LARGO, Fla. — Kaitlin Morris says she never imagined her first year as a teacher being during a global pandemic.
"This is a huge accomplishment to have it be my first year and getting through something that I feel like a lot of people struggled with and I feel like I came out an even better educator than I could’ve imagined at the beginning of the year," said Morris, who teaches fourth-grade at Ridgecrest Elementary in Largo.
To keep her students encouraged during the challenging year, Morris had students start the day by saying positive affirmations. She also left positive handwritten notes on their desks.
"We all need a little cheerleader in our life sometimes to remind us that the little things can be the big things," said Morris.
Morris says she learned that being consistent during all the uncertainty in the world was important for students. And showing students to embrace change was the biggest accomplishment of all.
"I feel like my kids are coming out of this year with a confidence they might not have had otherwise," said Morris.
