Bryceville Elementary Teacher of the Week

BRYCEVILLE, FL -- The school year is winding down, but teachers are working harder than ever to get their students ready for next year. A kindergarten teacher at Bryceville Elementary is busy preparing her students for 1st grade.

Pam Smith is described by parents as a teacher who has a genuine love for her students and her job. She's our Teacher of the Week.

On the morning we stopped by Ms. Smith's kindergarten class, the students were singing a song with Smith and learning the vowels in the alphabet.

After the song, Smith handed each student a card with a word on it and the students had to pick out the vowel and sound out the word. "Sneaky 'e' snuck up on these letters and made this 'o' shout out its long name," said Smith holding up the card with the word 'note.'

Smith says this is a rewarding time of year because she gets to see how much the children have learned. "That's one of the greatest things about teaching kindergarten is you really see the growth in the kids. When these kids come to me (in the fall) some of them can't write their name. Many of them don't know their letters and sounds, yet by the time they leave here, they're able to spell words, write sentences, read simple words, read simple sentences and so you can really see the growth," said Smith.

She has been teaching for 17 years. Students and their parents think she is the best. "There's nothing like her. She's a special kindergarten teacher," said parent Amy Copher.

Kindergarten student, Aaron Copher had this to say about Ms. Smith. "I think she's the best teacher of all because she teaches good."

It's been a full year of growing and learning and now these kindergarteners are ready for the next step in their education. They will graduate from kindergarten Thursday night in a special ceremony.

"Their attitude and their desire to learn are spectacular. I love working with them," said Smith.

The school year is almost over, but Ms. Smith will get a fresh new batch of students in the fall to help them learn all about kindergarten.

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