SOMERVILLE, Ala. — One Morgan County teacher says she's more of a mom to her kindergarten kiddos. In fact, she refers to her students as her babies. Her goal is to encourage her littles with fun and enthusiasm.
Meet this week's Top Teacher from Union Hill School, Emily Hadden!
For Emily Hadden teaching has been her whole life. “My mom will tell you, I played as a teacher when I was little. And so, like, I knew that was my dream.”
She’s taught for thirteen years. “Reality kind of set in and I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to go be a pharmacist.' I changed multiple times, but my heart was always there. So I went back.”
Hadden says she spent three of them teaching kindergarten. “I got to experience a kindergarten classroom and I was like, my gosh. Like, my heart just exploded.”
Reading is fundamental, but to her: “Reading is just not natural. It's not natural for our brains to want to do it.”
But that is fundamental to Hadden is making it fun too! “We come up with a saying or I came up with a saying and I just cut the feathers and gave them CVC words. They're reading, but they have no clue that it's boring. Like they're just having fun. Love ‘em, love ‘em”
So when Hadden was surprised as Top Teacher it was a surprise to her peers to see Hadden’s emotions. “To see her reaction today when we came in and presented the award was quite emotional for me as well to see that emotion,” said Principal Deedee Hendrix.
“Hadden does pour her heart and soul into those children, and she did state that those are her babies and so they very much so are,” added Hendrix.
Hadden says it’s more than that love of her students learning, but it’s them enjoying what they learn too.
“If you make it fun and they're doing it over and over in different areas, it is going to stick with them.”
Do you know of a deserving teacher? Nominate them here!