COLUMBIA-- In her first days as a classroom teacher, there were times when Kelly Nalley was so overwhelmed that she found herself crying in a supply closet.  But her  determination, hard work and a renewed sense of optimism paid off tonight in a big, big way.

Nalley, a Spanish teacher at Fork Shoals School in Greenville, was named South Carolina Teacher of the Year Wednesday night.  State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex made the surprise announcement at a privately funded celebration at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center that honored the state’s 83 district teachers of the year.
 
“Kelly is consummate overachiever – responsible, disciplined and driven to succeed,” Rex said.  “She goes beyond what is expected, always seeking ways to improve her students’ educational experiences and always searching for ways to connect with them on a personal level.  She’ll make an excellent ambassador for our state and a great representative to the national program.”
  
Nalley will represent South Carolina’s 50,000 teachers as State Teacher of the Year for the 2010-11 school year, participating in a yearlong residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement.  She receives a $25,000 cash award, a Dell laptop computer, a set of Michelin tires, a ring from Jostens and a BMW X6 Sports Activity Vehicle to use for a year.   In addition, she will participate in Leadership South Carolina, attend Notre Dame’s prestigious three-day Excellence in Teaching Symposium and receive a SMART board.

Four finalists for the award – South Carolina’s Honor Roll teachers – each receive $10,000, a Dell computer, a set of Michelin tires and a Jostens ring.  Each district teacher receives $1,000, and all district nominees received various gifts donated by corporate sponsors. 
 
All teachers of the year also received a complimentary night at the Hilton, a collaborative effort between the Hilton Columbia Center, Piggly Wiggly and the South Carolina Future Minds Foundation (formerly the Palmetto Horizon Foundation), the primary host for the celebration.

Nalley began her career as a middle school Spanish teacher.  On her first day, she stapled her finger to the bulletin board and discovered that her curriculum was a box of finger puppets.  As the year progressed, she struggled to manage unruly eighth-graders whose daily mission, it seemed, was to destroy her classroom and self-confidence.  Her optimism faded, and she spent many afternoons crying in her supply closet.  But then her survival instincts kicked in, and she committed herself to teaching at least five years.  If after that time she was still crying in the supply closet, she would find a new career.

She resolved to give teaching her best effort.  She sought the help of veteran teachers, studied Spanish in Costa Rica, enrolled in graduate school, and made the transition to teaching high school.  As she learned more about teaching, she became a better teacher and rediscovered the joy of working with students.  Her enthusiasm and confidence increased, along with the enthusiasm and confidence of her students.

Her students’ learning experiences transcended the walls of her classroom.  Kelley was able to communicate with Honduran children on a summer mission trip; Jessica called from California once a week for six months while she trained to become an army translator; and Jared after mastering Spanish, taught himself “Quiché” so that he could communicate with his Guatemalan co-workers.

As a 13-year teaching veteran, Nalley has developed and written curriculum for her school district and led elementary and secondary Spanish workshops.  In addition to having served as a Teacher Cadet cooperating teacher, she is an elementary foreign language teacher trainer and a new teacher mentor.

Nalley believes community service is a way to grow and develop, and she tries to model service and involvement.  Active in her church’s children’s ministry, she also provides meals for families in crisis, has taught English to Spanish-speaking adults, and assisted students by translating at the DMV and dentist’s office.  With her husband, she has helped to repair houses and buildings in an impoverished area of Greenville.  She has taken her students to visit nursing home residents, supervised school clean-ups, organized fundraisers for local charities and sponsored an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team.

Nalley’s family provides much more than moral support.  Within the last few years, her mother has received training as a Montessori teacher, her father went back to school to become a special education teacher, and her husband became certified to teach middle-level science through the state’s alternative certification program (PACE).

She earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (Magna Cum Laude and Calhoun Honors College Graduate) from Clemson University and a master of arts in education from Furman University.  She also holds 30 hours above the master’s degree.

Nalley successfully completed a two-part selection process by two screening panels composed of educators and private citizens. The first panel graded the applications of district teachers of the year, and the 25 teachers with the highest scores advanced.  The names of the teachers and the schools they represent were concealed from the judges during the selection process.
 
The second panel graded those 25 applications and selected five finalists, then conducted personal interviews with those teachers and examined videotapes of their classroom techniques.  Each judge then graded the finalists independently using a numerical scoring system, and totals were tallied electronically by the agency’s Division of Educator Quality and Leadership.  Not even the judges knew the identity of the new Teacher of the Year until the envelope was opened by Rex on Wednesday.

Also during Wednesday night’s ceremonies, Eriresha Terry-Lewis, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy in Lexington District 2, was presented the 2010-11 Charles Dickerson Community Service Award.

The Dickerson award was established in honor of Charlie Dickerson, the former CEO of the R.L. Bryan Co. who was a leader in developing the State Teacher of the Year Program.  It is given annually to a district teacher of the year who exemplifies the spirit of community service.  The company continues to help lead the Foundation’s efforts today.

Wednesday night’s keynote speaker was Don Herriott, director of Innovista Partnerships, the University of South Carolina’s innovative research district.  One of the state’s top business leaders, Herriott serves on the boards of several organizations, including the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors.  He is past chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  He chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Education and Workforce Development, which helped to guide passage of the 2005 Education and Economic Development Act.

The Leopard Steel Band of Logan Elementary School (Richland School District One) and the Northwestern High School Jazz Combo from Rock Hill provided entertainment. 

The 2010-11 Honor Roll teachers are:

•Melody Johnson, a fourth-grade teacher at Lugoff Elementary School (Kershaw County).
•Julia Goodman Marshall, a fifth-grade teacher at Oakdale Elementary School (Rock Hill District 3).
•Samantha Maddox, an English/language arts teacher at Spartanburg High School (Spartanburg District 7).
•Olivia “Libby” Ortmann, a six-eighth-grade teacher at Alice Drive Middle School (Sumter District 17).
This year’s Teacher of the Year Program was sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Education and the following sponsors:
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Premier Sponsor: 
BMW Manufacturing Co.                                           

Networking with Your Neighbor Sponsor: 
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina           

Hotel Sponsor: 
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.                                         

Platinum Sponsors: 
The R.L. Bryan Company; TimeWarner Cable; and SCETV.              

Gold Sponsors: 
Data Recognition Corporation; Bojangles’; CERRA-South Carolina, Michelin North America, Inc.; PITSCO; and SMARTer Kids Foundation.                                            

Silver Sponsors: 
Duff, White & Turner, L.L.C.; Jostens;  Childs & Halligan P.A; Leadership South Carolina; The South Carolina Education Association; BB&T   ; South Carolina Electric & Gas; Hilton Columbia Convention Center; Blue Bell Creameries; The Honorable Hugh Leatherman, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; and Notre Dame Club of The Western Carolinas. 

Bronze Sponsors: 
The Honorable Bobby Harrell, Speaker of the South Carolina House; The Honorable Daniel Cooper, Chairman, Ways and Means Committee; The Honorable John C. Land, South Carolina Senate Majority Leader; Palmetto State Teachers Association; Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP; McNair Law Firm; Belk; and Security Federal.                    
                
Members of this year’s Teacher of the Year Host Committee include Dr. Jim Rex; Rep. Kenny Bingham, House Majority Leader; Rep. Harry Cato, House Speaker Pro Tempore; Rep. Dan Cooper, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee; Sen.  John Courson, Chairman, Senate Education Committee; Rep. Bobby Harrell, Speaker of the House; Sen. John Land, Senate Minority Leader; Sen. Hugh Leatherman, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee; Sen. Glenn McConnell, Senate President Pro Tempore; Rep. Harry Ott, House Minority Leader;  Rep. Phil Owens, Chairman, House Education Committee; Sen. Harvey Peeler, Senate Majority Leader; and Rep. David Weeks, Black Caucus Leader.

What others have said about Kelly Nalley
“Two of the things that impress me about Kelly are the humility and openness with which she shares the outstanding units, lessons, and materials she designs and the best practices she uses in the classroom.  In her professional activities at the school and district levels, she never dominates any discussion or project.  Rather, she actively listens to colleagues, recognizes the efforts and contributions of others and demonstrates a desire to do learn as much as she can.  The quality of Kelly’s work and her level of professionalism speak for themselves as she models the commitment, work ethic, knowledge, and skill sets all teachers must have to improve student achievement.”
Deborah Carrero, IB/Select Schools and World Langagues

“Mrs. Nalley’s greatest attribute is her ability to develop a love of a second language with the students she teaches.  Her lessons go beyond the spoken language and create an appreciation within her children for other Spanish cultures.  Mrs. Nalley has inspired an after-school International Club and developed of an annual Cultural Night at our school.  She has not only influenced her students, but the parents of her students as well.  Parents understand the importance of a second language and cite the Spanish Program at the school as the main reason when asking for special permission to attend Fork Shoals School.  Her peers respect Mrs. Nalley’s high level of commitment as they take her lead with school-wide initiatives.  She has influenced a shift in classroom management beliefs with her colleagues through the implementation of Positive Behaviors, Interventions, and Support Systems.  Students, parents, and peers look to her for guidance and support. 
Christopher Ross, Principal

“Mrs. Nalley reaches beyond the walls of our school and rural community to expose our children to another language, another culture and another way of living.  She values the importance of relating our students’ experiences to those of others around the world and strives to make their educational experiences exciting and memorable.  Mrs. Nalley values parent input, is quick to respond to any questions or concerns and recognizes that the successful education of our children depends on a strong partnership between the school, our families and our community.  As a parent, I truly appreciate this hands-on application of learning, enthusiasm and desire to make the education process one filled with many meaningful moments.”
Stacy S. Hall, School Improvement Council Chair and Parent