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Vanessa Ellis
Vanessa is an instructional coach at Double Churches Middle School in Muscogee County School District in Georgia. After graduating from Columbus State University, she was hired as a social studies teacher in the same school system she attended as a student, teaching alongside the same educators who once taught her. In 2017, Vanessa was named a Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year, and in 2018, she was selected as a Harvard Fellow to study research-based practices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2022, she was honored as Teacher of the Year for her school and for the Muscogee County School District. And she was also named the 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year Runner-Up. As a result of her teacher of the year journey, Vanessa decided to become an instructional coach after 12 years in the classroom in order to support teachers in meaningful ways. In her new role, she facilities coaching cycles, hosts professional development, is the lead teacher support coach, and is the personalized learning lead. Vanessa has been featured on education podcasts, written blog posts and articles, and presented at local, state, and national conferences. She contributes to social studies education in Georgia through her work on advisory committees and as a resource creator. You can get a glimpse of her work on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. She currently resides in Midland, Georgia, with her husband and three children.