Melissa Kelley

It’s a bright colorful room inhabited daily by 16 children.  Books are everywhere.  A large poster proclaims “Reading Rocks” in big block letters.

Melissa Kelley counts herself fortunate that she gets to work there.

“It’s a job that I enjoy coming to,” she said.  “I never have a bad day.  It was a calling for me to be a teacher.  I enjoy the spirit of the children.”

An alumna of Coosa Valley Elementary and a 2003 graduate of Pell City High School, Kelley teaches first grade at Iola Roberts Elementary School.  It’s her first and only job since finishing college and one she’s not in any hurry to leave.

As her students gathered their belongings in preparation for leaving class at the end of a recent school day, she explained why.

What’s special about first grade?  “I love the age of the students.  You can really see how much they’re progressing.  I like to see the transformation in them from beginning to end, from them not being able to sound out a word to reading a book fluently.”

What happens in first grade:  “The basics of math, like addition and subtraction and learning shapes, but it’s mostly reading.  It starts here so the children can progress to second grade and be in a position to learn more things once they get there.”

A common misconception people have about educators:  “A lot of people think we have an extremely easy job.  A teacher’s job is never over.  I go home worrying about my kids.  Teaching is rewarding, but it’s anything but an easy job.”

Her credentials:  Kelly earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and recently received her Ed.S. degree from Jacksonville State University.

The significance of the Ed.S. degree:  “According to the most recent numbers, 25 percent of the population of Alabama has a bachelor’s degree,” according to IES principal Roy Bliss.  “Less than 10 percent has a master’s degree.  Less than one percent of the population holds a degree above a master’s.  Mrs. Kelley is now the fifth member of the faculty at Iola Roberts to have an Ed.S., which really says a lot about the quality of education at this school.”

Why she pursued the higher degree:  “I love what I do right now, and I don’t see myself doing anything else, but if the opportunity presented itself to go into administration, I wanted to have the work already done.”

Her working environment:  “We have a great faculty here at Iola.  It’s one of a kind.  I’ve made great relationships with people here that I’ll cherish forever.”

How important is parental involvement in a child’s education?  “Some parents don’t realize the amount of interest they need to have.  For children, knowing that their parents care and have confidence in them makes a big difference.”