Stacey Smith has been in Fayette County as a teacher, administrator and athletic director since 2000 and took a 12-year break from teaching to be an assistant principal and administrator but is back to teach Chemistry for her twenty-sixth year.
“I really missed working with kids, with students, and McIntosh was the second school I came to to teach and coach at and loved it, but ended up leaving to go open Whitewater [High School] and I knew I would always return in some capacity,” Smith said.
Smith continues to teach for the kids.
”I am here for the kids. I really, in my 12 years out, I missed being around kids, and McIntosh has amazing kids. They really do and always have,” Smith said.
Smith has many motivations to continue teaching but one to note is when students reach back out to her.
“You get those emails back saying how much they knew in a huge Chemistry class at Georgia or Georgia Tech, or one of the big universities and just thanking you for having that faith in them and teaching them,” Smith said.
Throughout the years Smith has won many awards, but also has a goal in mind.
”I have been Teacher of the Year at another school, but never been ‘Star Teacher.’ That would be awesome,” Smith said.
Smith has had many roles in the Fayette County system including athletic director, assistant principal, and coaching for basketball, softball and girl’s golf this year, although anyone could say it is stressful, Smith keeps doing it every year.
“It’s very time consuming, It’s a lot. And at McIntosh, with the number of teams that we have and the amount of sports we have, it goes until literally the last week of school, graduation, I was constantly going from as soon as the first scrimmage of football until the last week of school. It’s constant. So there was a lot that goes into it, but I loved it,” Smith said.
Smith continues to be a teacher for the kids, and herself.
“To be a positive role model, but they are for me too,” Smith said
