TOPEKA (KSNT) - Jamie Bazil is a kindergarten teacher at Cair Paravel Latin School in Topeka.
Before she found herself leading the classroom, she got her degree at Emporia State University for teaching. While she has been teaching for four years now at Cair Paravel, she knew at a young age this was what she wanted to do.
"I knew I wanted to be a teacher since as long as I can remember," Bazil said. "My mom had a home daycare, so if I wasn't in school myself, I was playing school with all the daycare kids at home."
From playing school to teaching it, kindergarten isn't the only grade that Bazil has found herself leading, but she does say it's been her favorite to teach.
"Seeing how young they start off and seeing how much they grow and mature during a school year is just amazing to me," Bazil said. "They come in barely knowing their letters to beginning readers by the end of the year. So amazing the growth that they make in just a short nine months."
However, that growth wouldn't be possible without a teacher who gets students excited to learn. This is why Grammar School Principal Sherri Farwell says it's so special that Bazil has the connection she does with her students.
"A lot of these students may of gone to preschool a couple days of the week, and they come all day five days of the week, which can be a long day for a kindergartener," Farwell said. "But she loves them and the kids know that they are loved and they are excited to be here every day."
For future teachers out there, we asked Mrs. Bazil for any advice she might have on teaching. She says although not every day will be easy, if you keep at it, every day will be rewarding.
"Working with the kids and seeing smiles on their faces as you're teaching them, as they have those lightbulbs moments, and just make teaching fun. If you make it fun, the kids are going to have a blast and your days are going to go fast because you're just having a great time together."
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