Sarah Bowers A teacher known for her organization, enthusiasm, and quest to push her students to stretch themselves beyond their limits was honored on St. Patrick’s Day, not for her luck, but her skill.

On Wednesday, the staff at Dreher High School celebrated Sarah Bowers, who is Richland School District One’s District Teacher of the Year for 2009–10, with a breakfast provided by Bojangles.

“She won this award because she loves kids, and she loves her subject area,” said Dr. Tiniece Javis, who is an assistant principal at the 1,100–student school. “She really is a student advocate, and the kids think she is great.”

Bowers, who has worked in the system for 14 years (12 years at Dreher and two at Irmo High School), teaches social studies, AP history, AP psychology, and honors U.S. history. She credits the staff at Dreher for driving her to be a better teacher.

“We have such an awesome staff here, and any of them could be teachers of the year,” she said. “We also have this beautiful school that we are so grateful to the taxpayers for.”

Bowers, who is married with two young children, said she is also motivated by her students’ creativity and thirst for knowledge.

“Seeing their brains grow and how they develop and move to the next level is really rewarding,” she said. “It’s just so much fun.” Javis said Bowers’ preparation is evident in the success of her students as they move onto college.

Her track record on AP exams is very, very impressive,” Javis said. “The students also come back and tell us how Sarah had prepared them so well for college.”

Javis said she is particularly impressed about how students respond to Bowers’ expectations.

“They rise to the occasion no matter how high she sets the bar,” Javis said.

As District One Teacher of the Year, Bowers will be considered, along with 85 or so other candidates, for South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year. The consideration process is just beginning for that designation, according to state education officials.

Bowers, who grew up in the Richland One system and attended A.C. Moore, Hand Middle School, Brookland–Cayce High School, received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State and a master’s degree from University of South Carolina. Her children are following in her footsteps, with a second–grade son at A.C. Moore, and her five–year–old daughter who will enter kindergarten next year.

Only nine more years, and her son may be raising his hand to participate in one of his mother’s classes.