A passion for sports and a desire to help kids is what inspired Parrish Deans to become a teacher.
That passion resulted in Deans, the athletic director at A.L. Corbett Middle School, being named the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Middle School Teacher of the Year.
“I got it and was totally shocked,” Deans said. “It was really neat. There was a conference in Myrtle Beach and they had a red carpet and an awards presentation and a nice dinner and (it was) really first class.”
Michelle Kennedy, the principal at A.L. Corbett, nominated Deans because of all he does for the kids.
“A lot of people would think when you’re a P.E. teacher it’s about playing games, but he looks at building a team, diversity and inclusion, putting practices in place that are lifelong practices,” Kennedy said. “He’s always thinking about ways to help them succeed while always holding them accountable. I nominated him because when I see him, I see more than just a P.E. teacher, I see someone who wants to teach about leading a healthy lifestyle and cares about their future.”
“We’ve got a motto in the gym that says ‘I Can’ and it’s big up on the wall, it’s big letters that says ‘I Can’ and at any point they have it in their mind to say I can’t, all I have to do is point to the wall and remind them they can as long as they put their mind to it,” Deans said.
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