“Time flies when you’re having fun and when you’re trying to maintain a large group of 6-year-olds,” said Lauren Jones, a Kindergarten teacher at Rockwell Elementary School. “The biggest challenge in teaching kindergarten is managing time. We’re often early or late for nearly everything, no matter how hard we try to be punctual.”
Ms. Jones graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2024 with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education, and has only been teaching for two years. She is already pursuing her Master’s in the same field and is eager to deepen her knowledge.
“I did my internship in kindergarten and loved it,” she said. “I enjoy the crafts, the innocence, and the activities. The kids are so much fun and adore you. I can’t imagine teaching any other grade.”
Ms. Jones was inspired to begin teaching at a very young age. She explains, “My mom is a P.E teacher, and when I was little, I would love to go up to her school and roam the halls, imagining one of the rooms was mine,” she reminisced.
“Then, I would go home and print fake worksheets so I could teach my Barbie dolls. It’s surreal to look back and realize that God has truly laid a path for you and that you are doing what you always dreamed and prayed about.”
A typical day in Ms. Jones’s classroom is carefully structured to help students stay focused. It makes it clear to all the children what activities are coming next and when. Because of the high expectations for what students should learn in their first year, Ms. Jones works hard to help each child discover their individual learning style.
“I want my students to enjoy learning and to enjoy school. The only way I know how to do that is to make everything fun, colorful, and interesting for them,” she explained. “Six-year-olds can only sit for so long before the ants come, so I allow my students to move around the room to do their work and I encourage them to use their imaginations to draw and write.”
It is evident why Ms. Jones was awarded as the February ESP Teacher of the Month. She is extremely passionate and thrives in her students’ successes.
I am filled with gratitude and appreciation to be nominated for this award. I love my job and love finding different ways to make learning fun for kids,” she shared. “When teaching Kindergarten, you teach kids how to be people, and it is constantly rewarding. It is always about the kids and helping them grow. I hope that the main takeaway my students have from my class is how much I love them. They impact my life way more than they’ll ever know. I hope they’ll always remember their young and hip, crazy but fun, caring and loving kindergarten teacher.”
Lauren Jones is in her second year of teaching Kindergarten. She is excited to marry her best friend and one true love, Ethan Rowe. They have known each other since elementary school. The couple will be tying the knot in May. They’ll be spending a week in Saint Vincent for their honeymoon.
