OCALA, Fla. — Imagine choosing your career when you were only in the first grade.
- Jessica Carter says she did not get a close teacher bond when she was a pupil
- Now Carter works hard to have a connection with her students
- See more A+ Teachers here
Despite not liking school as a kid, our A+Teacher Jessica Carter cannot wait to get to the classroom to teach each day.
It is all about learning in Carter's 3rd grade math class at Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary School in Ocala.
She says hands-on learning, collaborating and establishing a strong connection are key.
"So, in order for me to get the best out of my students, I build that relationship from the minute they walk through that door and all year long," she explains.
Carter knows how critical that bond is. It was something she says she did not always get in school.
She adds, "As a child growing up, when I was in school if the teacher didn't take the time to get me I really didn't do my personal best."
However, that is not a problem in Carter's classroom, whether she is teaching math or science, it is her commitment to her students that shines through.
"But I make sure that every child no matter where they're at. I meet them where they are and I take them where they need to be," she says.
It is that spirit that is earning her recognition too.
Carter humbly says without her students, the recognition would not be possible.
"And whatever they need, that year I make it happen," Carter says.