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The Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Teacher of the Year is Bettina Shiver at Straughn High School.

Tina is in her 20th year as a U.S. History and Contemporary Issues teacher and also serves as the Fine Arts coordinator at Straughn. She will be retiring at the end of the school year after completing 30 years in the education field.

“Having your peers recognize your hard work and commitment to the students is always an honor. I strive to build positive relationships with my students and hope those bonds will foster a positive environment for learning. Straughn is a special place with an unparalleled sense of community and family,” Shiver said.

Tina has taught all 30 years in Covington County Schools. Her educational career began in August 1995 at Red Level School, where she taught 10th grade world history and U.S. history, 11th grade U.S. history, and 12th grade government and economics. She then moved to her current position at Straughn High School in August 2005, where she has taught United States history, government, economics, and psychology.

“With the exception of my family, teaching has been the greatest joy of my life. Throughout my career, it has been the people: colleagues, students, and community members who have it so rewarding and so very much fun,” she said.

After Shiver received her bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology from Troy State University in 1992, she completed post-graduate work in 1997 and obtained her master’s in History from Troy in 2005.

Tina is involved in the Alabama Art Alliance, Alabama Conference of Educators, Alabama Art Education Association, and is a Bicentennial Master Teachers cohort. She was named a Master Teacher for the Bicentennial Commission, a Master Teacher for the Alabama History Institutes, and served as the president of the Alabama Conference of Educators’ Covington County Chapter in 2004-2005.

She is the co-founder of the Covington Collaborative Art Initiative and the co-founder of the Covington County Art Leadership Academy. Tina is also an active member of her church at Good News Baptist Chapel and the Lower Alabama Arts Council.

“My family has always been so supportive of the hours I put in outside of the school day. That is when the best relationships are formed with students, and I am so grateful for an understanding and encouraging family. My school family is the same. There are so many teachers that are utilizing their unique talents and knowledge to enrich the student experience, and I am humbled to be in their company,” Shiver said.

The AACC’s Teacher of the Year Award is open to educators from any Andalusia City or Covington County school. As this year’s Teacher of the Year, Tina will receive a $500 contribution toward educational materials. She will be recognized at the chamber’s annual banquet and the school’s award’s program.

Tina is married to her husband of 33 years, Kenny Shiver, and they are the parents of two daughters, Gabby Sanders and Sarah Kate Hager.

“I have had the privilege of working with Ms. Shiver over the course of the past 10 years in my position as an administrator. She is absolutely one of the most outstanding history teachers I have ever seen and also a very genuinely good person. She is one of the most loved teachers at our school because she loves the students first and they know it. The relationships she has with her students are always very professional and supportive. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, Ms. Shiver also is heavily involved in our arts programs at Straughn and in our Covington County school system in general. She does all of this tirelessly, and the impact she has on students is immeasurable. She is one of the most inspiring teachers I’ve ever been associated with and is a tremendous asset to our school,” Straughn High School Principal Matthew Cobb said.