Skip to content Skip to Content

Laney Waters spreads love and joy in her first grade classroom

<i>WJCL via CNN Newsource</i><br/>The Bulloch County native says her students are her pride and joy and she is their biggest cheerleader.
WJCL via CNN Newsource
The Bulloch County native says her students are her pride and joy and she is their biggest cheerleader.

By Emma Hamilton

Click here for updates on this story

    STATESBORO, Georgia (WJCL) — Born and raised in Bulloch County, Laney Waters has been teaching first grade for the last five years. The 2020 Georgia Southern graduate originally thought she wanted to be a nurse before making the switch to teaching. “I feel like the Lord definitely placed a call on my heart and he made it very apparent to where it’s like, either answer the call or you’re going to regret it,” Waters said.

Her classroom is full of bright colors and personal touches. Waters says she wants it to be homey for her students.

“Might as well make it as cozy and happy and as welcoming, because nobody wants to go into a drab room every single day. This just makes it more exciting and makes them feel like, ‘okay, this is my safe place,’ because the first thing I want them to feel is that they’re safe to be any version of themself,” Waters said.

Waters is working with her students every day to build a solid learning foundation. She says there’s nothing better than seeing their progress.

“It makes me feel like what I’m doing this the right thing. As a teacher, you can always question, ‘oh my gosh, I hope that I’m not messing this kid up for anything’ but then whenever they’re like little light bulbs go off, it’s like, okay, you did something right. You did the right thing. You explained it to them in a way that they are going to understand,” Waters said.

She added that her students are her pride and joy and she thinks of them as her own children. “If I’m the only structure in the love that they get, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Waters said.

Waters often refers back to a photo of herself in the first grade on the wall in her classroom. It’s a reminder for her and her students that school didn’t always come easy to her. While Waters is helping the kids become life long learners, she’s also teaching life lessons along the way.

“Being honest and being kind. Being kind to everybody, no matter what you look like, how you act, how you think. Just being kind to one another and spreading love and joy around the world. That’s really because it’s the truth. Academics is one thing, but being a good person, that will take you a whole lot farther than anything else in this world,” Waters said.

Waters added that she will always be their biggest cheerleader. “I want to build them up and celebrate all of their victories, regardless of where they’re at. I’m proud of all of them,” Waters said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.