Erica Peake is a 6th grade English language arts educator at Lugoff Elgin Middle School. There are certain required standards that every student in the state has to learn, but in Mrs. Peake's class that's not where the education ends.
She says some days, as she teaches standards she's also teaching life lessons. For Mrs. Peake it's as important for her students to be good people as it is for them to make good grades. She spends time explaining to her sixth graders that it's not important for them to fit in. She wants each of her students to embrace who they are and be kind to people who are different.
The students we talked to described her as compassionate, funny, caring, and the kind of teacher who "can really relate to her students". This is Mrs. Peake's 12th year as an educator.
If you know an educator like Mrs. Peake who should be recognized for their hard work in the classroom, send an email nominating that teacher to TOW@WLTX.COM