Debalay Das

I am honored and humbled that I have been selected for
Teacher of the year at Lakeview Middle School. I earned my masters degree MAT in teaching majoring in
biology from the Citadel 1994. I attended undergrad at Charleston Southern University on a full athletic
scholarship and received a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. I also attended Spartanburg
Methodist College on a full athletic scholarship and earned an associate’s degree. I am highly qualified in
both middle and high school science and earned my national board certification in 2012.
My first teaching job was at Greenville High School and I taught biology and physical science
college prep and honors from 1995-2000.I was also was the head women’s basketball coach for junior
varsity and varsity for 4 years. In addition I coached women’s Tennis. I took a little break from teaching
in 2000 when our first daughter was born. Another daughter was born in 2001 and a third in 2003. After
getting them in school I decided to return to my first love teaching. I began to teach again full time in
2008 here at Lakeview Middle School. I began here as reading interventionists with the Fast Forward
program helping below grade level readers improve their reading skills. While holding this position our
school received gold status for running this program at the highest level of reading instruction both
years. I held this position for two years then transitioned to the 7th grade science classroom. I serve now
in several capacities. Currently I am a team leader, a SIC member, and Hispanic Awareness committee
member. I have also served on FLC at Lakeview Middle, and MMGW committees over the last 5 years.
I wanted to become a teacher because I enjoy serving others, and my mom said I have the gift of
talking too much. I went on to receive a full scholarship to college and became a teacher and this
changed my life. Teaching is so rewarding and gives me a sense that I am making the world a better
place one student at a time. I am an active member in this community and serve as the director of
Vacation Bible School at my church for the last seven years. I also coach little league softball for girls age
9-12 for the last 3 years. I have served as a camp counselor in the summer for The Oaks a Christian
youth camp. Currently I am preparing to feed 8 families complete Thanksgiving meals. My family cooks
and delivers these meals to the families as way to give back. One of the families is a former student of
mine and I was honored to have the privilege of also teaching her daughter. This is our 4
th year doing
these meals and we look forward to seeing the smiles on the faces of the people we feed.
My teaching philosophy is very simple students do not care how much you know, until they
know how much you care. Teaching at a Title 1 middle school where the poverty rate is 96% of students
on free and reduced lunch, caring is what they need first, after they know I care then they open up their
heart and mind and I can teach them. I show my caring by forming relationships with my students and
trying to help them find their dreams and strengths so they can believe in themselves the way I believe
in them. Either way they are the future and have unlimited value.
I was the first generation in my family to attend college and was once a student just like the
ones I teach and somebody believed in me. (My high school coaches Grace Lyle, Brenda Deener, and
Gloria Gunter) I say thank you for believing in me and I am paying it forward.