During Teacher Appreciation Week, Bria Sanders, a preschool teacher at The Goddard School in Farmington, has been recognized for her individualized approach with her students.
“I love what I do. I'm very passionate about it," said Sanders. “I feel like I'm impacting the future.”
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WATCH HERESanders’ passion for early childhood education began as a teenager, during a summer job. Her mom also works in early childhood education and was her boss at a center in Bloomfield.
“I ended up developing a really big passion for it. I have her to thank. She's my biggest role model and I love trying to like, you know, get into the children's brain, see what works for them and what doesn't work for them,” said Sanders.
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SIGN UP Sanders said she really focuses on individualized learning with her students and building those social emotional skills that they’re going to need for kindergarten and the years to come.
“You're just a daycare worker. But we're way more than that. We are helping kindergarten teachers have a better experience by us, you know, teaching those independent skills, potty training them, able to regulate their emotions and of course, the importance of like ABCs, their names, how to hold pencils, fine motor skills,” said Sanders.
It is for her work with children that Sanders was named a 2025 Goddard School Teacher of the Year Regional Finalist. She was one of 16 finalists out of 4,300 teachers nominated across the country this year.
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The owner of The Goddard School in Farmington, Kristina Ford, said they are lucky to have Sanders.
“She really takes such an individualized approach to education. I think it's really just it shows through in terms of the connection with her families and her students,” said Ford.
