacher, to which then I became really interested in. I looked at her like she was the President and I wanted her job immediately. So I had the opportunity to do it and it was the best move. I finally found where I was supposed to be. Ever since I’ve been doing this, it’s not a career, it’s coming to have fun everyday.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“Really and truly, it wasn’t until I became a teacher and started working with others, is where my inspiration came from. I had no self-esteem. I was afraid and didn’t know if I was doing a good job. Jenni McClintic, she was my program specialist at the time and is now the Director of Student services, but she worked with me and had the most confidence in me. Her confidence in me helped me do better. And that really is my whole teaching concept now, is you can’t do good if you don’t have confidence in yourself because with not trying, you’re not going to do your best ability. Jenni has helped me try new things and build trust.”

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

“The kids. Working with grown ups is just not as fun (she said laughing). Helping them learn and get excited about learning is a reward. Every day is a reward now. Just showing them love and them showing us love back is so rewarding.”

What is the most challenging part of teaching?

“Mainly I think there is so much we have to do nowadays as far as paperwork, data collection, and assessments; and it takes a lot of time away from actually teaching.”

Advice to students

“Have confidence and just try, try. I was one not to have a lot of confidence. That’s always been my downfall. It’s ok to fail because you learn from it. Don’t be afraid of what people think. You’re not going to enjoy life worrying about what others think. We all are going to fail, but it’s what we do with the next step that is most important.”

Advice to parents

“I don’t know when it got to this point, but a lot of parents don’t trust teachers. It’s almost like the teachers have gotten to be the bad person. They feel like we’re not here for their child’s best interest. But if I could just tell them, I’ve been teaching for 13 years, and yes, there will be some that are bad, but everyone I have come across has the same desire to see these children succeed. I look at them as they are my own. We are here for them and here for the parents as well.”