Educator of the Week: Molly Sanders
It’s time now to recognize this week’s Educator of the Week, brought to you by the Tennessee Education Lottery.
Molly Sanders is a 6th grade math teacher at Alamo City Schools.
She comes from a long line of educators and was often told that she would be one too. Because of this, Sanders tried everything else, even finishing a year of nursing school.
Halfway through her studies, she had a realization.
“I called my mom crying and I said ‘Mom, I’m not supposed to be a nurse’, she was like ‘Well, what are you supposed to be?’ I said ‘What everyone told me I was gonna be to begin with and that was a teacher’ and she said ‘Molly I could’ve told you that when you were 5-years-old coming in my classroom with your stuffed animals and teaching them at the board.'”
This is now Sanders’ 5th year teaching, and she shares some classroom practices.
“Hand signals I love, videos I love, just group work, they learn more from each other than they do from me,” Sanders said.
The class also does a lot of singing, often writing lyrics to popular songs based on current lessons.
On top of this, Sanders helped start the House System at Alamo, which encourages connection and belonging between grades.
Sanders then shares her struggles with perfectionism.
“Students are not the same from year to year,” she said. “You’ve got to learn a whole new group of students, and you’ve got to figure out their sense of style of learning and how some students are gonna be lower than others, and you’ve got to be the teacher that comes up with the ideas of ‘How am I going to make this connect for them?'”
For future educators, Sanders shares why these challenges are worth it.
“It is a lifelong commitment. I mean, you are committed to this job. It’s not like others, where you’re just sitting at a desk and it’s an 8 to 3 job, like, I’m constantly thinking. In the middle of the night I wake up and I’m like ‘That’s what I could do to help that student,’ or you’re constantly worrying, but it, the smiles of the students when they walk in the door knowing that you matter,” Sanders said. “That’s where, that’s when it gets you.”
Sanders encourages everyone to recognize the importance of teaching.
“You have to have a huge heart for students. It’s a passion, it definitely is, and I truly encourage anyone, everyone come in and see the culture, the climate you get to build. You get to change those lives. They may not have the home life outside but at school they can.”
Sanders is now eligible for the Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award.
To vote for her or any other nominees, go to the Tennessee Education Lottery website.
To nominate an educator for our Educator of the Week award, email us at educator@wbbjtv.com.
