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TO HONOR AND COMMEND TERESA ALEXANDER FOR HER TIRELESS EFFORTS IN PROVIDING THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE TO THE CHILDREN OF SUMTER COUNTY.
Whereas, the members of the House of Representatives of South Carolina find it altogether fitting and appropriate to pause in their deliberations to applaud a woman who has dedicated herself to ensuring the intellectual growth of the children of Sumter County; and
Whereas, Teresa Alexander is a middle school teacher at Wilson Hall, a private school in Sumter. Teresa is characterized by all who know her for her perpetual enthusiasm and her dedication to the children day in and day out; and
Whereas, the sounds of unorthodox teaching methods surround her classroom as students are learning in inventive, fun ways. Teresa utilizes her special education background to include movement, touch, sound, and sight into every lesson. Students chant and dance vocabulary words, rotate through centers, and play games on one hand, but in contrast, they also sit and focus on writing marvelous papers with her individualized guidance for extended periods of time; and
Whereas, balance is what makes Teresa such an impactful teacher. She uses a variety of individual, group, and partner work, as well as color coding of thesis statements, topic sentences, vivid verbs, and more. Her instruction, partially driven by assessments, is molded and customized to address weaknesses she notices in her students. While her lessons are tough, she makes learning a fun experience; and
Whereas, a friendly racing competition is the way she gets students to diagram sentences or label parts of speech. With a game of "Beat the Teacher," Teresa pulls the most from the students, and they often do not even realize they are learning; and
Whereas, in addition to being an influential force in the classroom, Teresa is the Grade Level Chair for seventh grade, a job in which she must stay in constant communication with the other teachers and parents. She is responsible for leading the quarterly meetings, but more importantly, she monitors students' grades and behavior logs to make sure no students are slipping through the cracks; and
Whereas, she helps absent students catch up on assignments and assigns teacher or student mentors as necessary. She bridges the gap from school to home with easy efficacy. One such example occurred when she was grading school-wide writing assessments and realized a student's paper contained some red flags. The student had performed poorly in English class since first grade, even though he seemed almost gifted in his ideas and speech. She was able to recognize from the handwriting and the phrasing that some sort of learning disability was present and notified the parents, getting the student the help he needed for future success; and
Whereas, Teresa is respected by her peers as many seek her out for advice. She presents at the school's professional development days. Her sessions are the most widely attended; and
Whereas, furthermore, Teresa is a coach for the varsity softball team, where the players both respect and fear her. Knowing she cares for them on and off the field, the players work hard, desiring to make her proud, while simultaneously fearing her, as they know she will not tolerate half-effort and misbehavior. Students, regardless of natural talent, become great while under Teresa's tutelage. She brings out the best in all of them; and
Whereas, it is teachers like Teresa that make the backbone of this great State. Without the dedication and passion she exudes, students might never have the opportunity to attain their full potential. Teresa's commitment is laudable. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, honor and commend Teresa Alexander for her tireless efforts in providing the best education possible to the children of Sumter County.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Teresa Alexander.
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