Staff Recognition

I am Bethany Martin. I graduated from Owsley County in 2006, where I had planned to pursue nursing but later switched to education. After working in the medical field for 15+ years, I decided it was time to pursue my dream of becoming an educator. I am a mother of six and a wife, as well as a recent graduate of the University of the Cumberlands with a Master of Education in Learning and Behavior Disorders.

 A fun fact is that I love cows! I have two cow-calf pairs at this time. We currently have a zebu and a Texas longhorn.

I am going into my sixth year as an educator. I started my educational journey in July of 2023 in Early Childhood education at Owsley County Early Headstart and Headstart, working as a substitute teacher and taking college classes toward my master's degree.

Do you think you have succeeded as an educator?
Yes, I do believe I have succeeded as an educator so far because my students are growing, I am growing alongside them, and I remain deeply committed to improving my practices.

 One thing I have not done as much as I wish I had is intentionally build sustainable boundaries and systems from the very beginning. In my first few years, I often took work home at night and spent many weekends planning and creating everything from scratch, because I wanted to prove myself and give students the very best. Looking back, I wish I had asked for more help, used existing resources more strategically, and protected my time so I could show up more rested and present for students. In the future, I am actively working on this by collaborating more with colleagues, reusing and refining strong materials, and setting realistic limits on after-hours work.

My name is Tammy Clifton. I'm 51 and from Breathitt, and I have lived in Owsley for 25 years.

A fun fact about me is that I have donated so much blood that it equals 1 full gallon.

I have been an educator for 25 years.

Do you think you have succeeded as an educator? Overall, yes, I do.

What is one thing you have not done as an educator that you wish you had? I wish I had started earlier.

Hey, my name is Mr. Parker. This is my second year teaching. I graduated in 2023 from EKU with a degree in music. I have worked with the marching band, and I also have a band. We have a single out called “The Blu Jays,” and I am currently working on building the band program back up.

For the most part, I would say I have succeeded. I think my students are having fun, and that is what matters most. Since it is my second year, I am still learning. As I continue to grow in my career, I will learn what I need to do to improve and be successful.