An oceanography teacher at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville has been named Gwinnett County Public Schools' Teacher of the Year.
Jenna Cloninger was named the 2025 Gwinnett County Public Schools Teacher of the Year Thursday evening.
Cloninger was selected among six finalists for the award, including Michelle Ruhl of Sugar Hill Elementary School, Treva Coates of Osborne Middle School, Halie Rios of Paul Duke STEM High School, Heather Kane of Lovin Elementary School and Michael J. Payen of Five Forks Middle School.
A selection committee of GCPS educators narrowed a list of 141 educators down to just 25. The committee, which includes former teachers of the year, local school administrators and central office staff, then selected the teacher of the year.
The committee looked for original teaching methods, studied the educator's teaching philosophy, considered the teacher's influence on the teaching practices of their colleagues and reviewed any special class projects the teacher has initiated.
In a recent Gwinnett County Public Schools video, Cloninger said she was inspired by the dedication of her students.
"I see some of the older students, and they're dealing with a lot at home," Cloninger said. "A lot of them have jobs and responsibilities outside of school ... and the fact that they get up every day, even on a bad day, and they bring their best self to school ... that really inspires me, especially on the days when we're struggling."
Cloninger said she enjoys teaching oceanography to her students.
"Not every student, like with music, is immediately drawn to it, but once you capture their interest it is so rewarding to watch them grow and watch that spark ... If I can educate students about the ocean and why it's important, and we're making them better citizens, you know that impact reaches farther than just my classroom."
