Youth Middle’s Clay named top teacher for WCSD

Youth Middle School’s Catherine Clay is all smiles after the initial surprise of being named Walton County School District’s Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Stephen Milligan | The Walton Tribune

Catherine Clay couldn’t quite accept that what was happening to her was real at first.

When Clay was informed by her colleagues and administrators at Youth Middle School that she had not only been named as the school’s Teacher of the Year, but the overall Teacher of the Year for the Walton County School District, her first reaction was more dubious than thrilled.

“It was disbelief for me,” Clay said. “It was a shock. I’ve only been in this county for four years, so I was like, ‘Me, really?’”

But it was, in fact, really true that Clay was selected as the WCSD Teacher of the Year and she’s been working to take it all in ever since.

“I’m honored,” Clay said. “It’s not something I take lightly.”

Clay, who teaches eighth grade math at YMS, said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher.

“I’ve known I was going to be a teacher since I was in the eighth grade myself,” Clay said. “Even when I was in school, I explained things to my friends, helped others with lessons, did math tutoring.”

Growing up in Henry County, she graduated from Mount Zion High School and went on to college, eventually earning her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University and then a master’s from Troy University. She’s married with four children and comes in to class every day eager to continue the teaching she’s been dedicated to for her 20 years in education, the last four at YMS.

“I’ve always believed every kid can learn,” Clay said. “I’m very open to multiple strategies to find ways to reach each kid. Every kid has different ways of thinking, and I work to reach them where they are.”

It’s earned her a classroom of kids who were thrilled to see their math teacher earn the Teacher of the Year honor. She said the children were quite exuberant when the honor was announced.

“They were very loud,” Clay said of their cheers when they reacted. “I got some really sweet notes from kids, too.”

She said now she wants to make sure she continues to represent her school and the Walton school district well as she continues on in the statewide Teacher of the Year contest, adding it’s a lot of pressure but that she wants to make sure she wears the mantle well after her colleagues saw fit to award her with the title.

“It’s a huge honor,” Clay said.