By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.
We don't remember a time that our daughter Kaylee did not want to be a teacher. In all transparency, her first career dreams were quite ambitious. It seems there were quite a few areas she thought she would excel in, so she believed she could be a teacher on Mondays, a manicurist on Tuesdays, work at McDonalds on Wednesdays, etc. While most children asked for extravagant toys for Christmas, Little Miss Kaylee asked for teaching supplies. After Santa delivered a white board, red pens, notecards, paperclips, and such, Kaylee would line up her dolls and teach them for hours on end. She became quite confident in her abilities as her babies were evidently exceptional students. Knowing the life of a teacher is not exactly glamorous, Kaylee often toyed with the idea of entering any career other than education, but ultimately she knew that is exactly what she was called to do!
This week when Kaylee posted photos of her new classroom at Crestview Elementary in Graham, TX, we were overjoyed at the number of her former teachers who offered their support and encouragement. Although our girls grew up in small rural areas of Texas, they were incredibly blessed with outstanding educators! It is no wonder that they both became teachers as well. It is so rewarding to see them inspiring others in return.
Kaylee's 2nd Grade teacher, Mrs. Candy Fain, made a profound impact on her life. Candy knew all too well what is was like to see the world differently, to believe that life was significantly better when it was experienced artistically and dramatically, and to understand that learning was notably enhanced through exploration and discovery. We suspect that Candy allowed Kaylee to believe that they were co-teachers in that classroom. The ripple of influence from Candy and her other phenomenal teachers can be seen in Kaylee's classroom today.
There is no doubt that this will be a challenging school year. Students have been out of a structured classroom environment for almost 6 months. Health and safety guidelines seem to contradict practices designed to build self-esteem and encourage emotional well being. Yet teachers are ready to meet those challenges head on and refuse to allow this disease to defeat the educational potential in our students.
Kaylee credits Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers for inspiring her classroom design. As her parents (so we are naturally a teensy bit biased), we attribute the colorful and lively environment to her creativity, abilities, and ingenuity. Her color scheme combines all of her personal favorites and produces an energetic and engaging atmosphere. Kaylee has a few teaching mantras. One of her favorites is, "Don't sleep on the Dollar Tree." And she certainly took her own advice using all of her finds to organize her room for optimal learning.
Sanitation Stations and individualized supply bins are a necessity and sign of the times.
After sharing her Amazon classroom wish list, friends, family, and community members pulled together to make each and every one of Kaylee's wishes come true. She used homemade pompom borders, Target, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and Ikea to complete her vision for her ideal classroom.
We have thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Kaylee each afternoon as she shares the first of what we know will be many successes for Mrs. Lazor's 1st Grade students. We are incredibly thankful for the teachers who poured into our children so that they follow their example and make a difference in the lives of others!
Credits:
Photos and styling by Kaylee Lazor.
In: Back to School, Classroom Organization, Classroom Ideas, Teaching
elementary teaching, teaching through Covid
