Alyssa Ridenour
reporter@greenepublishing.com
It's been a rough year for many teachers, with the pandemic creating new challenges and hurdles to be jumped. Each month, WCTV has given recognition to teachers whose efforts went above and beyond the call of duty. The recent awards went to Tamisha Ealy and Georgia Dietz. WCTV awarded them for their hard work and dedication by presenting them with awards, as well as gift cards and a feature on their newscast.
Georgia Dietz
Georgia Dietz is a lifelong resident of Madison County and the daughter of Mike Register and Cheryl Cruce. Dietz is the mother of 11-year-old Malakai Dietz and 16-year-old Rowen Dietz.
Dietz earned her Associate of Arts degree from North Florida Community College (NFCC). Thinking she wanted to go into counseling or social work, Dietz went on to earn her bachelor's degree in Human Services. Through a series of coincidences, she eventually discovered a passion for education, which led her to go for the necessary prerequisites to teach.
Dietz is now working as a fourth-grade teacher at Madison County Central School (MCCS), teaching social studies and science. Prior to her employment with MCCS, Dietz worked in advisement at NFCC. She has been in the education field for about six years and loves what she does.
Outside of work, Dietz enjoys gardening, conventions, festivals and special effects makeup. Additionally, she volunteers with the Junior Auxiliary.
When recalling the moment she was awarded teacher of the month by WCTV, Dietz stated, “The last year has been rough with COVID. A lot was being done behind the scenes. When WCTV gave me the award, it made me realize that someone saw our efforts, and that helped me get through the last month of the year.”
Tamisha Ealy
Tamisha Ealy grew up in Virginia. Her parents, Richard and Sheryl Ealy, were originally from Madison, and Ealy would often come to Madison in the summers to visit family. After graduating high school, she decided to move to Madison while she was attending North Florida College in pursuit of her Associate of Arts degree. She later went on to Saint Leo University, where she earned her bachelor's in elementary education and a master's in business administration.
Ealy has now been teaching for a total of 10 years, with six of those years being in Madison County schools. Ealy expressed that her favorite part of teaching is seeing that “lightbulb moment” in her student's eyes when they begin to understand a concept.
In response to WCTV having awarded her with Teacher of the Month, Ealy remarked, “I was shocked because I didn't know anything until they walked in my classroom. I was working with my students on some math problems and when I turned around, I saw everyone in my room. It made me feel appreciated, because we often spend more time working than with our families. It made me feel like it all paid off.”