GURLEY, Ala. — Kindergarten is a special year. It's the beginning of a student’s education, and one teacher says she wants to be a part of it.
In fact, kindergarten is her favorite grade and her colleagues can tell! Meet this week's Top Teacher, Kacie Shrum, from Madison County Elementary School!
“The relationships that I'm able to form with these kids, they're so, so valuable,” said Shrum.
It’s a critical first year for her students, and Shrum enjoys being a part of that journey. “I just love being able to be the person that sets that foundation for them to learn and grow and continue on.”
It’s Shrum’s fourth year teaching, and three of those years she taught kindergarten.
Shrum does activities like counting in units of ten to teach the foundation of arithmetic; however, she also teaches the foundation of reading and writing too.
“I mean, if they don't know any of their letters, any of their numbers, they're not going to be able to succeed into any other larger or bigger grades. I should say, in first grade, it's more all about, okay, now we know all of our letters and sounds, let’s start spelling words.”
Principal Kim Britton says Shrum’s making an impact in more ways than one. “Her results for the past few years have been phenomenal. And so we're really proud of the hard work that she does, not just moving them to academic heights, but also helping them with their social emotional skills,” said Britton.
Shrum believes she provides a sense of security in her classroom.
“A lot of them come from really rough backgrounds, and so it makes me feel amazing that I'm able to be that safe person and provide a safe place for them during the day.”
Do you know of a deserving teacher? Nominate them here!
