What is Leah Skinner’s everyday reality? It’s a classroom of students in front of her, a group gathered to discuss parts of Shakespeare’s “MacBeth.”

Skinner is a literature teacher at North Atlanta High School. Just in the last few months her students have been able to refer to her with a new title: Dr. Skinner. The title came after years of hard work she devoted toward her Doctorate in Educational Administration.

Skinner began her career as a teacher in 2002 and has worked through a lot of college education in her life. She has attended four different colleges to obtain her bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees,and her newly minted doctoral degree. These colleges include California State University, Los Angeles; Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif.; National University, La Jolla, Calif., and Argosy University, Atlanta.

Skinner feels strongly that her pursuing so much education sets a needed example for her students. “As teachers, we should lead by example,” she said. “Getting the doctorate degree is the terminal degree and I feel like I should show them by doing and not just telling.”

Skinner set out to receive her doctorate degree in 2008 at Argosy University. The whole process was an arduous six-year struggle. “The hardest part was staying motivated for all of those years,” she said.

Skinner feels that teachers should always strive to work to the top of their profession. This explains her ultimate goal of becoming a principal.

Her past few years have included a grueling double duty: wholly giving herself over to her teaching at North Atlanta while pursuing her doctorate. With all this, her life has consisted of grading papers, completing homework, participating in teacher workshops and dealing with all of the everyday tasks associated with classroom teaching. Skinner hasn’t really had much free time because of job and school-related activities. With her doctorate completed, and with plenty of free time to spare now, she’s almost at loss trying to find a way to utilize her newfound freedom. “I just recently got my free time back, but it’s weird that I don’t know what to do with it,” she said. “I must still be in the school framework because I’m always thinking about what assignments to give next. I’m also thinking about what I can do to make all my students stronger academically.”

Many teachers have different reasons for pursuing the life they envision for themselves. Skinner had her own reasons for teaching high school students. “I really wanted to have a job that influenced the next generation,” she said.

This philosophy has allowed her to build the relationship with her students. “I let my students know that I care about them by offering them both discipline and support,” she said.

Beyond North Atlanta, Skinner has taught at West Lake High School and Forest Park High School. She first came to North Atlanta during the 2012-13 school year. She said working here is similar to past schools. The big difference that drew her to North Atlanta is the diversity of student body. “I like how we have all types here. In the past, I was in predominately African American or Hispanic schools,” she said.

Skinner strives to influence her students. Her studies are now helping her to give more to her students. Her new status as “Doctor Skinner” is just one more way an influential teacher seeks to expand her positive effects.