Greenville County Schools Names Two Emerging Teachers of the Year
During today’s Teacher of the Year breakfast, Superintendent W. Burke Royster announced two Emerging Teachers of the Year.
Molli McDaniels, a second grade teacher at Berea Elementary School, was named the Elementary Level Emerging Teacher of the Year, and Amy Hegarty, Greenville High Academy Science and Freshman Academy Teacher, was named Secondary Level Emerging Teacher of the Year.
The Emerging Teachers of the Year Program, sponsored by Greenville Federal Credit Union, recognizes two second or third year teachers for outstanding performance. Each winner receives $500, a crystal award, and $500 for their school.
Elementary Emerging Teacher of the Year
Berea Elementary second grade teacher Molli McDaniels has the ability to see the heart of every child and transforms learning by holding students to high expectations while providing trust and encouragement. Classroom tools include a reading binder filled with data to set meaningful goals for students, to accurately track their progress, and to adjust instruction to meet each student’s needs. Social contracts designed by students allow them to decide how they want to treat each other, and anchor charts are posted around the classroom to review strategies previously learned. The design of Ms. McDaniels’ classroom allows the ownership of learning to be in students’ hands as they work collaboratively in small groups.
Secondary Level Emerging Teacher of the Year
Amy Hegarty has positioned herself as a leader at Greenville Sr. High Academy to the extent that other teachers and administrators forget she is not a veteran teacher. She breaks down her assignments into manageable chunks and gets her tests, quizzes, and other assignments translated for her non-English speaking students in ESOL classes. Ms. Hegarty teaches students note-taking and organization skills, and employs engaging activities in the classroom to help her students see the relevance of the subject’s content. In her first year of teaching, her End-of-Course pass rate was an exceptional 90 percent.