CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — We’re separating facts and opinions in Ms. Tasha Osborn's 2nd grade class at St. Matthews K-8 in Calhoun County.
In only her second year as an educator, she’s already teaching her students valuable lessons.
“We read a lot to make sure we have the reading. And make sure we can know the world,” says student Nicolas Tamayo.
"We never stop learning. And she always tells us not to give up. And I never give up," says student Logan Nimmons. "Sometimes I might give up. I want to give up. But I don't. Because I promised Ms. Osborn I will never give up.”
“I didn't go to school for teaching. I feel like I'm starting from scratch," says Ms. Osborn. "And a lot of teachers had to go to school for teaching. So, just learning everything from the ground up with no preparation, really. But in a way, maybe that's better.”
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ms. Osborn went to school for Black Studies and Applied Urban Anthropology at The City College of New York. She then moved to Georgia where she worked with inmates coming out of the federal prison system. But her father always wanted her to teach.
“He always wanted me to be a schoolteacher, my entire life. And I decided, after he passed away that I would find an alternative to teaching,” says Ms. Osborn. “There's no way that I could not be an educator, because of how much emphasis he placed on education in my life. Literally every night at the dining room table. Every night, homework for hours every night, read it again. Read it again. Tasha read it again.”
She started working with the Teachers of Tomorrow Program.
After her dad’s passing, she stayed in South Carolina and got a job in Calhoun County as a 5th grade teacher, and now a 2nd grade teacher.
“I'm in his town. My parents are from here. Even though they raised me in New York City, my mother and father are from right here. They were born here, and my entire life, the emphasis that he placed on education," says Ms. Osborn.
We asked Ms. Osborn what her father would say to her right now if he could.
“We know you could do it. We're proud of you. And keep going. Don't stop. Don't ever stop. Just keep going. Keep going. Don't give up. I know you want to sometimes, but don't give up. Because we never gave up. They never gave up,” says Ms. Osborn.
“Thank you for teaching us. And you’re the best teacher I could ask for,” says student Ariana Higgs.
If you know a teacher like Ms. Osborn who deserves to be recognized for their hard work in the classroom, you can nominate them by emailing us at TOW@WLTX.COM. Tell us what that educator is doing every day to go above and beyond in the classroom.