At Spanish Springs Elementary, a pair of first grade teachers have a special bond. Seventeen years ago, one trained the other. Now, the two teachers work side by side every day.
We caught up with Ms. Graham and Ms. Wellman during reading time.
Teresa Graham loves reading to her first graders. She loves everything about teaching her young students.
"They amaze me everyday; they make me laugh everyday. They keep me young,” Graham says, laughing gently.
Ms. Graham is young, but she's also been teaching for 30 years, including instructing Lucienne Wellman almost two decades ago.
"She was a student intern in my room 17 years ago, and uhm, we've come full circle."
Lucienne Wellman remembers it well.
"She was amazing, and I learned so much from her and took a lot of those skills into my teaching, so it's really exciting to be back with her. It's one of the main reasons I came back."
"She has done some training for our staff,” says Graham about Wellman, “and there was one time when I looked at our principal and I said 'I feel like a proud mama right now'."
The two women now work side by side as first grade teachers at Spanish Springs Elementary. Both say they especially love the growth they see in the younger kids.
"We've raised that bar a little bit, and the kid always seem to reach it and surpass it,” says Graham.
"Reading; they're writing; they're really excited about school. They love school, and I just really like being a part of building that foundation," says Wellman.
From special events, like Dr. Seuss Day, to simple in-class assignments, both Graham and Wellman are deeply committed to teaching more than just academics.
"We work a lot on treating everyone fairly,” says Graham, “and being kind to everyone and everyone gets the same shot."
"They have the ability to take power in what they're learning,” says Wellman “and to be actively engaged in their learning. It's not about me; it's about them."
Ms. Wellman and Ms. Graham work so well together, that their principal says they're like two peas in a pod, and he hopes it stays that way for many years to come.
