Five Classroom Teachers Named Finalists in South Carolina Teacher of the Year Program

COLUMBIA, SC – March 3, 2009 –  Five outstanding classroom teachers were named today as finalists in South Carolina’s State Teacher of the Year Program. 

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said the five teachers, chosen from nominees representing 82 of the state’s 85 local school districts, the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Palmetto Unified School District will travel to Columbia for personal interviews with a seven-member state Selection Committee. They are vying to represent more than 50,000 South Carolina teachers in the National Teacher of the Year Program.

The five teachers, listed alphabetically by school district, are:

• Amanda McKee, a ninth-and tenth-grade algebra and geometry teacher in Florence School District 5;
• Derenda Marshall, a second- through fifth-grade elementary science teacher at McDonald Elementary School in Georgetown County;
• Deborah Moore, a first-grade teacher at Gallman Elementary School in Newberry County;
• Dywanna Smith, a seventh-grade English/language arts teacher at Hand Middle School in Richland School District 1;
• Bryan Coburn, a pre-engineering, computer programming and business teacher at Northwestern High School in York School District 3

The finalists were chosen by a panel of educators and private citizens with no connection to the agency. The names of the teachers and the schools they represent were concealed from the judges during the selection process.

“These innovative teachers represent the best and brightest of South Carolinas’s teaching force,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “I commend them on this honor.  While they come from different backgrounds and teach different subjects, they have one thing in common.  They are teacher leaders who share an enthusiasm for learning.  Individually and collectively, they inspire young people to greatness.”

The announcement of South Carolina’s 2009-10 Teacher of the Year will be made at the Teacher of the Year celebration May 1 in Columbia.  During the next school year, that teacher will participate in a one-year residency program at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) and serve as a statewide ambassador for the profession.   South Carolina’s new Teacher of the Year also receives a $25,000 cash award, a Dell laptop computer, a set of Michelin tires and a BMW X5 48i to use for a year.   He or she will also participate in Leadership South Carolina, attend Notre Dame’s prestigious three-day Excellence in Teaching Symposium and receive a SMART board. 

The four remaining finalists, or Honor Roll teachers, will receive $10,000 each and a set of Michelin tires.  District teachers of the year receive $1,000 each.

This year marks the 44th year of the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Program, which has grown tremendously in participation and prestige.  The awards program is a nationally recognized event that honors the State Teacher of the Year, Honor Roll teachers and district teachers of the year. 

The 2009-10 corporate sponsors include: BMW Manufacturing Co.; Time Warner Cable; Michelin North America, Inc.; The R.L. Bryan Company; Childs and Halligan, P.A.; Data Recognition Corporation;  SMARTer Kids Foundation; Duff, White & Turner, L.L.C.; Duke Energy; Leadership South Carolina;  Notre Dame Club of the Western Carolinas; SCE&G; State Farm Insurance; Wachovia Bank; avannah River Nuclear Solutions; and Haynsworth, Sinkler and Boyd.
 
Rex said his agency would assist the new Teacher of the Year in preparing his or her application for the national program next fall.  The National Teacher of the Year program, started in 1952, is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers and is sponsored by the ING Foundation.

The 2009-10 State Teacher of the Year will succeed Jenna Hall, a teacher at Calhoun Academy for the Arts in Anderson School District 5.

The new Teacher of the Year will work with CERRA and the South Carolina Teacher Forum, whose members are district teachers of the year. The residency will include numerous speaking engagements around the state before civic and professional groups interested in education. The teacher also will conduct workshops for other classroom professionals, discuss public education issues with members of the General Assembly and State Board of Education, and work closely with the Teacher Cadet Program, a program that encourages academically able students with exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills to consider teaching as a career.

This year’s five finalists (alphabetically, by school district) are:

Amanda McKee, ninth-and tenth-grade algebra and geometry, Florence School District Five

McKee knows what it feels like not to understand math, so she’s determined to help her students develop a love for the subject.  “My ultimate goal for my students is for them to think mathematically in situations.  I want them to figure the price of the meal including tax and tip, estimate, make an equation for the situation to predict the future, use formulas, look for patterns, read charts and graphs and understand their meanings, know where to look to find the answer when you don’t have a clue, and have enough reasoning ability to check and see if a solution makes sense.  An American Cancer Society Relay for Life volunteer chairperson, she works with the elderly and the needy through her church.  McKee graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math education from the University of South Carolina and is currently working on master’s degree in curriculum and instruction through the University of Scranton.  In 2007, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. She is also National Board certified. 

 

Derenda Marshall, science teacher, McDonald Elementary School, Georgetown

Marshall came from a family where her father worked two jobs, her mother was chronically ill, and her grandmother was verbally abusive.  Each morning, she left home confused and battered by internal strife, yet seeing her mother wave and say, “Have a great day, and I know you can do it.”  It was those smiles, waves, and words of encouragement that got her through the day and kept her focused.  “When I returned home, she was on the porch asking, ‘How was your day?’ and saying, ‘I knew you could do it!’ as she listened to my adventures, discoveries, and accomplishments.  Then it was, ‘Let’s get started on tonight’s lessons,’ and together we learned.  My mother knew nothing about learning styles, but she realized I learned by doing, putting information to music, using acronyms, or connecting it to something in my life.”  Marshall seeks to be the wind that lifts her students to success, the same way her mother was for her.  She is devoted to teaching in schools where poverty levels are high, challenges are numerous, and students are at risk.   She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Converse College.  National Board Certified, Marshall has taught for 24 years. 

 

Deborah Moore, first-grade, Gallman Elementary School, Newberry County

One of eight children from a poor family living in a small rundown house by the edge of a main road, Moore grew up without books. When she first stepped into a classroom, she didn’t have school supplies and had never held a pencil.  Consequently, she was labeled early on, and it
wasn’t until the sixth grade that she got a teacher who really wanted to know her.  Today, her job as a teacher is to get to know her students, create engaging opportunities, build inquiry activities, and allow those children that all-essential time to wonder, ask questions and make connections and mistakes. “I know there are many roads to each of the goals and standards that I want my students to meet, and I try to find a road that will guide each child to that destination.  It’s hard work, but it is worthwhile and necessary work for a nation that has gone from melting pot to rainbow.”  A 10-year veteran, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Kentucky University and a master’s degree from Southern Wesleyan University.

 

Dywanna Smith, seventh-grade English/language arts, Hand Middle School, Richland School District 1

Teaching for seven years, Smith is an effective communicator who can deal with the intricacies of student learning, balance critical and creative experiences, and research instructional methods that can improve student performance.  She believes that literature cannot be simply read, but must be experienced, so her classroom provides an atmosphere conducive for learning while promoting dynamic discussions.  “By helping my students see themselves in the pages of a book, they are better able to see how their lives connect with the world around them.  I teach writing not only as a necessary life skill, but as a tool for enrichment and catharsis.  In my class we analyze the importance of words, form their ability to change a character’s life or ignite a nation to act.  She is active in the community, serving as a “touch therapy” volunteer for babies who have been abandoned or suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.  A daughter of educators, Smith earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. She is National Board certified. 

 

Bryan Coburn, pre-engineering, computer programming, business, Northwestern High School, York School District Three

Coburn’s personal philosophy is based on three tenets.  “First, I believe that every one of my students is intelligent and unique.  Understanding their backgrounds, learning styles, and personal experiences is crucial to enhancing their ownership of learning.  Secondly, I believe that for each student there is a ‘hook.’ This is not a temporary snag that briefly holds their attention but one on which they can ultimately ‘hang their hat.’  Finally, I believe that enthusiasm and excitement for learning are fundamental and essential characteristics for a teacher.  A teacher who loves learning passes the desire to learn along to students.  The rewards of teaching are those that are shared by student and teacher alike.  Once Coburn personally engages students in learning and tailors his lesson to their needs and knowledge base, their grasp of the subject matter is far stronger because it is relevant to them.  Coburn graduated from Milligan College and earned a master of arts in teaching degree from Winthrop University.  A 19-year teaching veteran, he is National Board certified.