Cason Lane Academy
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Total years as a classroom teacher: 24

“When a teacher dances with, or teaches a child, something that seems
like magic occurs. It is not merely magical; it is, in every sense,
miraculous.” – Cynthia A. Jones

Cynthia believes that a teacher is like the reflectors in a
lighthouse. The light or energy of a child is redirected, refined, and
magnified. A teacher’s role is to focus and concentrate each child’s
light to reflect it back for self-clarification.

In her classroom, the inside world is taken out. Her students
collected soap, lotion and shampoo samples fo rChristmas stockings for
the elderly. Her class voted to not exchange Christmas gifts; instead
they adopted two Salvation Army Angels, and collected eyeglass frames
for the needy in Mexico.

“A ‘born teacher,’ Cynthia Jones is an example of what is good,
right, and successful in American public education.” –Susan
Gendrich-Cameron, Principal, Cason Lane Academy

“One of the most important things Mrs. Jones taught us is something
that is not found in a textbook. She taught us respect for all people
and all things. She led by example so her students could follow. We have
become better people from having had her.” — Richard Anderson, Former
student