Keeley Stewart
Posted on 01/05/2021
Keeley Stew

Today’s #HCSHeroes Spotlight is Keeley Stewart, a teacher at East Lake Elementary. Mrs. Stewart is responsible for teaching HCS at Home students in kindergarten and first grade, as well as leading the virtual team for East Lake Elementary.


“Keeley has been hardworking and flexible in her role as a virtual teacher since day one,” said Emily Clegg, one of Mrs. Stewart’s colleagues. “It's not an easy job to engage our youngest learners over a computer screen, but Keeley has worked hard to find ways to do just that. We are so thankful for all she has done to ensure that all our students are receiving high quality teaching!”


Being tasked with engaging kindergarten and first grade students in a virtual classroom is not an easy feat, but Mrs. Stewart has found creative ways to connect with her students, including using a green screen that allows her to take her students to different places.


“We often pretend we are jumping into books to learn about characters, settings, and new information,” said Mrs. Stewart. “Sometimes, I also pretend they are being taught by different teachers and I dress up as different characters like ‘The Reading Wiz’ to make it more engaging. They love it!”


Mrs. Stewart also supports her students by delivering monthly packages to students’ homes. These kits include things they have run out of such as markers, and usually something new to get them excited about learning like an observational notebook. She even includes a personal handwritten note, sometimes in Spanish for her Spanish-speaking students.


“I think my favorite part of my job is watching my students grow, especially this year,” said Mrs. Stewart. “While it has been hard not physically being with them, I can't help but be so proud of what they can accomplish. They are an amazing bunch and I am humbled often by the things they do and say, as well as how much love they have to offer each other - even through a screen.”


The efforts of our teachers and staff are truly heroic, and we are proud to have people like Mrs. Stewart on our team to support our students!


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