For Christie Sellers, her favorite time of the school year is approaching. A kindergarten teacher at Pinehurst Elementary, Christie enjoys it when students get used to the routine. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the switch eventually goes on for the kids.
“I guess the middle of the year is the sweet spot,” Christie says. “They’re kind of falling into place more and more.”
The beginning of the year is exciting, but challenges – as one may expect – are present.
“The students tend to be very excited at the start,” Christie, who’s originally from Georgia, says. “They love learning, and they love to show you what they’ve learned.”
Christie gets especially enthused as the basics are introduced.
“I love seeing their reading and writing,” she says. “Skills improve over the year. There’s a lot of hard work we do daily.”
Given the time she’s spent teaching, her observations come with credibility.
“I have been teaching for eight years,” she advised. “I did a lot of moving around (before that). I was a substitute teacher for a time. Being a preschool teacher was one of my favorite jobs.”
With her husband in the military, Christie was also a stay-at-home mom. She’s lived in Moore County for about nine or 10 years.
While she’s filled several roles in her life, she is definitely in the right place.
“I always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher,” Christie says.
An opening at Pinehurst allowed her to fulfill the dream.
“It kind of just fell in my lap,” she says.
The structure and staff at Pinehurst enhances her dream.
“We’ve got so many things put in place,” Christie says. “We know what we need to do. I’ve got a great kindergarten team. It’s a great school to work at.”
Through her tenure, Christie has found it easy to adjust to changes.
“I started in the old building,” she says. “The new school is just beautiful. It was fun moving in here.”
Seeing kids develop skills in reading and writing may bring a thrill, but Christie has a firm grasp of the importance of the subjects.
“They absolutely have to develop those reading skills,” she says. “We teach math, social studies and science as well. Kids especially love science.”
At Pinehurst, there are five kindergarten classes. Christie has 19 children in her class.
“Everyone’s close to 19 students, so we have at least 90 students,” she says. “There’s a definite plan in place.”
The days of being a stay-at-home mom are in the rearview. Both of Christie’s own children live outside Moore County.
“My son is at Chapel Hill,” she says. “My daughter is in Georgia.”
With less going on at home, Christie can pick from an array of options when it comes to relaxation.
“I like walks,” she says. “Lunch trips and reading are also my favorite things to do.”
If you have a teacher you would like to nominate to be showcased in this series, please email [email protected].
Feature photo: Christie Sellers. Contributed photo.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Dave Lukow. Dave has been honored as both a lyricist and screenwriter. Among other publications he’s contributed to are the Buffalo News, JD Journal, Beckett Hockey, Seminole Player’s Life, Poker Pro, Walmart World, and All In.
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