SCICU, SCISA Teaching Collaboration Enters Second Year

COLUMBIA, SC — SCICU and the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) have entered into an academic collaboration which pairs recipients of SCICU’s Excellence in Teaching Award with SCISA Master Teachers.

For 2016-17, the following three parings benefited from professional development meetings and classroom observations:

• Master Teacher Katherine M. Cannon, Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach (History and Bible) and Dr. David G. Cashin, Columbia International University (Professor of Intercultural Studies)
• Master Teacher Jennifer H. McMillian, Colleton Preparatory Academy in Walterboro (General and Choral/Music) and Dr. Nuria Rojas, Benedict College (Associate Professor of Music)
• Master Teacher Graham Kyle Babb, First Baptist School in Charleston (K-12 Music and Drama) and Professor Annette Dees Grevious, Claflin University (Associate Professor of Speech and Drama)

During the 2015 pilot year, Master Teacher Penny Brown from Holly Hill Academy and Dr. Mitali Wong from Claflin University exchanged classroom visits and shared effective and innovative teaching techniques.

SCISA selects 10-14 Master Teachers each year. Candidates exhibit best practices in the classroom and demonstrate a willingness to share and collaborate with others. Each Master Teacher must compile and submit a portfolio to the Master Teacher Selection Committee. Please click here to view SCISA’s 2016-2017 Master Teachers.

SCICU recognizes outstanding faculty from each of its twenty member colleges and universities annually based on rigorous guidelines. The 2016 award recipients were honored at a special dinner in April and were each awarded a $3,000 professional development grant. Please click here to learn more about the recipients of the 2016 SCICU Excellence in Teaching Awards.

SCISA Executive Director Larry Watt, a member of the SCICU Board of Trustees since 2011, proposed the Master Teacher-Excellence in Teaching Collaboration after attending an SCICU Excellence In Teaching awards dinner. SCISA is a non-profit association of over 120 independent schools serving more than 37,000 teachers and students. Please click here to learn more about SCISA.