07/14/2026
Teacher Tuesday Spotlight:
Adena Barnette-Miller
This Teacher Tuesday, we're excited to shine the spotlight on Adena Barnette-Miller! 💙🤍
A Ripley High School graduate turned inspiring educator, Adena's journey is a wonderful example of how great teachers can come full circle and give back to the schools that helped shape them. From leading award-winning social studies programs to mentoring fellow educators and representing West Virginia on a national stage, Adena's passion for teaching reaches far beyond the classroom.
👇 Take a moment to read Adena's story in her own words:
My name is Adena Barnette-Miller. I am proud to be a product of West Virginia public schools, particularly Jackson County Schools. After graduating from Ripley High School in 1999, I began teaching there in 2004. I often say I wouldn't be who I am without the public-school teachers who invested their time and energy in the wonderful experiences I had as a student. As a student, I participated in band and show choir and learned a new instrument to join our school's jazz band. Through 4-H, with the 4-H agent funded by the school levy, I served as tribe chief, won Grand Champion Lamb Showman at the fair, and earned my Charting and All-Star pins. These experiences greatly shaped my teaching philosophy. My primary goal is to give my students the same opportunities I had to learn and grow as an individual in the 1990s.
Most students in my American History, WV History, and State and Local Government classes at Ripley High School are children of my former classmates and students. This continuity reflects my strong passion for teaching key moments in our state's and nation's history. I aim to create an engaging classroom where students learn content, develop historical thinking skills, read primary sources, and produce award-winning social studies projects. My greatest joy as a teacher is helping students achieve academically, whether by interpreting primary sources such as George Washington's Farewell Address or the Gettysburg Address, or by analyzing history through writing and projects. I especially find success as our school and district social studies fair coordinator. In 2026, students in my classes earned 6 State Championships, 4 second-place finishes, 5 third-place awards, and 1 Honorable Mention.
As a public school teacher, I actively seek opportunities to expand my pedagogical and subject matter expertise. I have participated in over 20 national professional development events, such as the White House History Teacher Workshop, the Society of the Cincinnati Master Teacher Seminar, and the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher's Institute. In 2011, I was awarded the James Madison Fellowship for West Virginia, which supported my master's studies in American History and Government at Ashland University in Ohio. In 2024, I obtained my National Board Certification in Social Studies-History and now serve as a mentor for district educators working toward their certifications.
These experiences ignited my passion for teaching teachers. A career-defining moment was representing West Virginia as a K-12 Teaching Consultant at The Ohio State University, where I organized three weeklong workshops on the Declaration of Independence in Summer 2026. In June, we hosted 120 educators from 29 U.S. states, 85% of whom were public school teachers. I partnered with two Ohio educators to develop student activities on the Declaration, including a comprehensive Second Continental Congress simulation debating independence in 1776 and a Committee of Five activity in which students drafted their own versions of the Declaration. Participants learned how to implement these activities in their classrooms. I also presented the DBQ Scavenger Hunt method I designed, which guides students through color-coded annotations. I will continue in my lecturer role at OSU for at least two more years, hosting workshops on the U.S. Constitution in 2027 and the Bill of Rights in 2028. It is my honor to represent West Virginia’s public schools in Columbus, Ohio, sharing our nation’s foundational documents with teachers from across the country.
I take pride in the West Virginia public schools that shaped me, and I carry those values with me wherever I go.
