By Chance Love, student reporter
Whitney Cotton is a new professor in the education department.
A native of Goltry, Cotton received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Northwestern.
Q: What brought you to Alva?
A: I really wanted to stay close to my family. I was raised by my dad, so I didn’t want to be to far away from him to take care of him.
Q: What are you looking to accomplish in the classroom this school year?
A: I’m hoping to not only train teachers to teach but give them tools and a support system.
There is a lot of teacher burnout going on in schools today, so I just want to make sure they have that support system.
Q: Who was your hero growing up?
A: My dad. My mom left when I was a baby, and he took over and played both roles my whole life. I think he did a good job.
Q: What is the scariest thing you have done?
A: It was kind of scary just changing jobs. I was in a position where it was a really good school climate, which is hard for teachers to find.
Knowing I was leaving that comfort zone to come here was a pretty big jump.
Q: What is your superpower?
A: The only thing I can think of is the level of patience that I have. I know a lot of things can happen, and I remain pretty calm. Even if it is something that is affecting my professional life, I am able to stay calm and organized.