In this episode, PAGE Talks host Craig Harper, PAGE executive director, presents a conversation with 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year Michael Kobito. Michael is the AP Music Theory teacher and band director at Woodland High School in Bartow County, his alma mater. While attending college at the University of Georgia, he served two years as the drum major for the Redcoat Marching Band.

Professional Biography

PAGE One Magazine Feature

Georgia Teacher of the Year - A program of the Georgia Department of Education. PAGE is an organizational sponsor of the Georgia Teacher of the Year program.

Teacher Burnout in Georgia: Voices from the Classroom - This report commissioned by the Georgia Department of Education, and produced by a teacher task force chaired by 2022 Georgia Teacher of the Year Cherie Goldman, was published in June 2022.

Music for PAGE Talks is Inspirational Outlook by Scott Holmes

Podcast cover art by Dolly Purvis with PAGE Communications

Show Notes

03:12 – Biographical details: Born in Okinawa, Japan; early childhood in England; moved to Cartersville, Georgia, in Bartow County; graduated from the University of Georgia; and returned to alma mater Woodland High School as a band teacher.

04:07 – “Dream Come True” to return to Woodland High School as a band teacher.

04:24 – Learned the involvement and commitment required from educators to offer a successful band program that wasn’t obvious as a student.

05:42 – Stars aligned with former band directors agreeing to take care of the band program to make it possible to serve for one year as Georgia’s Teacher of the Year.

07:06 – Responsibilities of Georgia’s Teacher of the Year include ex-officio member of State Board of Education, service on education-related non-profit boards, keynote speaker and panel participant at education conferences.

09:06 - State Board of Education experience rewarding, and board members are interested in listening to the teacher voice.

10:24 – State Board focus this year is career preparation across the spectrum from college prep to vocational areas. Michael emphasizing the importance of the arts as a way to support that industry as well as helping students in academic work.

12:06 – Teacher pipeline issues are important to the State Board and the Georgia Department of Education. The Teacher Burnout Report – produced through the work of a task force led by 2022 Georgia Teacher of the Year Cherie Goldman – highlights the challenges teachers face and that sometimes lead to their dropping out of the profession.

14:41 – Teachers’ social media posts often refer to the lack of time available to provide core responsibilities for student instruction and preparation for instruction. Bartow County has done a good job of protecting time.

17:32 – Future Georgia Educators conferences are informative and engaging for high school students. Presenting to students provides a different level of excitement...