Through the middle school halls of Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies, you will often hear the phrase “make good choices” ringing from Mrs. Nicole Bolton’s classroom.
“I tell my students this every day when they leave my classroom.”
“Middle school is tough for so many different reasons. You must connect with your students, and you must understand that just like we have not-so-great days, so do they. I tell them, ultimately, you choose your weather!”
shares Mrs. Bolton
Mrs. Bolton is the STEM and Technology Instructor, which includes computer science, an industrial engineering class called ‘We Build It Better’ and robotics. She currently teaches 6th-9th graders at the academy, which has been an adjustment from teaching elementary-aged students for nearly two decades.
“This is such a fun age, and they have so much going on, so showing up for their events and supporting them means a lot. I love seeing them succeed inside and outside the classroom,” Mrs. Bolton explained. She believes being involved with her student’s extracurriculars motivates them as much as it motivates her.
Mrs. Bolton describes herself as a facilitator of learning at the middle school level.
“I believe in productive struggle and learning from it,” she shared. “I always tell my students that failure is the first step in learning. Especially in the subjects that I teach. Letting them take control of their learning and being there to guide them instead of telling them exactly what to do is going to benefit them so much.”
Her ultimate goal when students leave her classroom, outside of understanding and applying course content, is that they know how to communicate with other people.
“I have my students work in random groups and do teamwork challenges to improve on communication and problem-solving skills,” she continued. “They most likely will not get to choose their future co-workers, so I hope they will take away a better understanding of the importance of coming to a consensus and working with others.”
As an educator, Mrs. Bolton considers herself a lifelong learner. Even with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Masters in Education in Educational Media and Technology from the University of South Alabama, she does seek other educational opportunities for herself. This allows her to grow professionally and offer additional opportunities to her students.
“I love my students and what I do, so having parents nominate me for this is very exciting,” Mrs. Bolton exclaimed. “I am humbled because it truly is a privilege to get to do what I do every day here at Barton.”
Nicole Bolton is married to Lt. Clark Bolton of Mobile County Sheriff’s Dept. They have two children, Lilly Grace (16) and Garrett (12). They are huge Auburn fans and love sports, especially football.
