Teacher Kathy Robertson knows every child is different, and every child learns in his or her own special way.

As she roams among youngsters fitted with headsets in their computer lab, Robertson stops to assist one young man with an extremely quizzical look upon his face.

&#8220Uh, oh, let's see what's going on there,” the teacher says with a smile.

A third grade teacher at Greenville Elementary School, Robertson says she strives &#8220to discover the best learning style for each individual I teach and employ it daily.”

With such an attitude, it's not surprising this 25-year veteran of the classroom was named Teacher of the Year by her peers at GES.

That honor was a proud moment for Robertson, but other things mean &#8220even more,” she says.

&#8220Seeing that light come on in a child's eyes when they have done well, having parents come back years later to tell me how much I meant to their child, and those daily hugs – they all mean so much,” Robertson says.

Robertson, a graduate of Auburn University, has spent 19 of her 25 years in teaching at GES. She calls the administration at the school &#8220the most supportive I have ever had the pleasure to work under.”

&#8220There is no problem or concern that our principal, Claire Jones, our assistant principal Tera Bishop, our counselor, Betty McQueen, or our reading coach, Michelle Barrow, will not help with or find an answer to. I truly enjoy coming to work each day,” Robertson says.

The teacher says she loves being able to make a positive difference on a daily basis in the lives of the children in her classroom.

&#8220If I have opened one closed door for a child, or even given a smile or encouragement on a day they needed it, I feel I have been successful. I am certainly in a position to do this daily.”

Teaching has brought Robertson great satisfaction, but she knows it is not a profession for just anyone.

&#8220You have to have a sense a humor, a willingness to change when necessary and to do whatever it takes to do the best you can for each child.”

For anyone who is considering teaching as a career, Robertson offers this advice: &#8220Please be sure you are going into teaching because you love children and you truly want to make a difference in their lives. It will only work for you, and more importantly, for those very special lives you touch each year, if you are truly dedicated and willing to go ‘above and beyond.'”

In addition to her classroom duties, Robertson is also involved in Alpha Delta Kappa, a professional educators' service sorority, and attends the First Baptist Church in Greenville.

Robertson glances around at her students in the computer lab with visible pride.

&#8220This is really a great class…I am so fortunate to have them.”