JEFCOED Teacher of the Year finalist Ms. Sherylyn McNamara finds joy and inspiration through the interactions with her students.
“I love the kids,” McNamara said. “I mean, every day they are just so excited to learn and they really teach me a lot.”
As a Pre-K teacher at Mount Olive Elementary School, McNamara spends countless hours helping our youngest students meet important educational milestones, and does so with passion and enthusiasm.
“With any great teacher, I think it starts with a love of kids,” Principal Ryan Griffin said. “You know that right off the bat when you’re talking with her and you go into her classroom and you see her interact with kids; you see that she loves kids and she’s here for them.”
McNamara not only supports her students, but feels motivated by their accomplishments.
“The biggest reward of teaching is to see a child come in who struggles with conversation skills or struggles with being able to adapt to the classroom and then seeing them just flourish,” McNamara said.
Her skillset and passion for the job are an asset to Mount Olive, according to Principal Griffin.
“I don't think you can put a value on having a person on your faculty of her quality,” Griffin said.
Ms. McNamara is one of five finalists for the JEFCOED Elementary Teacher of the Year Award. You can meet our other finalists by clicking here.