Joy Tyner is the principal at Cahaba Elementary.
Q: What inspired you to work in education?
A: I kind of fell into education. I went to MississippiState wanting to ring a cowbell, not really wanting to learn anything—rather embarrassing. I ended up in education at my mother's suggestion that I get a degree in something, and that would be a good thing for somebody who wanted to stay at home and be a mom. It wasn't until I met my first class. They were the inspiration, and every year after that it's the kids.
Q: What is something great about your school?
A: The absolute greatest thing about Cahaba Elementary is the culture. When you walk in the doors of the school, it feels different. It's a happy place. It's an inclusive place, and we celebrate kids every single day. I love being here. I actually am the weirdo who misses it when we're on vacation. So, that definitely; greatest thing is the culture.
Q: Tell us something about you that people might not know.
A: People may not know that I grew up in a little bitty town in Mississippi. I went to college in Mississippi. My entire career was built in Mississippi, and I still consider myself as an outsider in Alabama. I moved here in 2016. So I still have to Google when I watch the weather to try to figure out what county and what city people are talking about.
Q: Tell us about an educator who was important to you while in school.
A: The most important educator that Iremember growing up was my fifth grade teacher, Miss Norris, and she taught me that whatever you expect from children and whatever you tell them is what you're gonna get. She told us we were brilliant, and so we thought we were. She told us we were the best and I was a good writer, and I believed her. She empowered me to keep on and to think I was something special.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: The most rewarding part of this job is knowing that we're the foundation. We're giving these students everything they need to be successful in the future, and it starts with things like celebrating them, letting them know they're appreciated, setting high, high expectations and giving them a rigorous curriculum and opportunities to serve and learn leadership skills. And we send them off, and they're ready.
