COTTONWOOD

When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become.   Lewis Pasteur               

Greetings!   I am glad you are here.  My name is Georgann Looney and I am your child’s 2^nd Grade teacher.  This is my 16^th year at Cottonwood School.  I taught 1^st Grade for 12 years and 2^nd grade 4 years to present.  I feel teaching is one of the greatest jobs anyone could have!  It is my passion.  I believe your child is a promise and a possibility.  It is a blessing to go to school each day and be met with wide-eyed wonder and trust in my ability and commitment to care for their needs that day.   The opportunity to play a role in paving the way for their future success as a student and a person is a humbling experience.  I am eager to meet and become acquainted with each of you as we work together to develop and educate your child to their fullest potential.  Cottonwood School strives to be a place where your child can learn in a wholesome, safe and mind stimulating environment.  It is with great honor and reverence I accept and align my teaching with this mission as well.

In as much as you provide a vital support system for your child’s development, I have a support system, as well, that enables me to reach my fullest potential as your child’s teacher.  My husband, Jimmy, and I have been in partnership for 41 years and have 3 great children Shada, Jaime and Ruben along with son-in-law, Eric and daughter-in-law, Pamela.  We are Muddy and Foddy to 5 super grandchildren, D’Eric, Ivie Anne, Abi, Roxie and Felicity.  My home is my haven and my other passion is making our home a welcoming retreat for our kids, family and friends. My family yields very graciously to my calling as a teacher and I am grateful for their support and sacrifice.

An education is like a crumbling building that needs constant upkeep with repairs and additions .     Louis Dudek                                                                                                                                                                

I’m sure you have thoughts as to what qualifies me to meet the needs of your child in the endeavors of their education.  I invite you to peek through my window of preparedness equipping me for this awesome responsibility during the small, but critical 10 month time period you entrust them to me for growth, development and educational empowerment.  I earned my Master of Elementary Education from East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma in 1995 with a certification as a Reading Specialist.  I received my Elementary Certification from East Central University in 1994.  I received Alphabetic Phonics training from Payne Education Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1994-1997.  I earned my bachelors, BBA, from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas in 1973.  I earned my National Board for Professional Teaching Standard Certificate in 2006.  The Oklahoma State Board of Education recognized me as a Master Teacher in 2007.  I completed Phase 1, 2 and 3 Literacy First training for reading excellence.  I am the site coordinator for our after school program, CCLC, since the program’s inception in 2001. I received the humbling honor and recognition of my peers as Cottonwood’s Teacher of the Year in 2006.

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.  Jean De La Fontaine

In addition, I’m sure you have thoughts as to how I arrived at this position as a teacher for your child.  It is basically a calling I responded to about twenty years ago and avoided the previous twenty years.  I chose to stay home and raise my children so it was easy to turn away and not look at the calling that was pursuing me.  I stumbled into volunteering at the private school my youngest son was attending. I ultimately developed and taught their K4 program as well as teaching Kindergarten and First Grade.  Divine providence had me in a position I could not escape.   The sleeping giant within me was awakened and I was hooked.  Yearning desire and passionate commitment soon followed as I experienced a deep sense of enjoyment for the challenge, responsibility and intrinsic rewards being a teacher offered.  My heart is especially prepared for those children who have difficulty with the status quo of learning.  My sons taught me the quality and value of these wonderfully gifted children who walk to the beat of an individualized and highly differentiated drum and are the height of a promise and possibility.  My students are my teachers.  My belief system as a teacher centers around the belief that if I ever cease to see myself as a learner, then, I’ll cease to be an effective teacher. I enjoy learning and can easily put myself in the place of a student and their perspective.  Diagnosing and remediating learning difficulties comes naturally to me and is a deeply rewarding process I find exhilarating when solutions overtake problems.  Thank you for visiting with me and feel free to contact me with your inquiries and concerns.  I am here to serve your child and your family to the best of my ability.