Wendy Frans teaches Fifth Grade at Brushy Creek Elementary School in Taylors, South Carolina. Last August, she was selected as the 2022/2023 Teacher of the Year for Greenville County. “I feel so honored and humbled,” says Wendy. Wendy graduated from Bob Jones University with a BS in Elementary Education and went on to earn her master’s degree from Furman University. In her classroom, she often refers to her motto, “I RISE.” She rises to get herself going in the morning, to create engaging activities and lessons at school, to be the best educator and role model she can for her students, and to help them to become the people they were meant to be.
1. How long have you been a teacher?
Currently, this is my 21st year of teaching. All in Greenville County.
2. What caused you to want to become a teacher?
In high school, I went with a friend to her mom's classroom. I continued to help in her classroom and around my senior year of high school my friend's mom said, "You are a natural at teaching. Have you ever thought about being a teacher?" I went into college as a freshman not choosing Elementary Education, but the more I helped in schools the more I realized that being a teacher was my calling and my passion. So I changed majors and now here I am 21 years later still loving what I do every day.
3. What do you most enjoy about teaching?
I enjoy creating relationships with my students and their families. I love teaching siblings and getting to know my student's personalities. I call them "my kids". They become an extension of my family and I hold them to the same high expectations I would expect from my own children. So building relationships is what I value most about teaching.
4. What is your favorite subject to teach?
Math and Social Studies. I love playing games in math and making it fun. Every year, kids tell me they "hate" math and that's mostly because they just do worksheets and memorize information. I try to make math fun and engaging every day with games, partner stations, and hands-on lessons. Social Studies is also a favorite because I love teaching the subject through stories and novels. Using historical fiction and connecting it to real-life historical events not only helps learning become more "real" but it creates open conversations and class discussions.
5. What is most important to you as a teacher?
I teach my students that kindness and giving to others is important. Not only because it makes them feel good, but more importantly because they need to think of someone other than themselves. I strive to lead by example and talk to my students openly when they are struggling with something and that kindness is always something they can give even in the hard situations of life.
6. What is most rewarding about being a teacher?
Watching my students grow and mature throughout the year is rewarding. Building those relationships in which I get to know them as if they were my own. I love running into my former students in town and having them come up and say “hi.” I love when they tell me they loved 5th grade because I made it fun but also expected the best out of them. I love to hear from their parents about all their successes and think I may have had a small part in that and I am so proud of them. I love to get emails from former students just to say hi or keep me informed about what's going on in their life. A teacher should be a role model for students and that's what I RISE to be.
7. When someone walks into your classroom, what do you want them to see?
The most common comment I get when someone comes to my classroom is that it feels so welcoming. I strive to make it feel like home with rugs, couches, pillows, and various lights. I work hard to create an environment in which all students feel safe to learn and can collaboratively work together. I want someone to see that I LOVE teaching. I want others to see students who genuinely care for each other and show respect for me and their peers. I want them to see that I see value in each student and I RISE to create the best learning experience I can for my students.
