Handprints of Marietta, Cobb Teachers of the Year added to Walk of Honor
Oct. 7—MARIETTA — The hands of two of Cobb County's finest educators are now set in stone, as on Thursday, teachers Jenifer Mitacek and Josh Dempsey unveiled their personalized handprints, now part of the Teacher Walk of Honor on Marietta Square.
For the 33rd year, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Teachers of the Year for the Cobb and Marietta school districts at the Strand Theatre Thursday morning, before the teachers, joined with family, friends and colleagues, lifted the veil on the handprints in Glover Park.
Mitacek, Cobb County's Teacher of the Year, is a second-grade teacher at Argyle Elementary in Smyrna. She has been a teacher for nine years, and is in her fifth year at Argyle.
Mitacek thanked her family and Argyle colleagues, but also the students who motivate her.
"You are the real reason I am standing up here today. Each of you motivate and inspire me to be the best teacher I can be for you each and every day," Mitacek said.
She said she loves watching students light up when they figure out a math problem that stumped them, or hearing about the soccer goal they scored over the weekend.
"Thank you to all of my students for allowing me to make my dreams a reality. ... This is something I have known I've wanted to do ever since I was a little girl," she said.
Mitacek's teaching philosophy is all about kindness, said Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
"That says it all. When you look at that class of second graders, and you realize the teacher... that these students get to experience and enjoy every single day throughout the year, these second graders are going to be better kids," Ragsdale said. "Most importantly, they're going to be better adults. Because I think everyone can agree to say we need a whole lot more kindness."
Both Mitacek and Dempsey were cheered on by their students, who brought signs and blown up photos of their teacher's face.
"I might be the first person whose fat head is actually smaller than their real head," joked Dempsey, Marietta's Teacher of the Year, in reference to the cutouts of his face.
Dempsey teaches audio-video technology and film at Marietta High School. His students in the broadcast news class produce "Blue Devil News." His students have also filmed Marietta school board meetings during the pandemic, shot videos for events like graduation and covered football games.
"I don't even really consider myself a very good teacher, and that's why this continues to astound me," said Dempsey, who once worked in TV news. "I know in the interview process, I said that I feel like I'm more of a facilitator than a teacher."
Dempsey added he tries to make his class "like a job, but a fun job that you really look forward to going to."
Dempsey also used to work for Cobb schools in the communications department. Things have come full circle, as he recalls filming a Teacher of the Year surprise for the district years ago.
The emotional day, however, still pales in comparison to the pride he gets from watching his students grow.
"The tears I have in my eyes right now, just from the emotion of the moment," Dempsey said. "The joy of seeing these kids realize that they were achieving more than what they thought that they were capable of achieving, that is more, honestly, than this — and I appreciate this."
Marietta Superintendent Grant Rivera spoke about the sign on Dempsey's door that says his job is "helping you find what you were created to do."
Rivera recently spoke with one of Dempsey's former students who now works full-time in video production.
"There are so many ways in which they reach out to others," Rivera said. "There's ways in which his kids get real life experience. And Josh, I want to tell you that while I can talk so much about honoring you and honoring your family, who's here today, I can certainly celebrate your students."
