Fayette

County High School teacher Linda Brem was named

Fayette County's Teacher of the Year Thursday

night during a gala staged at Sams Auditorium.

Brem

is the county's first nationally board certified

teacher. She has taught English at Fayette County

High School for 20 years and serves as the

English department head. In her acceptance

speech, Brem said she felt "great emotions

of humility and great emotions of pride"

being honored as the county's top teacher.

"Life's truest moments are captured in the

paradox."

Her

pride, she explained, came from the experience of

being among such exceptional educators,

especially the two finalists, Cathy Nix of Rising

Starr Middle School and Jill Kirkland of

Whitewater Middle School. "On the other side

of the coin, I have feelings of humility... I

cannot claim it as my own. So many people along

the way have helped me with this

recognition..."

Debbie

Condon, chairman of the Fayette County Board of

Education, noted in her remarks that the 23

nominees for Teacher of the Year represented the

"tip of the talented iceberg... we have so

many fine teachers here in Fayette County."

Among the qualities that defined the county's top

teacher were the beliefs that the

"instruction of students was a profession,

not just a job, and the ability to nurture and at

the same time, mentor students," Condon

added.

"These

teachers go the extra mile," Condon said.

"They generate an environment conducive to

learning.

"If

we view teaching as an art, then we are in the

presence of Fayette County's masters," she

said.

As

Teacher of the Year, Brem will compete next year

at the state level. She was awarded a Dell

computer from Georgia School Equipment, a

pendulum clock from Coca-Cola, a Wal-Mart gift

certificate, a specially designed Teacher of the

Year award from Balfour, a gift certificate and

travel voucher from the Fayette County Schools

staff development office for travel to an

educational conference of her choice, and a Mary

Kay gift basket.

Each

school in Fayette named a Teacher of the Year,

and those named served as nominees for

county-wide Teacher of the Year. They were Lori

Boggs, Braelinn Elementary; Patt Williams, Brooks

Elementary; Tina Patrick, Burch Elementary; Joyce

Simpson, East Fayette Elementary; Barbara Howell,

Fayette Middle; Lin Zacherl, Fayette

Intermediate; Ashli Wade, Fayetteville Primary;

Brenda Cannington, Flat Rock Middle; Carol Long,

Huddleston Elementary; Nancy Shepack, J.C. Booth

Middle; Carol Hancock, Kedron Elementary; Rhoda

Rush, McIntosh High; Mary Ann White, North

Fayette Elementary; Lynn Shirley, Oak Grove

Elementary; Alice Elfer, Peachtree City

Elementary; Lisa Coley, Peeples Elementary;

Anthony Pattiz, Sandy Creek High; Pan Foster,

Spring Hill Elementary; Donna Cates, Starr's Mill

High, and Margaret Garret, Tyrone Elementary.

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