2009 Teacher of the Year pushes, inspires chorus students

Music class is a staging ground for sound when teacher Shelynn Scott is leading the chorus. Her students explore different beats and sing in different languages. They may study show tunes or dabble in the classics before presenting folk songs, which are kinder to tender voices changing with age, Scott said.

Don't forget the rock 'n' roll, either. "Nothing teaches you how to sing harmony better than doo-wop," the teacher said.

At Oconee County Middle School, students rely on Scott for their choral training. She drills fundamentals, then frolics in melody. She creates structured lessons, leads rehearsals and challenges on stage.

That's where the music teacher and her students have fun together - as performers.

"Performing and teaching, what we do kind of goes hand in hand," Scott said. "You kind of have to love it. It doesn't feel like work when you're doing what you love."

Scott's dedication to her students and their vocal craft at Oconee County Middle School recently led to her being named the school district's 2009 Teacher of the Year.

Principal Philip Brown credited Scott with motivating her students to continue their training, year to year. Her classes are voluntary, like electives. Scott's retention rate - which she said is about 98 percent - is a tribute to her success, Brown added.

"For middle school students to commit to something is a great skill to learn for them at their age," Brown said. "She works extremely hard. She's very passionate about what she does. She connects with kids, and it's evident when you walk in her classroom that they love her."

Scott credits her own teachers with inspiring her to inspire others.

They begin with her parents - Georgia Scott, a lifelong educator in Clarke County, and the Rev. Franklin Scott, a campus minister at the University of Georgia.

Scott, 29, was introduced to music training with piano lessons, followed by violin. Band music enthralled her at Clarke County Middle School, where she started learning clarinet with teacher Earl Ayers.

"He made middle school band exciting and really, really got us involved and kept us busy. He always expected a lot," Scott said. "He didn't treat us like middle-schoolers. He expected the best. So, we would produce the best."

Scott started concentrating on