Christian Teacher of the Year: Mandy Colwell equips fifth graders to defend the faith as many raised in the church walk away 

One teacher has made it her mission to guide children to critically analyze life through their Christian worldview in an era in which more than a quarter of those raised as Christians abandon the faith in adulthood.

Mandy Colwell teaches at Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, Georgia. Colwell is one of 12 instructors awarded 2026 Christian Teacher of the Year honors by the Herzog Foundation, publisher of Heartlander News. 

Even in the Bible Belt, Christianity has declined in recent years. In 2007, 83% of adults in the South identified as Christian, compared with 68% in 2023 and 2024, according to Pew Research Center.

Colwell said she has noticed Christian schools increasingly embracing apologetics throughout her career, making sure students know why they believe in the faith and are capable of intellectually defending it.

Strong Rock Christian teaches according to “the same standards that a private or a public school would teach, but we do it from a biblical worldview,” Colwell said.

Her fifth graders learn science and history alongside what she calls the “Prove It” method – a Christian apologetics tool for analyzing moral questions and scientific theories through biblical principles. Colwell’s “Prove It” tool is designed to encourage children to apply their biblical knowledge to concepts outside the classroom.

When her class studies World War II, Colwell said she will pose difficult questions to her students, such as: If Hitler honestly and truly asked Jesus into his heart right before he died, would he be forgiven? She said nearly every student immediately says “no” before she sends them to Scripture.

“You need to go to the Bible, and you need to find me specifically where it says in the Bible that he would go to hell,” Colwell said. She also has them find where the Bible says he could be forgiven of his sins.

For two decades, Colwell has devoted herself to teaching children. Colwell taught in public schools for 16 years before moving to Strong Rock four years ago, where she was named Teacher of the Year for 2025-26.

Colwell holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and elementary education and a master’s in literacy and reading instruction. She is married to Micheal and has two children and two grandchildren.

Her love for her work is evident in all she does.

“My favorite part about my classroom is the fact that I am trusted and loved enough to teach,” Colwell said. “We pray together at the beginning of every day. I love the kids. I love just everything about it.”