Our Teacher of the Month, Brandi New, has been teaching Kindergarten for 20 years.
“I love my Kinder babies,” shared Brandi. “The best part of teaching Kindergarten is watching them grow and reach their full potential.”
Always working jobs that allowed her to be around children sparked the passion for her to become a teacher. She was working after-school programs and summer camps, teaching dance and gymnastics, and decided through all that, that she wanted to work with kids as a long-term career. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the University of Mobile and the rest has been two decades of legacy in the making.
“At the kindergarten age, learning is so magical,” Brandi said. “They come to your classroom barely knowing how to walk down the hall in a straight line. By the end of the year, they are identifying letters of the alphabet, writing sentences, and much more. It is so rewarding to see them light up and get excited when they learn something new.”
Brandi believes her students would describe their classroom as a fun and inviting room. A room full of movement, with singing, dancing, and hands-on learning – all important activities to keep five-year-olds engaged in their education.
“When my students leave my classroom, I hope they will always be kind to everyone. It is a behavior I pour into them daily,” Brandi shared. “Kindness is an act of showing love, support, or care without any reason. I tell them that for us to be a good human, we have to be a kind person.”
Although Brandi spends most of her day inspiring some of Daphne East Elementary’s youngest pupils, they tend to teach her too.
“One thing my students have taught me through the years is to be flexible. When teaching five-year-olds, anything can happen to get you off your schedule,” she said light-heartedly. “I am honored and grateful to be selected as the Eastern Shore Parents’ Teacher of the Month. I truly appreciate my students’ families who nominated me.”
Brandi New has two daughters – Isabella (16) and Harper (12). The family stays pretty busy with the girls’ extra circular activities. When they are not busy with all things school related, they enjoy shopping, going to the beach, walking their dog Wren, traveling, and watching football.
