Kenzie Sheppard: A Kindergarten Catalyst for Kindness

Picture the perfect kindergarten classroom. Open, sunlit space? Check. Playful student artwork? Check. Picture books galore? Triple check. Mackenzie Sheppard’s classroom has it all in gentle, color-coordinated spades. 

Sheppard smiled and shrugged at the observation. “Ever since I could talk, I've always played teacher, and I've never wanted to be anything else. I was born to be a kindergarten teacher!” she exclaimed.

Wellsville Elementary principal Glen Harris agreed. “Kenzie has really hit her stride in kindergarten. Ever since she was a little girl, she’s always wanted to be a teacher, and she’s worked so hard to make that dream a reality.”

It stands to reason, then, that Miss Sheppard’s classroom is a haven for learning, children, and…bugs??

“My students know that I’m a bug-lover!” she laughed. “I'm on a mission to spread the word that we don't want to hurt bugs. So, we are always finding bugs and talking about bugs. I just help my students understand that they are friends, not enemies. My students come in so afraid of bugs, but now they catch jumping spiders every day, hold them in their hands, and pet them! They’re not afraid anymore.”

A colleague ascribes Sheppard’s soft spot for bugs to her tender heart. “Kenzie’s classroom is a world of discovery and warmth. She puts time and energy into helping her class be kind leaders here at the school. Even to be kind to creatures smaller than we are. She’s even kind to spiders!”

Principal Harris added that Miss Sheppard’s example of kindness makes her a leader for not only her students but her colleagues as well. “In the short time she has been with us,” he shared, “she has earned the respect and admiration of our staff. They chose her to represent them as our teacher of the year at Wellsville.”

“There isn't a better place than Wellsville,” Sheppard beamed. “The view, the teachers, the students! It’s all worth it." 

Sheppard describes Kindergarten as a sweet spot for learning. “I love watching the light bulbs go off. It's a really magical grade because everything is special and exciting. You can blow their minds easily! They’re just little sponges at this age.”

“Kindergarten is a special grade because you have to want to teach it,” she said. “It’s where we all start. It builds the foundation for learning.” 

This is not to say that such work is a walk in the park. “It takes a lot of patience and love to be a kindergarten teacher,” Sheppard smiled. “You've just got to be ready to embrace all of it. I think that makes every kindergarten teacher a superhero.”

From the adoring smiles her students give her, it’s clear that Miss Sheppard is absolutely a hero. 

“Kenzie is just incredible,” a colleague concluded. “She is so deserving of this award, and we are lucky to have her at Wellsville.”