Learning Way Elementary pre-k teacher Rachel Porter has the experience to understand kids. And with a classroom full of them ranging from as young as 3 to 5 years of age, she’s pretty sharp on what their specific needs are.  

“When they know that they’re in a safe place and feel nurtured, valued, and loved, then all the other stuff is pretty easy to teach,” Porter said. “To me that’s the foundation of it.”  

This is her 10th year teaching in early childhood education and it’s also the year that she has received a Teacher of the Year Award for Learning Way as well as been selected as a district-wide semi-finalist.  

“I was very flattered to receive the teacher of the year here at Learning Way, to know that people actually see me interact with students and the teachers. It was humbling,” she said.  

“It’s something I never would have expected but I’m very, very flattered by it and I will do my best to represent Bedford County in the next level!”  

She realizes that at the district level, educator qualities desired are leadership, collaboration, and relationships with staff and especially students.  

But back in her pre-k class, what is most important is the goal is to teach the very young students social skills—how to get along with others and how to follow directions and a routine—as well as topics like basic words and sounds. 

“They explore everything through play. That’s something we do in pre-k,” Porter said. Whether it be through games or coloring, they get to explore a wide range of topics in ways that interest them.  

Porter adds that her favorite part is reading to the kids. There’s a total of seven volunteer pre-k (VPK) classes in the Bedford County School System, with Learning Way having two of them.  

The State of Tennessee awards grants for developing a VPK classroom, so the process of adding more often takes time. And there’s a bit more hands-on work that goes into a pre-k classroom.  

At Learning Way, pre-k is dismissed by 1:15. By law, if the hours were extended, they would have to have a designated naptime.  

“But they are really tired by 1:15, aren’t they Mrs. Beth?” said Porter. It’s not uncommon for Porter to have one of her young students fall asleep on her lap or on the floor during story time.  

“Sometimes, they’re tired by 11 o’clock,” said Mrs. Beth, Porter’s longtime classroom partner.  

It’s also required that there be two adults in the room for pre-k. Porter said many kindergarten teachers can always tell a difference when a student has been to Pre-K with how they behave in the classroom.  

“They already come to kindergarten with a foundation in letters and sounds and then just the social skills of how to share and get along with others,” Porter said.  

Porter herself has experience with kindergarten, having worked with them in her first year of teaching.  

She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2003 in early childhood development. She stayed home to raise her two kids, then began teaching when her youngest began kindergarten. “So, when they started school, I came to school, too!” Porter said.  

A first-generation teacher, she always knew she wanted to go into teaching. Though an only child, Porter said any time she was around little kids she wanted to talk and play with them.  

“I just really like working with the younger kids,” she said. And through the years, there have been many learning curves.  

“I think classroom management is very tricky, especially your first year,” she said. “You have some experiences in college, but nothing really prepares you for teaching when it’s all on you.”  

Picking your battles is a big part of that. Of course, if something is dangerous or someone is getting hurt there’s a line to draw. But most of the time, Porter says, “I am pretty flexible and relaxed because I want this experience to be positive. I want them to want to come to school every day.”  

She does feel like she’s having to assess the kids constantly, which takes time away from the more engaging and playful activities.  

But she adds, “The relationships are the most rewarding part. And just seeing how excited they are to learn and the confidence they build with us.”  

Now, some of her students from early on are going into high school— and are as tall as she is now. “It’s also very heartwarming when they come back and remember you and that you made an impact. That’s amazing.”  

It’s one way to keep going on the hard days. That and “resetting,” she advised. “You think, these are our babies, we love them . … So you just reset and check in with each other.”  

Porter encourages other young teachers to continue to roll with the day. “You’re doing a much better job than you think . . . . Even though you don’t feel like you can find your groove, you’ll find it, trust me.”