On a late Thursday afternoon, Dr. Tiffany Hall, principal of Leavelle McCampbell Middle School in Aiken County, delivered a golden tire to this month’s winner of the Tireless Teacher Award, an honor based on positive referrals from parents and students.
The winner, English teacher and cheer coach Allison Verhotz, was in the middle of teaching her journalism class when Hall delivered the prize. Verhotz’s students run the morning announcements, sometimes adding new features like TikTok Tuesdays to the show.
Reading the referrals aloud, Hall said, “Verhotz does everything behind the scenes that we don’t even realize. Seventh grade ELA is always something new and different, and the kids always talk about it. The announcements are truly for students, made by students ... She goes above and beyond, even when she shouldn’t. She got everything together seamlessly, even when she was sick from COVID.”
The two students in Verhotz’s journalism class applauded. The class size is smaller than it would be in a typical year due to the hybrid instructional model – divided in half, students in two cohorts attend school on separate days.
Seventh grader Larue Hicks was one of the students, reading lines with her classmate, Madison Phillips, in front of a small green screen.
This year has been an unusual one for Hicks and her classmates. Aside from wearing a mask all day, Hicks said students have to eat lunch in the classroom instead of the cafeteria, which she finds boring. In softball conditioning, she had to wear a mask at all times unless she was actively running.
Still, Hicks has enjoyed going to journalism class and getting involved in several COVID-adjusted events in the school. She spoke fondly of the drive-thru Trunk or Treat around Halloween, the Mistletoe Market holiday fair and upcoming pizza sales.
“I feel like it’s taking a lot (of work) to still make us happy but then be safe at the same time,” Hicks said. “And we all have to agree to disagree on certain things; but in the end, we’re all trying to do what’s best for the school and the people inside of it.”
Hall asked Hicks and Phillips to name a teacher who has done great things lately.
“Ms. Verhotz,” Hicks said, quickly.
“Yeah,” Phillips added.
Verhotz and Hall joked that the two girls only said that because Verhotz was in the room with them.
“It’s true! It’s true! It’s true!” Hicks exclaimed. “She has to be our ELA teacher, but then she also has to be our journalism teacher, but then she also has to help out with cheer, and then she also has to make sure that we’re all safe at the same time.”
Teaching during a pandemic
Philip Sirk is a social studies teacher at LMMS. His classroom, filled with decorations and knickknacks, has something for everyone – a map of Middle Earth from “Lord of the Rings,” posters from superhero movies, a picture of Kylo Ren from the “Star Wars” franchise, a poster of the yellow bespectacled Minions from “Despicable Me,” infographics on the seven continents and colorful artwork, for starters.
On his desk, Sirk has a small sign that reads, “This is my happy place.”
Sirk explained that he believes happiness is something one decides ahead of time and that students respond best when a teacher trusts them – and vice versa.
“It goes back to making it an environment where the students can succeed,” Sirk said. “Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all going to get A’s on tests, but they can be comfortable enough to know that the time they’re in my room, they don’t have to worry about some of the craziness that’s going on.”
Teaching during the pandemic has been a challenge from the beginning. Back in March, when schools began closing down, Sirk said many people felt everything would go back to normal after spring break.
But nothing returned to normal. School remained closed that spring.
“When we got into the end of the school year, it was like, what happened?” Sirk said.
Summertime preparations began with the sense that schools would teach face-to-face in the fall, Sirk explained. Had everyone known much earlier that the pandemic would stretch into the new year, Sirk said people may have had more time to learn virtual teaching methods.
For students, Sirk believes the global pandemic has been a traumatic experience.
“I mean, that was a trauma,” Sirk said. “And so, they’re coming into a new school year, and I don’t think I’m overstating it by saying they were traumatized coming in. And so, we had to be on top of our game – if not knowing how to do all of the social media virtual platforms, at least I’d better be at that door and looking like I know what I’m doing, to assure those kids that this is going to be an OK place.”
Sirk said students have been doing well with wearing masks and staying socially distanced.
“If you show them (the students) what the challenge is, and you show that you trust them, then they’ll get on board, whether it’s this or anything,” Sirk said.
At LMMS, faculty members have worked together in several action teams this year, focusing on topics like reading proficiency, student engagement, social emotional learning and the USC Aiken Teaching Fellows Partnership.
The school has also continued to provide fun experiences, like superhero-themed rewards, and offer leadership clubs focused on community service.
Principal Hall praised the faculty members’ efforts in moving the school forward despite the challenges from the pandemic.
“I just really want everyone to know how hard they’re working,” Hall said. “I feel like there should be some kind of award, or something, that they should get.”
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