Meet SC teacher of the year finalist Patrick Kelly of Blythewood High
The 2013-14 S.C. State Teacher of the Year will be selected Wednesday among five finalists during a ceremony in Columbia.
Two of those finalists are from Midlands public schools – Patrick Kelly of Blythewood High and Beth Tuten of Swansea High.
The winning Teacher of the Year will receive a $25,000 cash award and a new BMW to use for one year. During the 2014-15 school year, the winner will participate in a one-year residency program at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement and will serve as a statewide ambassador for education. The other four finalists, known as Honor Roll teachers, will each receive $10,000.
We’ll get to know these two teachers with Q&As, answered in their own words. Here, more about Kelly. Find Tuten’s submission, published Tuesday, at thestate.com/education.
What inspired you to choose teaching as a career?
My mother has been an instructional aide at a high school for the past 25 years, and as a result, I spent a lot of time around teachers as a child. These individuals played a huge role in my personal development and remain models and inspirations for me today. As a teacher, I have always sought to have a similar positive impact on the lives of students. I also entered teaching because I loved worked with adolescents while serving as a Young Life leader at Dreher High School during my time at USC.
What one thing have you borrowed from your favorite teacher that you use in your classroom?
This is a hard question for me because I have had so many great teachers that it is hard to identify one favorite! However, the one common trait that I can identify in all my favorite teachers is a passion for helping students. My best teachers were concerned about my learning and knowledge, but I also always knew that they were even more concerned about me as an individual. One of my favorite teacher sayings is, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” and all the best teachers in my life embodied that approach to the profession.
What would your students say you are best known for?
I actually asked my students the answer to this question because I had no idea! The general consensus is that I am always available and willing to help my students. Whether that means they need to set up a time to tutor on a particularly difficult topic or if they need a last-minute letter of recommendation for a scholarship, I try to make sure I am always there to help a student with whatever they need. As busy as my day may get at school, I always try to make sure to prioritize helping my students above everything else.
What one item could you never do without in your classroom?
I actually don’t have a “most important item” because I don’t have a classroom — I “float” between different classrooms during the day. As a result, I think the most important “item” in my classroom is energy and excitement. If a teacher can supply energy and excitement in the classroom, almost every other item becomes secondary. If you can’t create a passion for learning in the classroom, the best tools and instructional aides will always fall short.
What has been your most memorable moment in the classroom over the past year?
My most memorable moment this year is when my students “decorated” my office after being named a finalist for State Teacher of the Year. I had to leave campus a little early for a district meeting on the afternoon that the finalists were announced, so while I was gone my students got another teacher to let them into my office. They proceeded to decorate with several hundred inflated balloons and lots of streamers, and when I opened the door the next morning, the decorations spilled out of the door. The students were very proud of their decorating, and it was great to see them so excited about the announcement.
How has technology changed the way you teach?
Technology is a tool that has enabled me to provide additional resources to make learning engaging and accessible for my students. In class, I can use technology to make instruction more interactive and hands-on. Outside of class, I can use technology to deliver instruction in ways that were not possible in the past. Technology also allows me to expand learning beyond the four walls of the classroom, whether it means Skyping with a U.S. Senator or interacting on Twitter with students while watching the State of the Union address.
If you became State Superintendent of Education, what would be one of the first things you’d like to implement?
If I was Superintendent of Education, the first thing I would implement would be a pledge to visit at least one school in every district in the state every year, and I would encourage state legislators to do the same for schools in their legislative districts. I believe that education policy makers need to be in our schools. There is no substitute for first-hand knowledge of what is happening in our schools on a daily basis, and without that knowledge policy-makers will struggle to craft the policies necessary to ensure every student in our state is receiving the best possible education.
Who is the first person you would call if you won State Teacher of the Year honors?
Since my wife will be with me at the banquet, the first people I would call would be my parents. I believe there are few things more important to the success of a student than active and consistent parental support, and I know this because I received this type of support from my parents as a student.
As you know, the winner of the State Teacher of the Year honor gets use of a BMW for a year. What was your first car?
My first car was a tan 1984 Ford Taurus. It may not have been a luxury car, but it got the job done!
This story was originally published April 22, 2014 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Meet SC teacher of the year finalist Patrick Kelly of Blythewood High."