News

GTCC Professor’s Reward: Seeing Students Succeed

(Released 6/1/10)

JAMESTOWN - Anne Lambert's knack for identifying the needs of a broad range of students in her developmental education classes at Guilford Technical Community College made her an outstanding teacher, her colleagues say.

"Her guiding principle is identifying which things will best enhance the learning experience of her students," said Ed Bowling, a coworker. "Her success in identifying the particular needs of each student and then implementing a strategy for their success is apparent, given how well-prepared here students are for the next level of instruction," Bowling said.

Many of her former students come back to "hang around" outside Lambert's office door, "updating her on their progress, asking for advice, and placing great importance on her opinion. They do so because they know her interest in and concern for them is genuine," Bowling said.

Lambert's retirement on June 1 was a loss of "one of our best," Bowling said. Someone else will have to pick-up the mantle that Lambert has carried during her 35-year teaching career - nearly 29 years at GTCC.

"I love teaching English, especially English as a Second Language," Lambert said. "I only hope I've been a really good teacher."

There's no question about her success as a teacher, according to Demetria Siler, interim chair for developmental education. "I did not hesitate to seek her guidance and advice on any issue that perplexed me. Each time, Anne was there to offer support, motivation and guidance. She loves GTCC and her students, especially ESOL students and the ESOL program she created for the English department," Siler said.

"Some students had significant challenges outside the classroom and we worked together to try and keep those students engaged in their studies despite those obstacles. Her experience in doing so was a great benefit to me," Bowling said. This represented another hallmark of her time at GTCC: Anne is a great mentor to newer instructors, Bowling said. "She was willing to share her experience, and was quick to pick us up when things didn't work out as planned."

Lambert still lives in Greensboro where she graduated from Grimsley High School before earning her undergraduate degree in English at UNC-Chapel Hill and her master's degree in English at UNCG. She also holds certificates for teaching English as a Second a Language, earned at UNC-Charlotte and at UNCG..

She taught in a couple private schools for a couple years before being employed at GTCC. Her three children, Andy, David and Meredith attended GTCC, earning the hard skills they needed to augment their university experiences, she said. Husband Mark also is an educator, teaching adapted physical education at Gateway Educational Center.

The diversity of ages, culture, work ethic and even jobs that students have had before attending a community college prompted Lambert to give each student as much individual attention as she could, she said. Her mission was to see each of her studentssucceed, regardless of their challenges. "Some of them walk in the door to learn; and others have to be taught how to learn," she said.

Becoming a teacher was a "natural" for her, she said. "I always liked English, and I've always been a reader," she said. "I never thought about a career. This was something I loved to do," Lambert said.

Her biggest reward as a teacher was to "see students come so far and really turn their lives around. You could even see the impact it had on their children years later."

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