Each day leading up to our first "Stars of Public Education" banquet to be held Thursday, April 27, at the USC Aiken Convocation Center we will be featuring a different Honor Court member from among this year's Giving Even More (GEM), Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees.
STEPHANIE PRANDY – KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL
POSITION: SOCIAL STUDIES/STEM TEACHER
Kennedy Middle School (KMS) social studies, and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) instructor Stephanie Prandy is a gifted educator, athletic coach and teacher-leader.
She is as comfortable in a gymnasium as a basketball coach as she is in a classroom setting. She is as confident running a seventh-grade multi-cultural fair as she is piloting a STEM program that requires students to address problems through the Engineer Design Process. However, it is the magic she is able to create for students in bringing history to life for her students and her work as a mentor to other teachers that are perhaps most impressive.
District representatives surprised Ms. Prandy, now in her third decade of service, recently during class with an announcement that brought tears to her eyes and smiles to the faces of her students, that she was a member of the Aiken County Public Schools Teacher of the Year Honor Court and Teacher of the Year finalist.
Ms. Prandy attended college with the thought of becoming a social worker, but she quickly learned that there was something else out there that aligned with her talents even better.
“I had the opportunity to do some volunteer and intern work at a nearby juvenile detention center, and as I established relationships with these kids, I discovered my true passion was to work with kids in a different capacity – teaching,” Ms. Prandy stated.
She says her goal as an educator is to prepare her students, not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well.
“My purpose as a teacher is to prepare students for life’s challenges, and our classroom is guided by seven expectations,” Ms. Prandy explains. “These expectations include valuing one another as unique and special individuals, using good manners, cheering each other to success, helping one another whenever possible, recognizing and applauding effort, encouraging each other to do their best, and avoiding sarcasms and putdowns. All students have the ability to learn and I strive to make learning attainable. Reaching all learners means conveying your belief in them, supporting their efforts, and holding them accountable in striving for success.”
Ms. Prandy’s coaching and leadership talents are also not limited to the fast-paced action on the basketball court. She is dedicated to a “team-first” mentality that is all-inclusive.
“I strive to create a team environment where everyone works together to make one another successful,” Ms. Prandy commented. “The optimal teams includes teachers, students, administrators, and families. Everyone is kept up to date and encouraged to take an active role in our learning, whether that’s giving encouraging words, volunteering in the class, hosting study groups after school, or just dropping in to check on what we are learning.”
Utilizing this team approach, Ms. Prandy has become a role model for many of her colleagues, and most especially with teachers who are new to the profession.
“I was new to the department three years ago and have greatly appreciated Ms. Prandy’s generous mentoring. Without the dedication of Stephanie Prandy I would not be the teacher I am today,” commented KMS social studies teacher Matthew Kennamer.
KMS teacher Celeste Walton says Ms. Prandy has also been a game-changer for some students who have struggled to see the relevance of history and its importance in their lives.
A teacher’s job is to help students acquire knowledge. Teachers accomplish this every day. However, there are some teachers that do not just accomplish helping students acquire knowledge, but change a student’s attitude about learning and instill the love of the subject for a lifetime,” Ms. Walton stated. “This is exactly what Ms. Prandy strives for daily. She brings history to life for her students, many of whom never enjoyed the subject before being in her class.”
Shana Ryberg Pearsons, herself a former Kennedy Middle School educator and Teacher of the Year, says Ms. Prandy’s impact at the school cannot be understated.
“Ms. Prandy understands the importance of knowing and recognizing adolescents on a social-emotional as well as the cognitive level,” Ms. Ryberg Pearsons stated. “Ms. Prandy talks, listens, and acts with respect to her students. I watched as she transformed the seventh-grade Social Studies program from a solely book-focused classroom to an experiential engagement in history.”
ACPSD Communications