Kim Stewart Bearden is a nationally recognized teacher and public speaker. She was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Middle School Humanities Teacher. The Milken Family Foundation selected her as one of 155 teachers from across the nation to receive the Award for Excellence in Education, and she was the chosen from among 7000 teachers as Teacher of the Year in Cobb County, Georgia. She was a Finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year, and has been honored throughout the state for her achievements in education.

Known for her creativity, Kim teaches the curriculum in innovative and inspiring ways. Her classroom has been transformed into a beach, Mt. Olympus, a poetry coffeehouse, and a mountain retreat. Her students have experienced thunderstorms, an Italian restaurant, a hospital emergency room, a colonial village, and life on a fictitious planet without ever leaving the classroom! She has held a Fashion Extravaganza to teach descriptive writing and has created Survivor tribal challenges and the All-Star Punctuation Bowl to teach grammar. Kim often teaches concepts through songs, kinesthetic games, and unique teaching strategies that motivate even the most restless learners. Her students consistently score among the highest in the state on standardized tests; she has proven that the required curriculum can be taught in a way that reinforces academic rigor while making learning an adventure.

Kim has taught over one hundred workshops to teachers on topics ranging from brain-based research and the Multiple Intelligences to authentic assessment, technology integration, and learning styles. She has given keynote addresses to audiences at numerous conferences and has served as a facilitator and emcee as well. Her speeches are often interactive as well as informative, and she is able to draw from her abundant experiences to customize her presentations to the needs of any kind of audience.

Over the past nineteen years, Kim has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, staff development trainer, and middle school principal. She is currently the co-founder of Ron Clark Academy, an innovative, independent school that serves students from Atlanta’s low-wealth areas.

Kim is married to her husband, Scotty, and she has a sixteen-year-old daughter, Madison, who gives her firsthand advice about the needs and interests of learners. Together with her family, she resides in a suburb of Atlanta. In her spare time, Kim has sponsored every possible school club and activity, such as student government, school musicals, student and teacher talent shows, and academic pep rallies. Kim is also active in her community and has served as a school board member, Sunday school teacher, and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Inspirational, Faith & Religion, Education Professionals, Georgia, Education Industry, Education