Innovation and passion are key components in classroom excellence
Two recent alumni of the College of Education were recognized by the South Carolina Association of Middle Level Education (SCAMLE) for outstanding contributions to the classroom. Gracie Bradley (2025, middle level education) received the Promising Educator to Watch Award, recognizing her dedication to developing middle level learners and embracing best practices in everyday teaching. Dawson Tate (2022, middle level education) received the Innovation in Practice Award, which includes a mini grant to provide financial assistance for educators bringing innovative ideas to the classroom. Bradley and Tate teach at Irmo Middle School, one of the college’s Professional Development School partners — not by coincidence, it is where they both completed their student teaching as well. Irmo Middle is led by Principal Mansa Joseph, currently pursuing his Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Innovation, and is also a PDS Fellow in Education Systems Improvement. These Fellows receive support for their doctoral education and job-embedded dissertation support.
Born to be a teacher
For Bradley, education has always been a core part of her character.
“My mom always jokes that I came out of the womb knowing that I wanted to be a teacher,” says Bradley. “I grew up playing school and never believed I would be anything else. In high school, I participated in Teacher Cadet.”
Bradley mentioned a pivotal moment with a Calculus educator who was teaching the subject for the first time. Bradley shared her dedication to mathematics and her commitment to learning alongside the students. As the class ended, Bradley performed very well on the AP Calculus exam and developed a lifelong love of math.
“Being someone who loves math and is willing to watch students learn and grow with me is so important,” says Bradley. “I don’t want to ever appear perfect to my students.”
While she doesn’t seek to appear perfect, her teaching has been recognized by SCAMLE for consistency and excellence. Principal Joseph echoes their sentiment. After one of their standard instructional rounds, he and fellow administrators were completing observations in classrooms. As the team walked out of Bradley’s room, they were stunned to find out she was a first-year educator.
“They mentioned how well she managed her room and how well the students were responding to her,” says Joseph. “They were blown away by her control of the space. They were blown away, but I knew that was Gracie on the norm. Kids love her, she meets them where they are and she uses their lingo to build connections. It is awesome to see their dynamic!”
Joseph shares that Bradley’s classroom is known for being a safe space where students can feel successful. She begins with small moments and allows her students to build on their success — he calls her teaching a masterclass. Bradley is a participant in CarolinaTIP and shares the ability to connect with a mentor and fellow educators as part of her own success.
“Not many recent graduates are in charge of 70-something children on a daily basis,” says Bradley. “There are high expectations. Having those intentional conversations with fellow educators has been wonderful.”
Bradley was surprised to receive the statewide recognition, but shares that knowing her colleagues and administrators nominated her, was the biggest win of all.
“Knowing that my principal and team saw something special in me was so humbling,” says Bradley. “It was surreal and a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded educators.”
Dawson Tate loved being in school but initially began college with the goal of a career in medicine. He pivoted to education and chose to focus on English and mathematics. During his student teaching, he began to cultivate a love of math.
“I get to see in real time how students problem solve and grow,” says Tate. “Even though we are working with numbers, we are really problem solving, working with people, collaborating and sharing ideas.”
Tate shares that he didn’t grow up loving math, but his time with Professor George Roy, changed the course of his career.
“Professor Roy believed in me,” says Tate. “He gave me a sense of belonging, and we were really learning differently. The way he taught his class showed me what kind of teacher I wanted to be.”
Tate shares that his time as an intern at Irmo Middle School was also critical to his future success in the classroom. His fellow educators and administrators developed great relationships that made Irmo Middle School home. After his internship, he had the incredible opportunity to stay at Irmo Middle and work with high-level learners to learn geometry. He was even able to teach for one year with his previous mentor.
“I don’t ever want to give students a formula,” says Tate. “I need them to understand where something comes from and find out that it is not random. I like to encourage them that they will use math every day.”
Principal Joseph shared that Tate is excellent at stretching students and encouraging them to reach higher. He wasn’t daunted by their abilities.
“Dawson wasn’t one of those educators who saw students in the 99th percentile and say what else could I do with them?” says Principal Joseph. “He continues to think outside the box and work in a hands-on, interactive way.”
One day, Principal Joseph was visiting Tate’s classroom, and they were using baseball concepts to engage in a deep discussion on mathematics. From designing stadiums to athlete statistics, even students who were not passionate about the sport, were engaging in great work and challenging their thinking.
Tate shares that after four years in the classroom, it was nice to get recognition for the type of work that he does. His focus on the tangible aspect of math really resonates with the students. His award comes with a mini grant to use in the classroom, and he has been researching the types of items he may purchase to advance his lessons. From manipulatives to play dough, he is brainstorming items that will help his students. It is easy to see that even when he has received special recognition, his students are still at the forefront of his mind.
This special pipeline from intern to professional educator is something that Principal Joseph is proud of as a Professional Development School.
“I have benefitted from this partnership, my school has benefitted, our students benefit, and being a place where interns learn, our kids get to meet new people and have more attention. Any of our staff members who have had that opportunity to intern here, and then work here through our partnership with the university, has, across the board, had a wonderful experience.”
For more information about the Professional Development Schools Network, visit sc.edu.