♪ music ♪ <Laura> Hi and welcome to Carolina Classroom.

I'm Laura Ybarra.

On this episode, we're celebrating educators.

We'll introduce you to the five finalists for South Carolina Teacher of the Year, and we'll catch up with outgoing teacher of the year, Deion Jamison.

Throughout this episode, we'll also be saying thank you to the people who keep their schools running and their students learning.

Anne Reamer is the lead teacher in the media arts department at the Lexington Two Innovation Center.

She is a finalist for the 2024 South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.

♪ music ♪ <Anne> I'm fortunate that I'm a Business Education teacher because we can not only do all of the accounting and finance and business law, but we have the option to do what I do multimedia, animation, advanced animation.

My passion comes from the relationships that I've made with students along the way.

<Rowan Martin> Miss Reamer is very supportive, and she's very patient, and that is very important to me to have a patient person, especially with a class that is so complicated, and high tech.

Everything is new, and like you don't see this in your day to day life.

So having a teacher that is so well trained and knows what she's doing, and is so patient and understanding is very helpful.

<Bernie Adkins> One great thing about having an Anne Reamer on your staff is she is an expert in her field.

She knows what she does, you know, with all the technical things and all that, but the biggest asset is she is an expert in relationships with her students, and once a teacher figures that out it makes an administrator's job much easier, for sure.

<Anne> I teach because these kids keep me young, number one, and number two, I like the positive change that I make in people's lives.

I choose the schools that I teach in.

I've moved around to four different schools throughout my career.

Each thing that I've learned, I've bettered myself along the way to learn more and more things.

Being named South Carolina Teacher of the Year would be the definite highlight of my entire career.

I have poured blood, sweat and tears into this career through all of these many years, I've drugged my own personal children to every football game and basketball game because I was there filming, I was there taking pictures, directing, pageants, all of those type of things that bring me closer to the relationships with the community, and the students that build up those schools, and I would be doing it for them and for everything that we've all worked so hard for and especially to showcase the love of my life, which is career and technical education.

<Laura> Amsavalli Velayuthan teaches English at the Richland Secondary Academy of Excellence in the Jasper County School District.

She is a finalist for South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.

♪ music ♪ <Amsavalli Velayuthan> Teaching is really a noble profession.

It is not about teaching.

It's something else that when you touch the lives of children, and I've been touching since 87, 1987, but to me my passion has never declined, is growing in enthusiasm, and I want to be learning more because a teacher is an ageless student.

I don't feel shy to ask questions.

That's where I learn.

I teach my children to question I teach my students to be prepared at all times, and to be meeting things as it comes.

>> One thing that like really sets Ms. V apart is like, It's not just like learning, learning, learning.

Like he is a very firm teacher, but she always makes sure it's like we're okay emotionally, like she always says, how are you doing or like she tells us good morning every day, have a good day at the end.

She really focuses on like us as a person too, instead of just academically <Adrienne Maybank> Ms. V is definitely a special one.

She, what I like about her is her spirit is really infectious.

My first day in the building, she said anything you need, I'm here to help you.

I want to do whatever I can for the students at Jasper and I really appreciated that, and that was on a Saturday.

When I first came in the building to give out schedules.

The students hadn't met me yet.

The teachers hadn't met me yet, but she approached me, and was really inviting.

It was very welcoming.

<Carmen Mulligan> Ms. V is like, a second caring mother, because even though I already have my mother, Ms. V is my school mother.

I'm always there to help her just like how she's always here to help me.

<Amsavalli Velayuthan> If I was named South Carolina Teacher of the Year, I'm going to emphasize on how to be perfecting some things that we already have in place.

It's not that we are lacking or deficit of resources.

We do have the tools.

It's how to utilize them, how to approach certain things.

It's not what they need to have.

It's not what they want to teach.

It's how, the process, the same thing I've applied even in my class, teach them the process to the product.

<Laura> Wayne Williams teaches Engineering and mechatronics at Clover High School in the Clover School District.

He is a finalist for South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.

♪ music ♪ <Wayne Williams> I was in the industry for 20 years, and I was - loved what I did, loved working in manufacturing, but it wasn't very rewarding.

So when I come to education, the opportunity to work with young people coming here, and being here for 10 years, I learned more and more every year that's working with them and seeing them enjoy learning, putting them in positions to enjoy learning, and getting up and working with their hands and doing something that they didn't think or didn't know that they could do.

To see their passion for learning is what makes it what makes it fun for me.

<Carrie Bolin> He is such a natural teacher - to watch an engineer, someone who is a very successful engineer that has something lacking and wanted more fulfillment, watch him everyday in the classroom, with no formal education background.

It's just, it's just...amazing to see how he relates to children, how he manages his classroom, how he uses different strategies to be sure students know what to do, and then to celebrate their success.

He just naturally - is just a natural teacher, he...was just born to do this.

<Cooper Richardson> He just feels more like family in the classroom, on the field anywhere, and a lot of it's project based learning.

So, it's not like we just sit here every day at a computer waiting to take this test.

It's actually in the shop, working on things and knowing that we're making a difference helping the community.

<Wayne Williams> I've been extremely humbled through all of this so far, and I can't imagine being more humbled by everything that I am now, but for me, I would grow a lot.

I would learn a lot and you know, it would be an honor to and it's crazy to think about representing an entire state, but it would... certainly be an honor <Laura> Amanda DeMeio, a teacher at Riverview Elementary School in the Fort Mill school district is a finalist for South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.

♪ <Amanda DeMeio> Every day, I walked through this school and I asked myself, What am I going to do today to make a difference in a student's life.

Giving students the tools to learn can empower them to be successful, not today, in every area of their life.

>> I've worked with many literacy coaches.

This is the fifth elementary school I've been in, in our district, and she is, by far, superior to anyone that I've ever worked with.

You give her something, and she just runs with it.

She is, like I call her the Doctor of literacy because she goes in and diagnoses what children need, and she makes the magic happen.

<Amanda DeMeio> When I come to a struggling student, I'm going to do whatever it takes, whatever I can.

I'm going to outsource.

I'm going to meet with community members.

I'm going to coach the teacher to give her the best instructional practices she can to support that student.

<Ellie C.> She means like a lot to me.

To me, she seems like part of my family, and because of her, I really want to be a writer.

<Romenick> To have somebody like Mandy to bring literature and literacy alive for our school, but not for just our school, the district, because those coaches work together.

They meet twice a month on Mondays and they talk about what's best for children, and how to make literacy come alive, and I'm just so blessed to have her here.

<Amanda DeMeio> When I think about being South Carolina Teacher of the Year, I feel like every student deserves someone in their life that will do whatever it takes for them.

I feel like every teacher needs someone in their career path that will do whatever it takes for them.

I feel that same way about administrators, and I feel like I had someone in my life that was willing to do whatever it takes for me, and that's why I'm sitting here today.

<Laura> Renee Atkinson, an English teacher at Aynor High School in the Horry County School District is a finalist for South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.

♪ <Renee Atkinson> I love teaching, and when I say I love it, there is nothing I love more than being in a class full of kids.

I do what I do, because I feel like It's what I'm led to do.

I know that teaching is hard, and I don't think that teaching has been any harder than it has been in the last five years, and there have been a lot of days when even I have felt like giving up and throwing in the towel but when you look at children and knowing what they need and the skills they need to learn and be successful, that's what keeps me coming back every day is that if I don't do it, who will?

<Reyhan Harris> She makes me feel at home in a way, and if I'm having a rough day I don't ever have to think about being fake about it, I can always be real about how I feel, and I know that she's going to look after me and care for me in that kind of way.

<Michael McCracken> Renee is a phenomenal person, and a phenomenal teacher, and we're just so very blessed to have her here on our staff.

I've seen her in the role of instructional coach, I've seen her in the role of teacher.

I've seen her in the role of parent and friend, and no matter where you see her, she's the same, and the kind of love and compassion that she has for what she does, it's infectious.

<Renee Atkinson> I would be honored to represent the state of South Carolina as the teacher of the year.

I think there is no greater honor for a teacher than to represent your peers.

There are so many teachers who don't get celebrated and to be able to speak for and be the voice of, you know, all the teachers in the state of South Carolina, I just don't think there's a greater honor for a teacher.

<Laura> The 2024 Teacher of the Year was announced at a luncheon held on the grounds of the governor's mansion, Renee Atkinson is South Carolina's 2024 Teacher of the Year.

♪ music ♪ 2023 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Deion Jamison has had a busy year traveling around the state meeting with fellow educators and visiting schools.

<Deion Jamison> This year has been a whirlwind, and I think that that's an understatement, but just getting the opportunity to travel across the state, talking to college students and aspiring educators, talking to induction teachers and early career educators, talking to veteran educators, administrators, business people, so many people that I've had the opportunity to meet and just talk about education has been a really great experience that I discussed a lot with folks was ensuring that each and every child in our state has opportunity to an excellent education and to an excellent teacher.

So I do believe that, that message was well received, just in the conversations that I've been able to have with teachers, with students, and with administrators.

One of the conversations that I'm thinking of more specifically was a time when I presented at the Citadel, and I know that there was some lawmakers that was also a part of the audience and so one of the things that came from that was a conversation with a member of our state's legislature about increasing access to STEM education for students as early as the third grade.

So I do believe that, that message of increasing opportunities to all students is being well received from a wide variety of stakeholders throughout the state.

One of the things that we hear so often in education is that there's a teacher shortage, and you don't actually believe it until you can see it and see its effects, and in one of my school visits, I remember visiting a few classrooms and there was a classroom that did not have a physical teacher in the classroom in front of students.

There was a teacher teaching via ZOOM with a classroom aide in the background, just monitoring the students ensuring that, you know, that there is no behavior issues.

So that's one of the things that really surprised me, although that I know that there's a teacher shortage, especially during my residency at CERRA and seeing the numbers, you don't really see its effects until you can actually see that they can see in person, and so one of the things that I'm really passionate about is ensuring that we do have really great teachers in our classrooms, that we're recruiting really great teachers, and that we can retain them.

I think my biggest piece of advice, and probably my only piece, right?

When you step into this position, you are in a sense elevated.

Your voice is elevated, and there'll be so many people, depending on that one voice to advocate for our public schools and for public education in general, and so, I think the advice that I would give to Renee, is to take the time, to find the moments where you can be human and embrace that and incorporate that in your walk as Teacher of the Year, because so many people will view you as Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and that's just who you are now, but it's definitely okay to embrace the humanity and honor that humanity that you have, and keep space for the person that you were before you became the Teacher of the Year.

<Laura> The Horry County School District honored their support staff with this video.

♪ music ♪ <McKinley O'Neal> My name is McKinley O'Neal, and I'm the head cook at Aynor High School cafeteria, and I've been here now for 12 years.

They say I have a way, a personality.

I don't know what it is, but they say I have this aura about me and I love to just spread it because as people on Earth, we're here to support and help one another.

We're not here for our individual selves.

If I can't help anyone, I have no purpose here, and I love my kids, and they just - me coming here everyday, that's what keeps me going.

We have almost 900 students here, and I'm willing to bet, I could name 600 of them, personally by walking by, and I have a relationship, a different relationship with each kid in a different way.

You know, I have that little conversation, because after I serve the lunch, I go out and sit with them and talk with them, and it's the love I have for the kids and the love and respect that they show me and just an amazing staff that we have here at Aynor High School.

You know, it's just so many things about the school that I love that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

♪ <Myra Gore> My name is Myra Gore, and I work at Homewood Elementary.

This is my 28th year.

I am a paraprofessional, teacher assistant, for the classroom teacher, but my favorite thing is when they come in the morning, and I get to see their bright shining faces.

They would come in ready to learn, and we're ready to teach.

We start out in the beginning of the year.

We have a kind of sort of like a blank page.

When we take that blank page, and they grow to where they can depend on themselves at the end of the year.

I have the love, the patience, the compassion, and consistency.

I love coming to school every day to work with the children.

♪ >> I'm Bridget Bailey.

I'm a paraprofessional, here at Myrtle Beach Middle School.

I've been here.

This is the end of my third year.

I kind of assist the teacher, whatever the teacher needs in the classroom.

One on one, you really get to know your kid, and that is what I like best about my job.

I like knowing the kids.

I like to knowing their favorite colors, I like to know what they like to eat.

So working one on one, you really get to know their communication styles.

We have - most of our kids are, have limited verbal abilities or nonverbal.

So you learn their body language, I want to know my kids.

I love the kids, I'm here for the kids.

These students have- with special needs have a lot of obstacles in their lives, and I don't want school to be another obstacle.

I want school to be someplace they want to go.

So, I want to make sure they're understood that what they want matters, that what they try to communicate matters, because like I said, most of them are nonverbal.

So, what they're trying to convey is important, and to give them like to make them feel safe at school.

I want them to feel like people were kind to them here, that people tried, people treated them with respect and dignity.

That's, that's really important to me.

♪ >> My name is Jeremy Howard.

I work at the Myrtle Beach Primary School.

My position is a reflection teacher.

What I do is sort of like high school ISS, but for here, it's helping the kids reflect on what they did and get them back on the right track.

So they get back to class.

I feel like I have a positive attitude.

I feel like I love encouraging the teachers, understanding what they're going through daily with the students, and that's pretty much it.

Like you won't catch me having a bad day here, because I love...my job.

I love being around the youth, and I love helping people.

♪ My favorite part is walking the halls and it might not sound much but when the kids are in the hall and all you hear is Mr. Howard, Mr. Howard, big man, big man.

You know, it's just to feel that they love that I'm here.

It don't seem much to everybody, but to me, that keeps me going through the day.

It's like they actually appreciate me being here, and it's coming from the kids themselves, so, and that's what it's about.

You know, students first, anyway.

♪ music ♪ <Tory Gibson> My name is Tory at North Myrtle Beach High School cafeteria.

I've been working for Horry County Schools since 2011.

♪ I want to make sure that all our employees that I have here, once the children come through the lunch line, we speak to them.

It's a break from learning.

It's a break from them, being in the classroom, and then socializing.

So it's an experience that we want to give our children when they come to our lunch line.

Well, my favorite part of the day would be, I'll say brunch, because it's breakfast and lunch together.

So in the mornings when our children come in for breakfast, we have music playing.

It's upbeat.

We always speak to them just to get their day started.

Lunchtime once the children come through for lunch, we talk with them.

It's just a connection that we make with them through lunch, even though it's only seconds at a time.

Every year I'm here for 9th grade orientation.

So I see them from 9th grade, all the way till they go to prom, all the way till they graduate.

So, the connections and the lasting connection that I have with my students is what I love.

♪ music ♪ ♪ <Laura> Tim Whipple has been a basketball coach at Irmo High School in Lexington, Richland School District Five, for more than 40 years.

He is only the second South Carolina high school coach with 800 wins.

<Tim Whipple> I think our guys they buy in.

They understand there's a tradition.

They understand what it means to be successful.

This group was a team, in every aspect of the word.

Everybody had a role, whether that role was playing in games, whether that was playing a lot in games, or a little in games, or whether that was being a practice player, and every single one of those young men improved, got better, and to me from a coaching standpoint, see, that's the victory, you know, the rest is just great.

It's watching those guys grow, and be better people and better players.

Our success is our school success.

It is a wonderful...feeling that you go through in life.

You work hard, and then you're rewarded for that work.

Not everybody gets the opportunity to do that, and so I appreciate every second of it, and I never take it for granted, and I never have <Kristin Whipple> But I think that, that I mean, legend- they joke legend, the goat, that he, he really implanted a sense of Irmo pride here, and that for people who have been around as long as he has, that the kids change, the staff changes, you know, the dynamic of the game changes a little bit, but one thing staying consistent, and that was him, and I don't know if you can put that into a word, but that just his presence, and his commitment to Irmo.

I mean, it's just legend...pride, I feel like you can't have Irmo without the name Whipple.

<B.J.

McKie> Winner, a winner, both on and off the court, off the floor.

I mean, coach has changed so many lives, with basketball alone, let alone with how many lives he's changed off the floor.

He's won, he's won the game of life.

<Tim Whipple> There were so many people that along the way, help contribute, and are so much a part of any success that one person has, that you can talk about you personally, but if those people weren't in your lives, you never would be where you are.

Now, we talked about family, but I mean, the assistant coaches that I've had over the years have been incredible people and coaches, that, you know, the players.

You don't win without talent, you know, and every one of them need to be mentioned and there's hundreds of them, you know, and just the other people that helped the administration, without support, you can't..do the things that you need to do, because this is a special place.

The names changed.

The people changed.

The look changed, but some things don't change, and I think that Irmo pride and that excellence will always be here, and I am so proud to be a part of that, and to have been able to experience that.

I've been blessed.

<Laura> Rosewood Elementary School art teacher, Caroline Carson teaches students to express themselves in creative ways.

She is the District Teacher of the Year for Richland County School District One.

<Caroline Carson> Quickly and quietly.

Hi, I'm Caroline Carson.

I am the art teacher at Rosewood Elementary School and I'm also the Richland One teacher of the year, this year.

I taught fourth grade and second grade for a good, good long time, and then our art teacher retired and I was certified, so I asked for the position here at Rosewood.

Teaching art is a combination of teaching the students to think creatively and critically and look at their own artwork, make judgments.

There's a lot of higher order thinking skills that are done.

We do a lot of thinking about how we can improve things, and I think that's really like that growth mindset part of a child's development, that really gets touched on a lot during art.

Growth mindset is when you believe that you are capable of learning more, the thought is, different students learn differently, and if we can reach the way they learn, then everybody has the potential of growing.

They don't look at their artwork and go, "This is what I did."

"This is...the best they can do", always looking to improve.

A dot of glue.

You're ready?

I've made it a personal goal in my curriculum, when I when I built our program to expose the students to as many different art forms as possible.

We do clay.

We do printmaking.

We do collage.

We do paint, drawing, and my hope is that by the time they leave Rosewood, that they believe in themselves as an artist, in whatever format that takes place.

My favorite part of the whole process is to see the project start to finish, to see the kids kind of meet a challenge and they might surprise themselves.

That's like, "Oh, I'm so happy "this happened today."

I love the kids.

We're a small school.

I know their families are now teaching the children of the children, you know, to stay in one place for a long time, and still love your work, I think that's really special.

<Children> I love it.

<Caroline Carson> I love it too.

<Laura> To all the teachers, administrators, support staff, cafeteria workers, janitors, bus drivers, and more.

Thank you for all your hard work, and thank you for watching.

You can find more education stories from around the state on our website carolinaclassrooms.org.

Follow us on our Facebook page and let us know about the educators and support staff at your school.

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