Tanya Peckham, NBCT

Being part of a military family gave Tanya Peckham the opportunity to sample a variety of cultural environments. That and growing up in a home with a strong emphasis on education fostered a love of learning and had a profound effect on her decision to become a teacher – and to find ways to meet the diverse needs of the learners who came into her classrooms.  

Tanya was most recently the Instructional Coach at Wilder Elementary School in Sumter. She spent 18 years as a classroom teacher for first through third grades and served as an Assistant Principal in the Kingdom of Bahrain for two years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s in Elementary Education.

​

She received her first teaching award in 1998, when she was named First Year Teacher of the Year in Georgia. She received the campus Teacher of the Year title in North Carolina in 2004, Georgia in 2008, and South Carolina in 2019. She was the Sumter School District Teacher of the Year and a South Carolina State Honor Roll Teacher for 2021. She also received recognition for high growth in MAP reading and math scores. 

​

Tanya brings to the classroom a passion for providing engaging, hands-on learning experiences. She emphasizes positive reinforcement and the philosophy that mistakes are learning opportunities and establishes a community of learners where students can share their ideas and work collaboratively. She is a South Carolina Certified Teacher Mentor and enjoys helping other educators grow and develop into strong, effective teachers.