“Kindergarteners are very happy. They have a joy for life. They are active. They don’t like to spend lots of time on one thing. If they get bored, it gets bad,” said Megan Sullivan, Kindergarten teacher at Trout Primary. She should know because she is in her 10th year teaching at Trout Primary where she currently has a classroom full of Kindergarten students.
“What I love about teaching is seeing the growth of the kids. Some have never been to school so I get to see them blossom. I get to read to them. Some of them don’t get read to at home. I love to read to them and instill confidence in them to read,” she said.
Her love of teaching comes from being raised by teachers. Her mom taught 4th and 5th grade and her dad was a middle school coach who taught geography and speech. Even though both of her parents insist that she not go into education, she knew it was her destiny.
“I loved going up to my mom’s room in the summer and laminating and setting up her room. I tried Public Relations at SFA, but changed to education after my first semester there,” she said.
Sullivan received her Associates Degree from Lon Morris College and Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies from Stephen F. Austin State University. After doing her student teaching at Lufkin ISD, Ms. Sullivan was hired in the middle of the year and has been part of the team ever since.
Cindy Stewart, principal at Trout Primary said, “Mrs. Sullivan is an amazing asset to Trout Primary as she continues to go above and beyond for her colleagues and students in many ways. She does not hesitate to assist with any campus needs such as leading curriculum for Kindergarten to achieve best practices for all students.”
When Ms. Sullivan isn’t teaching kindergarten students she enjoys sports: softball, basketball, volleyball. She also loves to read and attend church and go on mission trips.
Advice for those new Kindergarten teachers just starting out, “Learn to walk backwards and have fun with them. Love on them. Teach them how to be a good person. It’s more important that they are a good person than they learn to read. Teach them to give and forgive. As my dad always said, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Ms. Sullivan is married to Chad Sullivan and they have two children Dax and Duke and two dogs Chloe, a miniature Schnauzer, and Oakley, a Labrador.