November 2022 Winner - Pam Moody:(Patrician Academy)
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Meridian Star Article
Getting up every morning to teach preschoolers is not an easy job for the average teacher, but for Pam Moody, it’s what she loves.
Moody, who teaches K-4 at Patrician Academy in Butler, Ala., is the recipient of the Golden Apple Award for November.
During a school assembly Tuesday morning, Moody was surprised by Patrician Academy Headmaster Billy Burnham and her family, who all celebrated her for this accomplishment.
"I'm really excited about receiving this award, and I just feel honored," Moody said. "I’m not sure if I’m that deserving of it, but I just love what I do, and I enjoy teaching these kids."
"I believe this award is a great way to recognize teachers for what they do, and I’m very grateful," she added.
With 32 years as an experienced educator, Moody began teaching at 25 in the Choctaw County School District alongside her sister Patti Christopher, a first-grade teacher who won the award five years ago.
"It feels great for both of us to have won this award," she said. "We’ve always worked together, and I've just enjoyed teaching my students and sending them right to her where they can continue to build off what I taught them."
Patrician Academy teacher Pam Moody, the November Golden Apple winner, helps a student complete an assignment.
Some people become teachers to make a difference in the lives of students or to share their love of a particular subject, but for Moody, it’s her love for the children.
"I just enjoy the kids," Moody said. "I don't feel like it's really a job. I love coming into my classroom and seeing them, especially with the four-year-olds because they make such great progress."
"It's just fun watching them. To see what they come in knowing and then watching them leave with what they have learned, it just gives me great satisfaction," Moody added.
Working with younger children takes a lot of patience and attention, but Moody feels no pressure and takes on the challenge daily.
"They just get so excited over school," Moody said. "The kids absolutely love their teachers, and I get excited over them learning so that just drives me, it’s my love for the little ones."
Teaching preschoolers comes with challenges of its own, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, Moody had to adjust to teaching from home.
"It was a challenge," she said. "I tried many things to make the class seem normal, but it’s hard to get preschoolers to focus on a Zoom call."
"I came up with the idea to Zoom with each individual child, and for what it was worth, it worked better than anything else. I’m just fortunate that we were able to get back in the classroom together," Moody added.
As a teacher, watching students move on to the next grade can be bittersweet, but Moody believes she has instilled some core values in her class that will help her students in the future.
"One thing I try to focus on teaching my students is kindness," Moody said. "We're a family in this classroom, we help each other, and we'll be tied to each other forever."
"These values are important to me, and it’s something that I will continue to teach," Moody added.
