NEWBERRY — The School District of Newberry County named Bethany Counts and Sally Yoder 2018-19 Teacher and Support Staff of the Year, respectively.
Counts received the award as a primary montessori teacher at Boundary Street Elementary.
A 2011 graduate of Mid-Carolina High School, Counts earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Lander in 2011. She furthered her education and received her Master’s Degree in Education and Primary Montessori Certification.
Counts has been employed by the District for seven years and has been a primary montessori teacher at Boundary for four years, she also taught traditional kindergarten at Newberry Elementary for two years. Being named the 2018-19 Teacher of the Year came as a surprise to Counts.
“I’ve heard it several times, I’ve read it several times, but every time they say it, it is still a surprise. I know it sounds cliché, but I cannot tell you how incredibly humbling it is to earn this title,” she said.
In August, Counts began her eighth year of teaching primary montessori which consists of a room full of 24 three, four and five year olds. She said she enjoys being a child’s first real experience of school and knowing she will leave an impact on them for years to come.
“I also understand what I do is a huge impact on how they feel about school for the rest of their lives. This is something that I do not take lightly or for granted, I also know for the parents this is the first time they will leave their babies in the care of someone other than themselves,” she said.
But the road to get where she is today was a long road. At a young age, she loved school and teachers and always gravitated towards children.
After graduating MCHS, Counts didn’t know what was next for her life. She graduated with a cosmetology license from the Newberry County Career Center, but knew that wasn’t something she wanted to do at the time.
Between not having the best grades or the money for school, Counts didn’t know if a four year college was in her future. One thing she did know was that not going to college was not an option. She soon enrolled at Piedmont Technical College where she followed the path of Early Childhood Education, after graduating PTC, she later decided she wanted more than an Associate’s Degree and enrolled at Lander University. After graduating from Lander, the District offered Counts the opportunity to earn her certificate in primary montessori and in spring 2014 she graduated from Lander again.
For Counts, teaching is one of the most rewarding professions out there, a profession that helps shape and mold the future.
“Montessori education is one of the best things that has happened to me, it’s given me an amazing opportunity to watch my children grow for three years, learn what students are capable of, what is bothering them and we have incredible bonds which I hope last our entire lives,” she said.
She added one of the things she loves about her job is that each child in her classroom gets to follow their own path, learn at their own pace and there is no pressure of competition. Along with one on one time with the students which in turn helps create relationships with them.
Counts would not be where she is today if it wasn’t for the support of her husband and daughter, family, co-workers and friends, the families of her students and God.
“I know that I am one of many who could have earned this recognition and I incredibly thankful that I was the one chosen, please know that I don’t feel as if I’m any better than anyone else in this room because I know that everyone works hard at what they do. We are all here for the same reason, the students that we serve, we are one District, one team, with one mission,” Counts said.
Yoder has been a pre-k instructional assistant at Reuben Elementary for two years, prior, she served as a substitute teacher for six years.
Yoder expressed her gratitude to the District for being name Support Staff of the Year and her Reuben family who she gets to work with each day.
“Although I have been a District employee a little over two years, I’ve had the privilege of being a parent volunteer for 12 years, during that time I’ve seen first hand the importance of support from a parent to a teacher,” Yoder said.
Seeing her own children go through school allowed Yoder to be involved and see the importance of support.
“I don’t think any parent truly understands what the teachers go through every day unless they are in that classroom,” she said.
When she was chosen as Support Staff of the Year, Yoder thought about what support truly means. The word ‘support’, Yoder said, is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as giving encouragement and approval to someone because you want that person to succeed.
“By embracing this, I simply mean that we should not only strive to succeed in ourselves, but also want to help others to succeed,” she said. “In the Bible, Luke 6:31 says ‘do unto others as we would have them do unto us’ and I truly believe that is true. We as teachers and staff should always strive to support those around us and encourage each other to pursue their goals no matter the obstacles.”
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