By FULLER ROYAL
Staff Writer

Twenty-three-year teaching veteran Sherrill Stevens is Hallsboro Middle School’s top teacher
“It’s an honor to be viewed by my peers as deserving of this award and to know that they put their trust in me when representing their school,” Stevens said. “It is especially heart-warming to know that my hard work and dedication have been noticed by my peers and I feel this is their way of saying ‘thank you.’”

This was the first teacher of the year honor for Stevens, who teaches seventh grade exceptional children as well as eighth grade math and language arts.

“When I was little, I taught my baby dolls and stuffed animals,” she said. “I always had the desire to teach and never thought of doing anything else. I love children and I have always known that my place was there with them. I think that is the reason I chose special education.
“I have the opportunity to teach so much more than just reading and math,” she said. “I also can lead and guide them into being better human beings.”

She said there are problems with education.

“Today’s demands on teachers take so much time away from planning and actually doing the things we love to do in the classroom,” she said. “The new education laws have changed education so much and have added more paper work than ever before to all teachers. It is harder to find the time to teach.”

She said that financial incentives to recruit new teachers and to retain career teachers are needed.

She was born in Loris Hospital and raised in Williams Township.

“I went to school there for 12 years,” she said.

After graduating from Williams Township High School, she attended Southeastern Community College before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

“I received a special education degree in learning disabilities, mental disabilities and behavioral and emotional disorders.”

She began her career in Columbus County at West Columbus High School.

“I stayed in Columbus County where I worked in a JTPA position for one and one-half years, then went to Acme Delco Elementary in my first special education resource classroom,” she said. “I left there and went to the Camp Lejeune Schools for a couple of years and then to New Hanover County Schools.”

She returned to Columbus County and has been at HMS for the past eight years.
She and husband David have one son, Taylor D., a seventh-grader at HMS.

She enjoys reading, cooking, going to ball games, going to the beach and being with friends and family.

“I also enjoy working with the youth group at my church, Lake Waccamaw Methodist,” she said.