MOULTRIE, Ga. (WALB) — A Moultrie kindergarten teacher is being recognized for the impact she’s making on young lives as communities celebrate National Teacher’s Day.

Stacy Griffin has been teaching pre-K and kindergarten for nearly 30 years. She currently teaches at Sunset Elementary School in Moultrie.

“This is my 29th year. I went to college, and I got my degree in early childhood education... So I got to teaching, and as soon as I got in there with all the kids and started, you know, learning and seeing them learn and doing stuff, I just loved it,” Griffin said.

Griffin started teaching at Norman Park Elementary 11 years before starting at Sunset Elementary School. She said her favorite part of teaching is the little moments she has with her students.

“I love seeing the kids learn new things, and whenever they all of a sudden get something—like they can read by themselves and they’re like, ‘I just read that by myself’ or they can count to 100. I don’t know, it just makes me happy inside to know that these kids are all learning and growing, and that I had a part in a little bit of that,” Griffin said.

Her advice for younger teachers is to engage more with their students.

“Whenever you get your own class, you need to make sure and have fun with your students because they will like it a lot more. And they, you know, want to learn for you. And they just need to, you know, have fun with your kids,” Griffin said.

In addition to teaching young students, Griffin is also the mother of JW Griffin, the Moultrie man who appeared on NBC’s “The Voice.”

“It’s weird. I do get recognized... ‘Hey, that’s JW’s mom, that’s JW’s mom.’ So apparently I’m going to be ‘JW’s mom’ forever,” she said. “The [students] love it. He comes out here and plays for them and stuff.”

Griffin said being both a teacher and a mom shapes how she connects with her students each day. On National Teacher’s Day, part of Teacher Appreciation Week, Griffin said she hopes people take time to recognize educators for their patience, dedication and the lasting impact they have on the next generation.

Teacher Appreciation in SWGA

Griffin is not the only educator being recognized for their effort this Teacher Appreciation Week. School systems across Southwest Georgia are celebrating their educators.

In Dougherty County

Dougherty County Schools posted their appreciation to teachers on Facebook. School officials said that Teacher of the Year finalists would be highlighted through video features during the week as well.

In Lee County

Students at one Lee County middle school shared notes with teachers who they say have had an impact on their lives. They also treated teachers to a food truck lunch on Tuesday.

In Tift County

Tift County Schools are celebrating teachers both as independent schools and as a district. Officials said that the district gathered donations to be able to gift teachers with school supplies, gift cards, free coffees and more through a drawing system. The district posted winners throughout the day Tuesday along with positive notes from board members and administrators.

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