PHOTOS: Ahead of 'back to school,' a pep rally for Bibb County teachers

Educators in Bibb County got a professional jolt during the system's convocation ceremony Tuesday, a mashup of a pep rally and a church-style call to action. 

The pep rally vibes came courtesy of things like the Howard High School Band blasting sideline hits during the Teacher of the Year awards.

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Williams Elementary School Teacher of the Year Nysha Moore was just one of dozens of teachers given their time in the spotlight during the Bibb Schools convocation ceremony Tuesday.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

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Teachers from Northeast High School stand for the presentation of colors at the start of the Bibb County School District's convocation ceremony Tuesday.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

A jazz band comprising teachers and coaches from around the district provided little stabs of organ sound when featured speakers invoked the church — either through cadence or by invoking a higher sense of mission for teachers beyond test scores. 

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The Bibb Schools convocation ceremony was as much pep rally as ceremony.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

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Vineville Academy teacher Kimberly Barton is lifted off her feet by her husband, Jonathan Barton, after being named Bibb County Schools Teacher of the Year. "She puts her heart in it," Jonathan said of his wife's chosen career. "I see it everyday."

Credit: Grant Blankenship / GPB News

Superintendent Dr. Dan Sims told those gathered in the Macon Coliseum this will be his 29th year as an educator. He said times have changed and the job has gotten tougher.

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Elementary school students performing for teachers at the Bibb Schools convocation ceremony Tuesday.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

"I hope you can keep your fire alive," Sims said. "This is a very different time than it was in 1995, and it requires a heart that perhaps I didn't need in 1995. But we're calling for a different requirement for all of us."