Ms. McKee enjoys developing positive relationships with her students.
By Lia Maass
Ms. McKee joined the CLA family this year. Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, she worked as a principal in a middle school before retiring and relocating to the South Carolina coast.
McKee’s favorite part about teaching is spending time with the students. “I love spending time with the students. It’s about building relationships and helping with school stuff inside and outside of school. I also love watching them in sports and activities after school,” said McKee.
Ms. McKee discovered CLA through a teacher. “Last April, I came to South Carolina to look for a place to live, and I met a teacher who teaches at this school. Through this teacher, I found out about job opportunities in this school.”
In addition to teaching, Ms. McKie has lots of experience with volleyball. “I played volleyball in high school, and then I coached middle school and club volleyball,” said McKee. Early in the CLA 2021 volleyball season, McKee served as coach after there was an unexpected vacancy. “Filling in (as a volleyball coach) was a blessing for me because I was able to build relationships with students that I didn’t know or I don’t teach,” said McKee.
When not teaching, Ms. McKee has several hobbies and interests. “I like to read, go to the beach, look for shark teeth and enjoy the time while watching the ocean,” said McKee.
Ms. Warner Brings Passion for Current Events to CLA
By Connor Murphy
Ms. Warner is the newest addition to the CLA Social Studies family. Hailing from Rock Hill, South Carolina, and a third-generation public school teacher, Mr. Warner teaches US Government, Economics, Current Events, and English 3. She enjoys working with her students because student perspectives on current events are interesting. “I have fun in class and talk about history in a way that makes sense to them,” said Warner.
Ms. Warner has several hobbies and interests outside of school. “I like to play video games. We have a PS5 and the newest Xbox. I also enjoy riding on the golf cart, playing with the cat, and hanging out with my family,” said Warner.
Myrtle Beach Native Joins CLA Staff
By Zac Van Heyde
CLA welcomed Ms. Spear to the faculty this school year.
Spear, a native of Myrtle Beach who attended Socastee High School, says that she enjoys the academic freedom CLA provides. “CLA is different from other schools; there is more freedom of choice here,” said Spear.
That freedom has provided opportunities for Ms. Spear to build positive relationships with her students.
“I really enjoy getting to know the students and building relationships,” said Spear.
When Spear was a student in school, history was her favorite subject. “I really enjoy studying history because I like interesting stories,” said Spear.
Spear knew that she wanted to become a teacher very early on. “I was in second grade when I decided that I was going to be a teacher,” said Spear.
In addition to teaching, Spear stays busy as the mother of two children, a 13 year-old boy (who turns 14 at the end of the month) and a 9 year old girl. Spear says that being a parent helps her be a better teacher by raising her awareness of child behavior.
“Being a Mom requires me to grow eyes in the back of my head. Those eyes help me better understand student behavior,” said Spear.
For any students who are considering teaching as a future career option, Spear has some good advice: “Know when to pick your battles and also adjust your methods based on who you are working with.”