ORLANDO, Fla. — A parent nominated A+ Teacher Jessica Morales describing the Sunshine Elementary School instructor as simply the best.
What You Need To Know
- Jessica Morales addresses challenges in her classroom with compassion
- She says kindness makes all the difference and her students feed off her excitement
- Morales wants to make sure she addresses not only her students but their parents’ needs too
- Here’s how you can nominate an A+ Teacher
In Jessica Morales’ class, correct answers call for celebration.
She says, “It’s a challenge that I love because I wake up every day and I think about ideas and I think about how I can connect to students who need that extra help and support.”
She gets emotional at the thought of someone taking the time to nominate her and recognize her hard work and dedication.
Morales adds, “I love my students like my family. This year I have developed a different kind of connection.”
She says she knows she has to be student driven and that the kids must hit their learning targets but adds, “The value of knowing my students and where they come from and what their challenges are. Knowing what my team needs, knowing what my school needs, knowing what the family needs. I think I’ve put myself out there this year more than ever before.”
Morales says she knows there are so many challenges, “In my class I have Portuguese, Ukrainian, and a student speaks Russian as well.”
“One of the challenges I feel is having a mixability class with not only the language challenges but special education challenges. I find that my focus is a lot on humanity and inclusion,” she said.
She says kindness really makes all the difference. “I’ve learned wholeheartedly that it’s not just about me. It’s about them.”