Teachers have a big impact on students' lives. All the way from kindergarten to senior year students are being influenced by teachers. Amy Weaver is a kindergarten teacher at Bradie Shrum Elementary School.
Weaver has been a teacher for 24 years. She has always taught kindergarten and decided that she wanted to be a teacher when she was in second grade. Being a teacher Weaver has the opportunity to connect with her students and create lifelong relationships.
Weaver has always wanted to teach kindergarten and so far has gotten her wish. She has only ever taught the grade of her choice. Before she was a teacher she was a manager at Hardee’s. Even while she was a manager she knew exactly what she wanted to do after college. She went to IUS to get her Bachelors and Masters degrees.
She became inspired to be a teacher when she was in kindergarten and again in fifth grade. Her kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Kramer and her fifth grade teacher was Mrs. Ratcliff. She said these two teachers inspired her to be the greatest teacher she could possibly be. Weaver said that Mrs. Kramer always had a smile on her face and made learning fun. Mrs. Ratcliff always showed that she cared about her students.
Weaver said Covid has changed a lot of things. She is teaching children who were born during quarantine and not able to leave their homes to be with other children. Weaver's biggest struggle is dealing with the trauma behaviors kids have now.
Weaver said, besides Covid, teaching has changed a lot since she started. The state is requiring kids to know more each year and there is now state testing that is done three times a year. When Weaver first started teaching it was all paper and pencil, now some of her assignments are on chromebooks.
Weaver makes sure that each and every student knows that she cares for them. Even after they graduate kindergarten, she is still there for her students. She loves seeing students' faces light up when they figure out how to read for the first time. Weaver loves building relationships with her students and showing them that she cares.
“I have strived to show my students that I care about them and my goal is to make learning fun!”
See the SLNN interview with Mrs. Weaver here: