FLORENCE & MARION S.C. (WBTW)- Dozens of teachers across the Pee Dee were honored this school year for their achievement in and outside the classroom. Someone in their school nominates them and then an outside committee picks from the 2014-2015 Teacher of the year from a district list.

February’s teachers selected as the Pee Dee Education Center Teachers of the Year come from the Florence School District One and The Marion County School Districts.

Ms. Lindsey Bibler has spent the last seven years teaching calculus at South Florence High School. Teaching is something Ms. Bibler says she always knew would be her career path. She was inspired by her own teacher to get into the profession. One main principle she tries to instill in her students is confidence.

“Mostly I just want my students to know that they are capable of doing math. So many people have a negative mindset about mathematics, they say I can’t do math and they think it’s a skill you either have or don’t have. So for my students, I just want them to know math is something that can be learned,” Bibler said.

Ms. Bibler is very familiar with South Florence High School as she is also a graduate from there.

Ms. Brandi Benton-Spencer is a fourth grade ELA and Social Studies teacher at Marion Intermediate and she is the Teacher of the Year for Marion County. She’s taught for 18 years now but originally wanted to be a veterinarian.

Ms. Benton-Spencer took a class in high school by chance and her interactions changed her mind about what she wanted to do with her life. She says she tries to teach her students life skills but there’s plenty she takes away from them.

“If I was to take you into the classroom and you could look at the little bulletin board beside my desk and see the little notes that the children write me about oh you’re the best teacher or oh I love you or thank-you for all that you do, those are the memories, you know I put them on my refrigerator,” Ms. Benton-Spencer said.

The teachers are now going through the application process for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

And remember we want to hear from you this year!

If you think your school or someone in it is going above and beyond. Send a submission to ExtraCredit@wbtw.com