Two SC ESOL Teachers Recognized

Most ESOL teachers work their magic on the fringes of the education community.  It is not uncommon for itinerant ESOL teachers, in particular, to work in obscurity, making do in nooks and crannies not otherwise occupied by regular staff when schools become crowded -- and doing so with grace and courage.  For some of our own to be recognized as Teachers of the Year is big news in the ESOL community, and for two SC teachers to be honored is even more newsworthy!

Becky Krantz is K-12 Teacher for the Year for Lexington School District 5.  She has been an itinerant teacher for 22 years, beginning with only a few students.

Becky teaches at Seven Oakes Elementary, a K-5 school a few miles from downtown Columbia.   Among the 500+ students enrolled are ESOL students who speak 15 languages.  Socio-economic diversity is also common; parents of some students are visiting professors at USC, while others work in restaurants, small businesses, construction, and hotels.  There are even some refugees among the population.  To be named Teacher of the Year for such a large school district is indeed an honor for Becky.  We hope to return with bigger news – that she is named SC Teacher of the Year!

Tammylynn Humphreys was likewise honored in March as the first South Carolina Adult Education ESL Teacher of the Year, after receiving Horry County’s Adult Education ESL Teacher of the Year award.  Prior to moving to SC, Tammylynn taught ESOL in Maryland and New York.  She started teaching for Horry County Adult Education in August 2007, and currently teaches a multi-level class in Little River where her students range in age from 17 to 65 years old. Spanish is the students’ most prevalent first language.  While Tammylynn follows the SC Scope and Sequence, she bases instruction on her students’ "need to know" and uses their suggestions as the starting point for her lessons.

Congratulations, Becky and Tammylynn!