Faculty Feature: Ms. Diamelia Christie, fifth-grade teacher

"Every day when I’m driving to work I can’t believe I work at Rabun Gap. I can truly say I have never worked with such a great group of people and I have prayed to find a place that needed me as much as I needed them. Rabun Gap is like a family and everyone helps out whenever you need them and they make you feel so special."
 
Ms. Diamelia Christie is in her first year at Rabun Gap and teaches fifth grade in our Lower School. She moved to the area from Florida last year with her husband, Terrell, and their four-year-old son Chace who attends preschool at the Lower School. She is a passionate teacher and has done an incredible job with the fifth-grade this year. She is also a member of the Equity and Inclusion Committee, Sunshine Committee, and coaches middle school track.
 
What were you doing before coming here?
Before coming to Rabun Gap, I was teaching seventh and eighth grade English and Reading at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay, FL for the last six years.
 
What made you choose to work at Rabun Gap?
My husband is a chef and got a job here and we relocated to this area. Coach Shawn Bryson and I are friends. He informed me about a fifth-grade position, and the rest is history. We have been traveling to the area for about fours years and I would tell my husband I’m going to teach at “that school that looks like Hogwarts” one day.
 
Why did you decide to work in education?
I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid. I can remember reading and teaching my siblings and cousins when we were little. I truly believe God has blessed me with the gift to help students learn to serve others and to teach them to do what is right even when it’s difficult. I also enjoy sharing my love of reading with them.
 
What were you like in elementary school?
I was curious, motivated, a perfectionist and bossy. I loved to read and was always in search of a book that had a character that looked like me. I ran track and was a majorette for my elementary school. My favorite classes were reading and science because I loved science experiments.
 
What do you like about working with lower schoolers?
I love how I can be myself with them; I teach them about topics and introduce them to new concepts while still making it fun. I feel that I have a tremendous responsibility because I help to set the foundational skills that will guide them in having an open mind and trying even if they might fail.
 
The fact that my students tell me “thank you” for teaching them lets me know that students love school and especially love me. They are so compassionate and actually care about learning which helps me to be a better teacher.  I could be having a bad day, but once I’m around the students nothing else matters because they keep me smiling and laughing. I have never worked with such an amazing group of students and teachers.
 
What makes Rabun Gap special?
Rabun Gap is a gem in the middle of North Georgia. Every day when I’m driving to work I can’t believe I work at Rabun Gap. I can truly say I have never worked with such a great group of people and I have prayed to find a place that needed me as much as I needed them. Rabun Gap is like a family and everyone helps out whenever you need them and they make you feel so special. Whenever I’m coaching track and my husband has to work, the other teachers would take care of Chace as if he was their own.
 
What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom?  
I enjoy reading (of course), fashion, consigning/thrifting, blogging, traveling, crafting, and I’m a foodie.
 
What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?
I was on the Dance Team in high school and college. I was Homecoming Queen in college.  
 
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.