TEACHER: Pam Hartner

SCHOOL: Bay Minette Elementary School

SUBJECTS TAUGHT: Gifted Resource classes, or Project Jubilee

SOMETHING UNUSUAL ABOUT YOURSELF: Some of them may know this, but I attended Bay Minette Elementary School and had my third and fourth grade classes in this very building.  Needless to say, this is home for me and I feel very protective and proud of my school. 

Pam Hartner is the gifted resources, or Project Jubilee, teacher for Bay Minette Elementary School and also works with students at Bay Minette Intermediate School.

“I began my teaching career at Loxley Elementary School in 1988,” Hartner says. “I taught second grade for three years and then had the tremendous opportunity to begin teaching in the gifted education program for Baldwin County.”

For two years, Hartner was an itinerant teacher traveling to several schools each week to teach enrichment and gifted classes. During that time, she obtained her master’s degree in gifted education from the University of South Alabama. At the beginning of her sixth year of teaching, she was able to transfer near home to Bay Minette Elementary School. She now teaches third, fourth and fifth graders and offer consultative services and screening to kindergarten through second graders.

Although she just began her 27^th year in the classroom, teaching was not her first career choice. She began her college studies in pre-medicine and decided it wasn’t the direction for her.

“I have always enjoyed the challenge of learning something new and decided I would like to pass that passion along to others,” Hartner says. “I especially enjoy planning and designing curriculum. I believe in a hands-on approach to learning and in giving children the opportunity to discover and make connections after the introduction of concepts and ideas.”

Teaching allows Hartner to be creative and productive in a different way each day.  

“My parents instilled in me the desire to be productive and to do a job well,” she says. “Teaching fulfills that for me. By the way, my youngest brother became the doctor (after he tried teaching).”

There are many aspects Hartner enjoys about teaching.

“I truly see our goal as educators as one in which we prepare our students for the world and to teach them to teach themselves,” she says. “Kids are capable of so much if we give them the chance to excel. I have high expectations, and young children can certainly rise to the occasion. Our gifted curriculum offers high-interest, challenging studies which are project-based and allow students to think beyond the ordinary and to explore topics outside the regular classroom.”

Hartner most enjoys observing her students’ thought processes develop and seeing them evolve into more sophisticated thinkers and producers. 

“At the elementary level, we are most definitely allowing them to explore interests and to think creatively,” she says. At the moment, my third, fourth and fifth graders are exploring design engineering. They are asking questions and solving problems — lots of fun. One of my favorite quotes is, “Our children are not vessels to be filled, but candles to be lit.”

Hartner knows she is fortunate to work with the same students for several years, so seeing their growth is gratifying. She has been able to continue relationships with some families for many years.

“Just recently, I was working in my backyard and was pleasantly surprised by the visit of a former student who just graduated college and is now teaching. That was priceless!” she says. 

When Hartner isn’t teaching, she enjoys her family, church, exercise, travel, books and gardening. My husband Eddie and I live just a few blocks from school with a lively golden retriever and a mature tabby cat. They recently took a trip to Italy, and Hartner is working on planning a river cruise in France.

“I enjoy my co-workers,” Hartner says, “and count many of them as my closest friends.