Michelle Sackman
Sharing a Positive Outlook on Today’s Classroom
story by KAREN SNYDER photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
BCSD Elementary School Principal of the Year
Beaufort Elementary School Principal Michelle Sackman admits that she truly is fortunate to be the principal of Beaufort Elementary. Not only does she love her school community, but she quickly recognizes that her school is located in one of the most beautiful spots in Beaufort. Situated at the end of Bay Street, Sackman says her school’s staff and students have a great view and benefit endlessly from the incredible “classroom” surrounding their building.
“Nothing can beat what our location offers to our students. We can walk across the street to the marsh and study different ecosystems. Or we can walk down to the Pat Conroy Literary Center and learn about local writers. We have the Gullah Museum right next door too. In fact, two of our students were commissioned to place art there,” she explains. “This community offers so many cultural experiences to our students. It’s a wonderful place to raise and teach children.”
Originally from the small town of Highlands in the mountains of North Carolina, Sackman says she’s come to appreciate and call the Lowcountry home. “We vacationed here throughout the years. After returning from my husband’s military deployment overseas and awaiting our next orders, I settled in with my parents, who had bought a house here until we knew where we would be headed. The orders took longer than we thought, so I got my first job teaching at Broad River Elementary.”
Eventually assigned to Charleston as his duty station, Sackman’s husband, Michael, retired from the military in 2004, but her educational career in Beaufort was well on its way. Now married 30 years, Sackman and her husband, a local realtor, have raised a daughter, a nurse living in Atlanta, and a son in the construction field in Beaufort.
According to Sackman, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I didn’t really consider anything else,” she admits. After graduating from Florida State University with an elementary education degree, Sackman earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Capella University in 2011.
Her 27-year career and professional experience within the Beaufort County School District are impressive. After teaching in a multiage classroom at Broad River Elementary, she moved on to Coosa Elementary, where she taught fifth grade. Holding a South Carolina Department of Education Gifted and Talented Endorsement, she then became the “gifted and talented” teacher for the fourth and fifth grades.
Never one to rest on her laurels, Sackman earned a Literacy Endorsement and served as a district literacy coach for several years before being named assistant principal at Whale Branch Elementary. After five years in that role, Sackman was named the principal at Mossy Oaks Elementary, where she served for four years, before being named principal of Beaufort Elementary in 2021.
“I gathered great experience as an educator from each of these positions along the way,” she says. Looking back over several decades in education, Sackman reflects that although it seems as if everything has changed, when you really look at it, nothing really has changed. “You know, kids are still kids,” she laughs.
Yet, she agrees there are challenges that today’s students face socially (that didn’t exist before) and academically due to a multiyear pandemic. Most notably, says Sackman, “The influence of social media has had an impact on students, particularly students at a very young age. It can be a very difficult thing at the elementary level. Screen time, in general, has increased for our kids.”
Recognizing the value of technology use in the classroom, Sackman believes that nothing should or can replace the importance of “real, live conversations” and dialogue between students and teachers in the classroom.
“The most valued piece of our instruction is to be able to have those conversations with our kids, to hear what they’re thinking, and to understand their needs. That’s where we can extend student learning and teach and reteach, if necessary. Nothing can replace those relationships we build when we’re face-to-face with kids.”
Sackman’s leadership philosophy reflects the same emphasis on relationship building. “We know education is about grades and academics, and they are important, and they are key to the kids’ futures,” she says. “But what we really strive for here at school is to make ‘good humans’ who are ready for the world around them — in all ways that will help them be contributing members of their community.”
For Sackman and her staff, that means helping children know how to talk with people, how to problem solve, and develop those “soft skills” that extend beyond what they might learn in a book. She admits the pandemic posed a challenge to students upon their return to school. “We needed to get students used to being in a school setting again, and understanding boundaries and expectations.”
For this school year, the administrative focus has been placed on closing academic gaps and addressing any learning loss that may have resulted from a lack of in-person instruction. “Just being back in the classroom and having those conversations again helps a lot. Dialogue in the classroom is essential as it exposes our children to language and helps them learn how to share their thoughts,” she adds.
“We’re always looking very closely at any deficits the kids may have,” says Sackman, noting that some students may have lost some foundational math skills due to the lack of manipulatives at home, which assist young students in acquiring mathematical understanding.
According to Sackman, her school has a targeted “renewal plan” with goals to address achievement concerns. “One of our goals is to build the mathematical capacity of all learners. We measure that with different assessments for kindergarten to second grade than we do for third through fifth grade,” she explains, adding that the school has a full-time math coach who works with teachers on instructional practices. “We also have a math interventionist who works with small groups of students to assist with any deficits they make have.”
Beyond classroom practices and supporting teachers in her role as the school principal, Sackman emphasizes engaging parents in their child’s education. For example, she says, “We have parent nights where we share math or literacy games that parents can play at home with their kids. We utilize a ‘Parents as Teachers’ program in which parents come in to share skills, talents, and careers. Our goal is to emphasize parents’ important role in their child’s education.”
Selected as a past “Teacher of the Year” for Coosa Elementary and last year’s “Elementary Principal of the Year” for Beaufort County, it’s clear that what’s most important to Sackman as an administrative leader is to focus on the positive. Utilizing a school-based framework that promotes a strong school climate and culture, Sackman explains her goal: “Every student knows that they have a connection to someone in our building. They’ve got a teacher, a reading buddy, a school counselor, or someone else they can go to. We want our students to feel safe when they come here. When they feel safe, they take risks. They feel ready to learn!”
Outside of school, it’s no surprise that Sackman sets personal goals too. “I’m a runner. It’s fun and stress relief all wrapped up in one,” she laughs. Running on average 20-30 miles a week, Sackman’s goal is to run at least one race every month. “It all started with a group of teachers about 11 years ago. We enjoyed running and traveling all around the Southeast together.”
Always focused on being a strong example to her students and staff, Sackman says, “Our school is very wellness focused. We have running clubs and soccer clubs, for example. We want the children to give these things a try. I hope that by running myself, I’m leading by example.” Most of all, says Sackman, “I want them to know they can do the hard things, that you can push yourself to really work extra hard at something. And when you do, you’ll achieve it!”
