DECATUR, Ala. — Being a teacher is not just a career, for Mrs. Leeann Baggett it's who she is.
"It is what I eat, breathe, and sleep," says Mrs. Leeann Baggett, the Valley's Top Teacher
Mrs. Baggett has taught elementary school in Decatur for 32 years, but her history with Eastwood Elementary goes back even further.
"I came here as a student and I always wanted to come back here and teach as a teacher," explains Mrs. Baggett.
She now teaches first graders in the same walls where she fell in love with learning. She says this community means everything to her.
"We have a lot of the neighborhood people here and sometimes I have seen people I taught, who now have children, who are now coming through the school, so it has been great to teach here," smiles Mrs. Baggett.
Parents say Mrs. Baggett has changed their children for the better because of her selfless love and kindness.
"When I see a child that doesn't have a lot of confidence, I try to find something they really like and I try to brag on something they do well," shares Mrs. Baggett.
She creates a love for reading in her students, which makes sense, because she loves it too!
"I think my favorite thing about teaching is being able to read aloud to them and watch their reactions and get them involved with a book," she says.
Mrs. Baggett cares for her kids deeply and wants them to know that they can come to her for anything.
"They call me to Tooth Fairy because I pull teeth a lot!" laughs Mrs. Baggett. "They would get up in third grade, because they had a loose tooth, and they would come to me and I would pull their tooth, and put it in a baggy."
From pulling teeth to reading books, Mrs. Baggett is always in her kids' corner cheering them on! She says she will be there to support them and love them for years to come.
"I think knowing that I am going to see the children again, and watch them as they grow up is so special," says Mrs. Baggett. "And for them to come back and recognize me and want to talk to me, makes me feel great."
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