As important as the curriculum is, what is even more important is who is teaching the curriculum. The extraordinary level of achievement of our students may be attributed to the high level of expectations placed on students, as well as the support students receive from the faculty. With limited class sizes, teachers are able to take the time to really get to know and care about each student. The confidence the faculty has in our students encourages them to reach beyond their perceived limitations.

At Wilson Hall the process of education occurs in an atmosphere of genuine caring and support that comes from the mutual respect between our teacher and students. Our teachers encourage the best from their students but they also give freely of themselves, even when they have to sacrifice their private time to do so. Our teachers stay after school each day to offer assistance to students or speak with parents, with many teachers having regularly scheduled tutoring or review sessions. Many of our faculty members serve as team coaches and club advisors, so it is not uncommon to see them on campus working long after school is dismissed.

Any curriculum is only as good as the person teaching it, and Wilson Hall has some of the best teachers in the region as judged by the numerous commendations. In the S.C. Independent School Association’s annual teacher of the year competition, Wilson Hall has had more teachers receive recognition than any other school in the area. 

Since the school is fully accredited through AdvancED, the non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the United States and internationally, all of our teachers are either certified or teach a majority of their courses in the area of their college major.

Wilson Hall has had 10 teachers named State Teacher of the Year by the S.C. Independent School Association, and 26 teachers have been among the top three finalists for the award. 

McDuffie State Teacher of the Year Finalist

Mrs. Molly McDuffie was one of three finalists in the state for the S.C. Independent School Association Middle School Teacher of the Year. She teaches 7th grade literature, 7th grade reader’s corner, and Honors English II. Mrs. McDuffie, who completed her ninth year of teaching at Wilson Hall, serves as the English Department Chair and is an advisor for the middle and high school Battle of the Books teams and the Reading Fair team. After being selected by her peers at the school, Mrs. McDuffie entered the state-level contest by submitting an essay, resume, and recommendations from peers and the administration. After reading through the many submissions for Teacher of the Year from across the state, a panel of educators made the selection of the top three finalists for each division.

English Faculty Earn State Awards

Mrs. Liz McCabe. Molly McDuffie and Mrs. Stacey Reaves, members of the English Department, earned state-level recognition at the S.C. Council of Teachers of English annual conference in Myrtle Beach. Mrs. McCabe received the Leadership Development Award which recognizes outstanding new members of the organization. She teaches Advanced Placement English Language, English II, and Senior Writing. Mrs. McDuffie received the Outstanding Service Award recognizing classroom teachers who provide outstanding service to their profession. The English Department Chair, she teaches English II Honors and Seventh Grade Literature. Mrs. Reaves, Upper School Head, received the Outstanding Administrator Award which recognizes administrators who provide outstanding encouragement in support of English Language Arts programs in the school. She teaches Advanced Placement English Literature. Nine of the school’s English teachers attended the conference which had the theme of “Reading the Past; Writing the Future.”

O'Hare Selected for National Institute

Mr. Tom O’Hare was one of ten teachers in the nation invited to attend The Bill of Rights Institute program entitled “Last Best Hope: Citizenship, Statesmanship & American History.” The program was hosted with the Center for Statesmanship, Law and Liberty at Rochester Institute of Technology and the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization. The three-day program was held in Rochester, New York, in November. A James Madison Fellow, Mr. O’Hare serves as the Social Studies Department Chair, and he teaches Advanced Placement U.S. Government & Politics, Advanced Placement U.S. History, and World History.

Art Department Receives State Award

Because of its service to the S.C. Independent School Association (SCISA), Wilson Hall was presented the Charles J. Beach Jr. Volunteer of the Year Award at the SCISA Fall Heads’ Conference. Mr. Fred Moulton, Headmaster, accepted the award on the school’s behalf. Specifically, the Wilson Hall Art Department was presented the award for its efforts in creating the new format of the SCISA State Art Show. This is the third time that Wilson Hall has received this honor. 

SCISA is a non-profit, voluntary association of more than 120 independent schools that serve more than 37,000 teachers and students. Founded in 1965, the state of South Carolina incorporated SCISA as an exclusively educational organization with the responsibilities of establishing accreditation standards, coordinating academic and athletic competition, and providing professional development for member organizations.

O'Hare Receives State Award

Mr. Tom O’Hare received the S.C. Bar Law Related Education (LRE) High School Teacher of the Year Award. Mr. O’Hare, who teaches Advanced Placement U.S. Government & Politics, Advanced Placement U.S. History, and world history, was presented a plaque and a $1,000 stipend at the annual High School Awards Program. Mr. O’Hare completed his 23rd year of teaching at Wilson Hall. The award is presented to a teacher in South Carolina who has fostered public understanding of the values of our legal and judicial system, stimulated a deeper sense of individual responsibility by helping students recognize their legal duties and rights, encouraged and supported effective LRE programs, and increased communication among students, fellow educators, and those working in the legal system. Each year Mr. O’Hare and the students in his AP Government class participate in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition. The S.C. Bar LRE is a service arm of the Bar that, since the mid-1980s, has provided teachers, school resource officers, juvenile justice personnel and lawyers with resources, materials and technical assistance to teach law and citizenship education.