In a time when traditional teaching is changing, Robin Lenox is finding new and inventive ways to reach her students.

Lenox, who teaches English at Southeast Lauderdale High School, is the recipient of the Golden Apple Award for December.

“Receiving this award is a complete surprise,” said Lenox. “There are many qualified teachers, and I’ve only been doing this for four years, so I don’t feel qualified.”

“It’s challenging because many things happen throughout the day, and sometimes it just doesn’t feel like I’m making a difference. To know that deep down inside that somebody feels that way means a lot, so this is a really good surprise,” Lenox added.

A graduate of Newton High School, Lenox never thought she would lean towards teaching, but after a wake-up call from her parents, she received her degree from MSU-Meridian.  

“I’ve always had this innate feeling that I wanted to teach, but I never left school wanting to be a teacher,” she said. “It wasn’t until my parents looked at me at 21 and said it’s time for me to get my life together.”

“I just decided that being an English teacher would be it, and I went for it,” she said. “I believe I needed to live life a little before deciding on a career, but ever since, it’s been pretty great.”

When Lenox isn’t teaching literature, she’s coaching Colorguard and Southeast’s Esports team, which will kick off in the spring.

Winning the Golden Apple Award confirms that Lenox made the right decision to teach. She said receiving the award is something she will always cherish, because it’s only given to teachers who make a difference in students’ lives.

“This award means a lot because it shows the good of being in education and validates us amongst all these really difficult things that we experience every day. We as teachers are doing something right, and it does mean a lot to be noticed and to be valued,” she emphasized.

Maintaining positive energy in the classroom is important to Lenox, as she tries to keep a positive atmosphere, giving her students the freedom to relax mentally and physically.

“My favorite thing about being a teacher is I get the opportunity to have a different mindset of trying to be the teacher that I needed in school,” Lenox said.

“I never wanted to be that traditional teacher that doesn’t have a relationship with their students, but rather keeps the mindset that these are humans and we’re trying to prepare them for the next step,” she said. “Being that adult that treats them as a human and tries to help them for whatever they may encounter outside of these walls keeps me motivated every day.”

“I think it’s been a great avenue to being an advocate for these students because I think there’s a large disconnect between adults and teenagers,” Lenox said. “Being in the trenches with the students, and actually learning about them and what they have to say, breaks all of these things society says about them.”

As students begin to graduate and go to college, Lenox hopes she’s made an impact on her them, and not just in the classroom.

“My goal as a teacher is of course to teach them, but I want to offer more than that,” Lenox said. “I want to teach my students how to be a good human being, how to navigate through life, and just be a decent human with good social skills.”

Golden Apple Award

Lenox received $1550 in cash and prizes: $300 cash; $250 gift certificate from Walmart; and $1000 (approximate value) in school supplies from Avery Products. Each Golden Apple Teacher of the Month will be recognized at the Golden Apple Award Banquet on May 25, 2023 at the Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Experience. The Teacher of the Year will receive $1500 and a custom-made Teacher of the Year Trophy. The Teacher of the Year will also be allowed to select a graduating student to receive a scholarship.

Golden Apple Sponsors

Title Sponsorships: East Mississippi Electric Power Association, Coastal Television of Meridian and The Meridian Star; Key Sponsorships: The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, Woodstock Furniture, Mississippi Power, Walmart, Avery Products, Richard Schwartz, Something Southern; Participating Sponsor: Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

How to nominate a teacher

Nominations for the monthly Golden Apple Award can be submitted by parents, faculty, or community members as well as past or present students. Candidates must be a current, full-time, faculty member in Pre-K through 12th grade (public or private) and work in the following counties: Lauderdale, Neshoba, Kemper, Clarke, and Newton in Mississippi; and Choctaw and Sumter in Alabama.

The nomination process consists of an essay (no more than 500 words) detailing why the person should be considered for the award. Nomination details and an entry form are available online at www.goldenappleawards.com.