Gandy brings holistic approach to education
From the perspective of an average student, all teachers see being a teacher as one thing: a job. If students would take out the time to get to know their teachers, they might see that the teachers themselves feel otherwise and feel a deeper purpose when it comes to what they do. A prime example of this would be science teacher Thomas Gandy.
Gandy came to West Florence over a year ago during the middle of the year, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have any sort of familiarity with the school. Before becoming a teacher here, he was originally a student from 1984-1988. After graduating, he attended college at Francis Marion University and after graduating he joined the military, where he was an operating room technician. He later went on to serve in Operation Desert Storm and was with the National Guard for 16 years, during which he earned the title “Staff Sergeant.” Before becoming a teacher, Gandy was originally a nurse, and he sees his previous career as a helpful resource that he can draw back on when it comes to his students.
“I really enjoyed my time as a nurse and I can draw on that experience with building the relationships with my students,” he said.
Gandy believes that it’s his love of helping people that led him into both his nursing and teaching career. While he was a nurse, he would often use what he calls a holistic approach when it came to patients. Believing that this approach could make a difference in students, he decided to enter the PACE program. Now a teacher, Gandy still uses this same approach today.
“This approach to teaching enables me to see the whole student, not just the part that needs to learn biology,” he said.
This is not something commonly seen or heard when it comes to teaching, but considering that Gandy taught to view and treat the patient as a person and not whatever illness they have when he was training for nursing, it makes sense that he feels this way.
When it comes to Gandy’s love of teaching, one can see that it doesn’t directly come from the teaching side of it, but mainly the student-teacher relationships that come from the teaching. Not only does he want them to learn his material, but he also wants the best for his students in their high school careers and mental growth.
“I feel this genuine caring for every aspect of the students will enable me to convey the true caring I have for my students’ well-being. High school is a tough time in their mental development, so the more I help them navigate the ups and downs, the more receptive they will be to my lesson,” he said. “I want the kids to be enriched and better equipped for life after our time together.”
Though Gandy obviously loves his career as a teacher, he also loves his wife, who inspires him and has been by his side along his journey into teaching, and watching football, with the Gamecocks being his favorite team.
Welcome to the Castle, officially, Mr. Gandy!
