Ms. Lis is a 3rd grade teacher at E.K. Powe Elementary School. She previously taught kindergarten at another elementary school for 11 years before switching to 3rd grade and E.K. Powe this year. Her 3rd graders, on the other hand, have mostly all attended E.K. Powe since kindergarten and display a tight bond inside and outside of the classroom. They are an energetic and creative bunch who often turn Ms. Lis' lesson plans into assignments of their own imagination. The students and E.K. Powe community have welcomed Ms. Lis and her son Ryan to the school and simply adore them.
Through my experience working with this lively 3rd grade class, I realized that Ms. Lis and the other teachers at E.K. Powe don't view their jobs as work but rather a fun outlet to interact with and help develop the youth of the community. Ms. Lis wakes up every morning excited for the day ahead of her and is greeted with the warm smiles of her students who feel the same way. Ms. Lis's 3rd graders repeatedly tell and show me how much they care for and appreciate their teacher and truly enjoy being in her class.
At first, it was difficult for me to get too involved in the classroom atmosphere to take my pictures. I was nervous about distracting the learning process and disrupting Ms. Lis' lesson plans. However, as I became more comfortable with the kids and with Ms. Lis, it became easier for me to sense when I could get more involved and when I needed to step back. I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with this bunch and believe they are kind, warm-hearted, and caring kids.