Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) has announced that Kaysha Smith of Phoebe’s Family Tree Child Development Center is one of six finalists for Georgia’s Pre-K Program 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year. Smith received a surprise visit on Monday, May 6, from DECAL Commissioner Amy Jacobs and CALi, the official mascot for the state agency.
 
Smith has been teaching for almost 20 years, with 16 of those years at Phoebe’s Family Tree. She is finishing up her third year as a Pre-K teacher, but over the course of her career Smith worked with toddlers and children six to 11 years old. Smith says she became a teacher to make a difference and have an impact on the lives of the children.
 
“A teacher changed my life, so this gave me the desire to want to become a world changer, one child at a time. My favorite thing about teaching is to see the kids discover who they are as a person, make friends and master new skills. The smile and glow of excitement is breathtaking,” explained Smith.
 
Each day Smith reminds her students that they can achieve anything and encourages them to always try to do their best. “Learning is powerful. ‘I can’t’ is not in their vocabulary, only ‘I can, I will and I did it.’ I try to give them skills that they will remember and skills that will help them to become life-long learners,” said Smith.
 
Each finalist received $500 from the Georgia Foundation for Early Care & Learning. In September, DECAL will select a winner from a local public-school system and a winner from a private child care center.