Jones County educator who makes math ‘come alive’ named GA Teacher of the Year

A Middle Georgia educator was named the 2027 Georgia Teacher of the Year, a high state honor for recognizing teachers’ exceptional teaching and dedication to students in the classroom.

Charm Mapp, an eighth-grade math teacher at Clifton Ridge Middle School in Jones County, described the honor as both astonishing and bittersweet.

“When I heard my name, I was just shocked,” Mapp told The Telegraph on Monday. “I’m super excited, but I’m definitely going to miss my babies.”

As Teacher of the Year, Mapp will take a one-year sabbatical to act as a full-time ambassador for Georgia public education, GaDOE spokesperson Meghan Frick said. Mapp was chosen from among 10 finalists representing school districts across the state following a competitive selection process that included interviews before a panel of judges in April.

Mapp has spent her entire 23-year career at Clifton Ridge Middle, focusing strictly on math for more than 15 years, she said. She also serves as the school’s gifted lead teacher and supports the Jones County Virtual Academy.

In the TOTY role, Mapp will speak about the teaching profession across the state and serve as an ex-officio member of the state board of education.

What happens in the classroom?

Mapp said her goal is to “demystify” math by helping students move beyond fear of the subject and see how it applies outside the classroom.

“We kind of make math more real-world and open it, so there are no right or wrong answers,” she said. “(The students) get away from wanting to be first and the quickest with the right answer, and they start to embrace other students’ perspectives and just think about math as more of a conversation in everyday life ...”

Mapp calls the strategy “number talks” — discussion-based activities where students share math ideas and explain how they think about a problem.

For a systems-of-equations project, Mapp had students in “family groups” compare two cellphone plans, calculate when each became the better value and record themselves persuading their “parents” which plan to choose.

She said the method has gradually grown throughout her teaching career.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, Mapp’s yearlong “number talks” begin with visits from fellow teachers, who show students how math connects to subjects such as music and art. Later, community members — including the mayor, newspaper editors and students’ relatives —discuss how they use math in careers ranging from accounting and healthcare to business.

“Charm Mapp makes mathematics come alive for her students through her classroom number talks and hands-on instruction,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I can’t wait to see how she advocates for students, teachers and schools throughout her time as Georgia Teacher of the Year.”

Looking ahead

The Jones County School System congratulated Mapp on Friday in a social media post, thanking her for inspiring students, supporting colleagues and making a difference in others’ lives.

“This incredible honor reflects Ms. Mapp’s unwavering dedication to her students, her passion for education and the positive impact she makes every day,” the district said. “She represents the very best of Jones County Schools, and we are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.”

Mapp has mentored 19 student teachers, served as a partner teacher liaison and taught pre-education courses for Georgia College & State University, according to the release. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in middle grades education and a specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from GCSU and is pursuing a doctorate in curriculum and instruction.

She will also compete for the 2027 National Teacher of the Year.

Looking ahead, Mapp said she wants to help teachers recognize the power of their voices and use it to benefit the profession.

“Teachers need to be very aware that what they say (and) what they do, it matters,” she said. “What I hope to accomplish throughout the course of this year is helping teachers to find and use that teacher voice to impact that life-long change, because it goes just beyond their classroom.”

Georgia Teacher of the Year operates one year ahead to align with the national program. The 2027 Georgia Teacher of the Year will serve from July 1 to June 30, 2027.